The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-04-06
OUR SUFFRAGE DEBATE.
SOME NEW CONTRIBUTORS PRESENT
NEW VIEWS ON THE OLD QUEs-
TIoN.-SoME STRONG AR
cUMENTs FOR EQUAL
SUFFRAGE.

SUFFRAGE.
MR.. EDIToR:-In answer to the
question; If you desire Suffrage tell
why?
Let me state that 1 think its wo-
mans personal right. Woman was
created in the image of God and she
was allowed the personal right to the
name of woman. Then again she was
called Eve because she was the moth
er of all living. The fatherhood of
God is the hope of the human race.
Personality is the gift of God. 1t dis
tinguishes man from animal; it bears
the stamp of divine image. By per-
sonality we mean the attributes of
character, reason, free will, self deter
mined in moral sense.
Sowe first find woman, created with
a free and equal right to to her per-
sonality. All civilized society has
passed through savage stages.
Primitive man was gregarious. The
blood relation to the child was the
first they perceived. Certainty of
male parentage was impossible. The
peculiar practices of barbarous races
made the existence of the Patriarchal
family impossible, destroying to a
great extent the fatherhOod instinct, q
great disease or mishap that did not
attack motherhood. Later in history
the purchase or capture of women led
TO servile condition of woman, still
this subsection and seclusion did not
take away from her the personal
right to the name of woman for no
rights are of human origin or human
creation. Law may not grant justice
to man but justice is mans rigst.
Membership i'm this nation is mans
natural right, and the normal condi-
ton of the individual regardless of
sex, and the relation of the citizen is
not accidental or servile, nor matter
of choice but divine appointment,
from the author of all law and rights.
Political rights define public rela-
tions under the law; civil rights de-
fine private relations. Then we have
the natural right, personal liberty,
personal security and religious rights
The right to vote is a political right,
but it is only the natural right given
recognition and assertion in law, for
constitution can make no distinction
between native born citizens, al
though the government may discrim-
mate in admitting the right of persons
to vote. The cases who are excluded
from voting are those having no free
personal will or reason. Infants and
idiots, young men until they become
of age, criminals and persons who bet
on elections. The law presumes that
an average age of twenty one years is
necessary to the development ofman's
personality. At that age they are
free from parental restraint and may
exercise their own reason and free
will in voting. Great criminals lose
their freedom by crime, also lose
their right to vote, not as a punish
ment for crime, but as a consequence
OF having lost their free personality.
The government has the right to de-
fine the qualifications of its electors
but it can't do this arbitrarily. Now,
on what ground does our nation dis
eliminate to-day? We answer, per-
sonality. Let us state the definition
of personality. 1t is a person having
the consciousness of law and freedom
in the self determination of his own
spirit. 1t includes intelligence and
reason, and vote is the formal asser-
ton of that PERSONS free will, prefer
ence or opinion at the ballot box.
Think of this: If personality admits
man TO the right of suffrage then the
supposed lack of personality will ex-
clude woman from the equal right.
Persons who bet on elections lose
their freedom and are excluded.
Aliens are excluded because our law
presumes they are under the control
ling influence of the mother country
and not informed as to what would be
for the good of our native land.
Blackstone says aft it was possible
for every man to give his Vote freely,
then every one in the community
should have a vote" Again: "All
states have been obliged to establish
certain qualifications whereby some
who are supposed to have no will of
their own are excluded from voting,
Really we can't think single vot-
ing son of Adam thinks woman has
no reason and no will. Is it just to
woman to deny her the privilege of