Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-06-21

Harper's Weekly takes the field against
woman suffrage with forcefulness OF
logic aud warning that will attract at,
tentiou from both sides. The friends
OF the movement, II notes, at present
occupy before the public, notably in the
Empire State, position of vantage
more apparent than real, in that their
sisters who do not want the ballot and
who hold that the circle Of woman CEN
tres in the family and that she should
not permit herself to be unnecessarily
drawn into publicity, are by their very
principles declared from demonstrative
public manifestations of their views.
But in another respect they find diff
Guilty in their way which gives their
opponents a decided advantage, and
this is in the belief 'fast gaining
ground, that in the democraIization of
our institutions by engagements OF the
suffrage We have gone fully as far as
the safety of the republic will warrant,
and that it is much more advisable to
sift the body of voters, by educational
requirements aud the like, than to ex.
pand II by indiscriminating additions
Striking this keynote, the writer con.
tinues:
When woman of high character and
culture asks us why she should not have
the right IL vote while plantation negro
or an immigrant knowing nothing of
American institutions or OF the English
language has that right, the appeal 10 our
sympathles is very strong, But calm
reason tells us that, alter all, the highly
educated woman and the plantation negro
and the ignorant man from abroad do lot
stand upon the same level Of comparison
II woman suffrage meant only the enfran.
clisement of the women of high character
and good education there would lie little
opposition among the men, provided such
women actually desired tine ballot. But
the introduction of woman suffrage means
also the enfranchisement OF those classes
OF women who correspond in character
and education TO the plantation negro and
the ignorant immigrant.
This way, HarpsF's argues with much
force, danger lies. 1t will not satisfy to
say, that as the tit woman would be en-.
franehised with the unfit, tie proportion
would, in the voting body remain on
the whole about the same. One of our
troubles is that, among male voters, the
so-called better classes, the well edu-
Gated and refined, do not exercise the
wholesome part in politics that they
should. They are too prone to leave
practical politics to the ignorant, the
careless, the selfish and the corrupt.
Now, if men Of refinement are deferred
from the necessary political activity by
the rudencss Of the contacts inseparable
from them, is 1t not probable that refined
women will be still more SO deferred:
Is it not probable that many women,
belonging to the most estimable element
of society, would keep aloof from all
contact with politics on principle, be.
lieving it to be outside theirsphere Is
it not probable that even more female
than male voters would be ignorant or
careless Of public questions, or easily
reached and controlled by extraneous,
especially sectariau, influences, or per-
sonal considerations, or anything that
appeals more to the emotions than to
reason. l. it not probable, in one word
that, while doubtless limited element
OF excellent quality would be added to
the voting force, not only the positive
quantity, but the proportion in it Of the
element tn which some Of our most
serious troubles are owing, would be
largely inereased!"