The record-union., 1894-08-02
AGAINST WOMAN SUFFRAGE.


Rev. DR.. Buckley in the Century for
August opposes woman suffrage, which
is now being urged upon the Constitu-
fional Convention of New York, and
which is indorsed by the Republican
platform of California, and decidedly
makes the estrongesta and clearest argument
yet presented in opposition. He holds,
and we think correctly, that ''the physi
illogical and pathological reasons for the
abstention of women from political work
and excitement are not diminished but
increased by the complexity of modern
civilization. There are times for all
women when they cannot respond to po-
litical demands, and that fact will tend to
the narrowing of domestic and paternal
functions to the INJURY of the races
DR.. Buckley holds that religious feuds
would affect political life much more un-
der woman suffrage than under present
circumstances. With women the greater
element in the church, it would be far
more difficult to keep the ecclesiastical
out of the Stale administration. Chivalry,
now q refining influence over men,
would pass away with women as poll
ticians Even as it is, mere advocacy of
woman suffrage leads it's apostles on the
platform and in the essay to scoff at the
chivalrous feeling in man, careless of the
TACT that its decline will certainly remove
from around woman a powerful guard.
The introduction of women into polit-
ical life would increase its bitterness, and
TO that extent bring bitter feeling into the
domestic circle. AT present the fact that
the wife and mother does not go to the
polls modifes any feeling that may arise
from division of sentiment.
Female suffrage, says DIR. Buckley.
would place new and terrible strain
npon the family relation. He adds:
The ratio of marriages relatively to the
number OF the population is diminishing; the
number OF divorces has been increasing
alarmingly for the past thirty years. They
are most numerous in sections of the country
where there has oeen persistent and almost
fierce demand for the ballot.
The introduction of political disputes and
party work into family life Will develop and
increase lEcompatiOillty, q prolific cause of
separations, 1nndelity to the marriage con-
The strain viii be most felt whenever and
whenever the tie Is weakest, whether the
cause be the inexperience and impulsiveness
OF early married lile or the accumulated in
compaubllltieS which test the selfcontrol of
many. To resort 10 the assumption that
''women viii generally vote as their husbands
do" is 10 renounce most OF the considerations
advanced In favor OF the movement.
Woman may now speak freely as she
VIII and man hears her without subject
ing her words TO severe scrutiny. But
when she is voter and identified with a
party, she will in some cases become
timid and in others become by speech
an impediment to party success, when
women oppose women, their party con-
hicts will deprive them of that power
by which they now leaven public senti-
ment
Suffrage practice will deteriorate the
moral tone of most of the women who
become political leaders, and as DR..
Buckley puts it, twill affect unfavorably
all who take an active part in politics,
and it will introduce dangerous forms of
corruption" It will be simply i'm
possible for women in politics to escape
the temptations of corruption; they are
neither destitute of ambition nor love of
money and power. In politics she can
not escape contact with the corrupting
and demoralizing elements any more
than can men. Nor are they to be ex-
pected to be frse from those lpreju-
dices in politics to which women are so
peculiarly subject, and which unfit her
for positions into which the judicial ele-
ment enters. Hence her advent into
such life will be marked by contentious
from which she is now mainly free, but
under which with the ballot she win be a
great sufferer.