The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-22
OPPOSED TO WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

We are opposed to woman suffrage for
weman's sake. We are opposed to it be
cause 1t is inconsistent with republican
government: because it is inconsistent
with the Christian religion; because it is
opposed to the sanctity of the marriage con-
Tract: because it is opposed to the mainte-
nance of the family as now instituted;
because it is subversivs of society as now
urkaniz.d.-Emporia Republican.
The above compound dsclaratory SEN
fence is from the pen of Governor Esk-
ridge and it lacks neither reach nor
drectness. 1t is the opening paragraph
of long and strong editorial in which
lie ESSAYS the proof of his text. 1t Is
unquestionably a fact that the agitators
of this movement have little use for the
Christian religion and less, if possible,
for the family as it Is at present consti-
tuted The great body OF these leaders
in denying the divinity of Christ also
insist that marriage is failure. They
do not publicly boast these convictions,
as such a course would prejudice their
cause with tie so-called ignorant
masses, but privately they main
tain that universal suffrage would
result in universal Liberation
from the fetish worship of the churches
and the slavery of sectarianism, and
bring such universal enlightenment as
would break the marital and social
chains which have mentally, physically
and spiritually enslaved the women of
all civilizations and brutalized them of
the primitive times. They hold TO the
idea of ''female" rather than that of
women" charging that male brutally
reserves the world of opportunities to
himself consigning the female TO the
confinement of the home, which home
The male maintains for his own comfort,
wherein he conveniently forces mother
hood upon his marital servitor against
both her will and comfort. In claiming
that universal suffrage will force univer-
sal equality they say that the churches
and social life, both almost wholly sup
ported and maintained through the in
fueEce Of women in their ignorance,
will go to the wall, the one as a species
Of fetichisnl, the other as a survival
Of phallic worship. to be fol-
lowed by an Unreasonable elevation of
the mental and physical conditions of
the males and females of the race who |
under such enlightened conditions would |
reverse the command given to Adam |
and Eve and only permit additions to in
dividual life mutually and free wiIled |
and under the highest physical condi- |
TONS
There are a minority Of the advocates |
of suffrage and public life for women
who will repudiate the above, but they |
are not of those who keep the movement |
to the front. and who in their so-called |
progressive literature, as found ID the
Arena and other revolutionary publica
lions, are continually covertly insinu-
ating exactly these doctrines.
The EAGLE, as rule, makes up its
mind before it speaks, and is therefore
inclined rather 10 assert than argue, but
before November We shall, doubtless,
farther elucidate the pertinent points of
Governor Eskridge's text, not III any
spirit of captious criticism but from the
conceded platform that universal suf-
frage means social, religious and political
revolution.