Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-06-19

more and more every day that we live.
1t may be a remarkable coincidence,
but it is the only element of our life
into which woman has never been al
lowed to enter.
Two editorials recently appeared
side by side in a newspaper. One be-
walled the fact that women generally
take no interest in politics and know
nothing of the tariff, the silver ques-
ton or any of the great issues of the
day. To this attitude of women was
attributed all political corruption. We
were asked what would become of the
Church, the Sunday school and various
other good institutions if women should
withdraw their interest. The other
began with the declaration that boys
will learn politics and continued an
earnest warming to parents to recog-
nize and provide for this demand of
the masculine nature or the boys would
acquire the knowledge in the school of
the saloon and street corner. Both
the articles stated facts, but why this
difference in the sexes? In all studies
that boys and girls pursue together
girls are equally interested and capa-
BILE. Politics is not more dull or alb
stense than the higher mathematics.
The answer is not far to seek. That in
which we can have no part, has no in
terest for us. A woman of the Saliva
ton Army does not loiter before the
milliner's window or the shop full of
Paris gowns, nor does the blind man
feel any deep interest in the glories of
the sunset sky. Their very helpless
ness to right any wrongs in the politi-
cal world has forced earnest women,
in self defense, to secure serenity of
soul by turning their thoughts entirely
away from the subject.
This wonderful nineteenth century
now drawing to its close has witnessed
nothing more wonderful than the
change in womans' condition, and
whether we like it or not the wise way
is to recognize this change and adapt
ourselves to it. Woman has not chang
ed but her sphere" has enlarged and
one potent agent in this has been the
railroad with it's daily trains and all
the crowding possibilities and oppor-
tunities which follow in it's wake. But
if one prefers the old style woman, she
is yet to be found in the ''Piney woods"
of Mississippi and Louisiana. For my
part do not care to be housed with
her for more than one rainy day. 1
know large family that made a pill
grimage to New Orleans, fifty miles
away, to visit the exposition of dozen
years ago. They saw nothing that sur
prised, amused or interested them and
after one day in the City started back
to bury themselves in the depths of
the forest fully satisfied that the City
contained nothing to be desired and
that home was the best place. l do
not undervalue this state of mind, but
only claim that it cannot be retained
under the conditions now general
throughout the world. AS regards the
effect of woman's vote on the temper
ance cause, the brewers and distillers
have no doubts. They declared that
the recent action of the Michigan Leg
islature in giving the ballot to women
(which the Supreme Court set aside
was blow aimed directly at their bus
mess.
Miss Willard says in her annual add
dress, read by Lady Henry Somerset at
the Chicago Convention, "There is a
tendency among temperance workers
everywhere to the opinion that as a
wise general first recruits and drills
his troops, then marches them on to
the enemy, it would be wiser in the
temperance forces to unite their efforts
to secure the ballot for women before
they further expend their energies in
seeking the submission of Constitu-
tional amendments to be voted down
Dy lncn. AafO HOWL any oCSA GU
of the opinion that if our forces could
but have seen this as the wiser way it
would have been to our advantage"
I have been impelled to say these
words to you by the memory of the
earnest exhortation given me by Mrs.
Zerelda Wallace when she spoke for
us in Greenville some years ago, and /
was afraid the W. c. L. U. might be in
jured in the estimation of the audience
if they thought we were advocates of
equal rights. With the voice and look
of one inspired she warned us that 1T
was the sin of cowardice that caused
the children of Israel to wander forty
long years in the wilderness when God
was ready to give them the promised
land if they would only go up and take
it.