The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-06-30
Woman Suffrage.
Communicated

Communicated
EDITOR PIONEER "A few weeks ago you
declared that woman suffrage is a here
sy on Natures laws" More recently you
asserted that women in asking for the bal
lot ''usurp the male p~rerogative" and made
the sweeping statement that if woman
suffrage did come. as. it possibly might. it
would destroy the foundations of society.
As you have by the above assertions in
vited a discussion of the question. and. in
directly. volunteered to %enlighten your
readers in natural, moral and political
science, it is only fair that you give US the
ground On which you base your state
ments and show how it is possible to ar
rive at such startling conclusions.
The assumption that the laws of nature
justify the denial Of the election franchise
to women, is to-day an exploded theory.
Women have been voting for a quarter of
a century. and are to-day voting. in all
parts of the English-s2eaking world, and
the result everywhere j~ustifes the fullest
freedom in the exercise of the right. If
you can show US natural law which for
bids woman to express her opinion by
means Of the ballot that it may be counted
in making up the common judgment of
the community or nation in regard to mat
tiers in which she is equally interested
with the male portion of the people, you
will do more than any, or all. of the op-
ponents of woman suffrage did during the
last fifty years of discussion and debate.
You will admit that God made man, male
and female, constitutionally different, yet
by an immutable law, both alike and
equally essential to human nature. Does
the fact that God by natural law gave one
half of the human family certain special
ways of thinking, feeling and acting justi-
fly you in shutting the feminine element
of humanity out of public affairs or in ex-
of the people, by the people and for the
people? If both male and female are ne
cessary to constitute human nature or hu-
mainly. and a human family canno exist
without both, on what ground do you or
ganizc one half of the human family into
a state and leave the other half unex
pressed, and claim to have a complete hu-
man government while only n half is
represented? Perhaps your readers can
see where the heresy is. Your statement
amounts to a denial of the fact that God
intended that both the male and female
elements of the race should be embodied
in society, in the avs and in all the insti-
tutions of government which are essential
to the welfare of mankind. When you
say that women in asking the ballot
''usurp the male prerogative" you would
have your readers believe that it is not
according to woman's nature to vote or
exercise the right of choice as to how or
by what she is to be governed or protect
ed either in her person or property. But
women do vote and do it we'll and satisfac-
tory, as 1 will show you further on. But
how is it? Because it is woman's nature
to vote and she enjoys it immensely, just
as much as you do. According to the his
tory of creation by Moses. man and wo-
man were both created in the image of
God-the male and female constituting the
man-and equal right to supremacy and
government was expressly given to both
L. 80 l:~z.1e ,,L2- - 80 eoSl sI1of ruENx
have dominion y n over all the earth. p"
Mans nature and woman's nature are
complementary, each supplying what the
other lacks. One pair by virtue of their
difference. and herein is the very essence
of natural unity which guarantees coop
Grafton and moral power. The teachings
of the Great Master and Maker are in
harmony with this law. He ever ywhere
makes woman a companion and fellow
worker with man in all things. On this
ground we claim suffrage for woman. that
what is so closely united by the great law
of nature may not be separated even at
the polls, that those whom God has joined
together in study, in work, IN the joy as
we'll as in the sorrows of life, shall not be
put asunder in the great responsibility,
service and duty of government. I think
this movement for woman's complete free
dom and equality before the law has been,
and is yet. very much misunderstood
through the mistaken idea thatit is com
petition between women and men. Any
one looking into it without prejudice can
see that it simply means cooperation and
not competition. The interests of mer
and women are so bound together that
you cannot separate them without loss OF
injury to both. When humanity. in the
persons of man and woman, was Started
on its career of effort, what is the domin'
ion promised as a result? Supremacy,
Not supremacy. however, of the one ane
the subordinate of the other, but suprem
acy not merely over the physical forces Of
nature, but also over the other forces
which must be brought into subsection te
humanity before we reach the highest de
velopment. The true family is the typ
of the State: 1t is the abundance OF faith
ers and the lack of mothers that make the
governments of the earth so disorderly
and unsuccessful. The state is now in
condition of half ~orphanage. Hitherto
where woman has gone she has introduced
order. civility and good behavior. Thu
opponents of oman suffrage declared
not many years ago. in regard to educa