The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-21

result that an agrarian war will be renewed
under aggravated conditions.
DR.. Huntington Goes TO the Kernel OF
the Matter.
The Rev. DR.. HUNTINGTON. the rector OF
Grace Church. is q clergyman so broad
minded In his views Of social questions gen.
orally. that some remarks in opposition to
woman suffrage made by him the other
day at one Of the private meetings for the
discussion Of the subject will receive de-
servedly the most serious and respectful
consideration.
DR.. HUNTINGTON fears that woman suf-
frage would have tendency injurious to
the peace Of the family. by introducing
fruitful cause OF domestic strife and conse-
quent Generalization. The struggles and
rivalries among women for political prefer.
ment. he thinks. would be bad result
of the innovation; and he also breads
1t lest 1t might tend to lessen the
number OF marriages.. 80 essential to
the moral well-being Of the commu-
nifty. These fears. as he pointed out
on the occasion to which We have referred.
have been expressed by both men and
women Of distinguished intellectual ability
and generally the greatest liberality OF
view. They are produced by the theory
that women cannot gain the experience and
the education fitting them to participate in
the management Of public affairs. without
losing or impairing their fitness for the
discharge Of their naturally appointed and
more essential and necessary functions In
the family.
II that would be the consequence OF wo-
man suffrage. all the arguments In favor Of
the innovation which can be brought for
ward must be dismissed as having no
weight as compared with an objection 30
conclusive. 1.-THE family should suffer by the
introduction Of women into politics. the
damage to the State would be irretrievable.
for society depends first Of oil on the family
and the moral influences exercised In It,
It Is more important than the State.
for IL Is the foundation on which the
State Is builded. Undeniably. too. women
are now doing far moro for the moulding OF
society. in the simple performance OF their
duties as wives and mothers. than they
could hope to accomplish for the public well
fare by merely political activity. Whether
they vote or not. their influence In the
State Is the most powerful. the most essen
tial. and the most useful. But would this
influence be weakened and impaired II their
sphere" was extended 30 as to include
both public and domestic duties. and might
1t not prove to be valuable In bothI
That is the whole and only question
worthy OF discussion with reference to
woman suffrage. DR.. HUNTINGTON in rails
ing 1t. therefore. goes to the very kernel Of
the matter. The Acknowledgement OF half
~ ha Gtafa ha-
cause they are women Is unjustifiable.
OF course. unless 1t is necessary for the
welfare OF the family. to which. for the
safety OF society. they must give their I'M
divided and undistracted attention. II the
admission OF women to their proportionate
share In the government OF the State
would produce strife. confusion. and neg
lect In the government Of the family. as
DIR. HUNTINGTON fears. they ought never to
have the franchise; for In such case the
granting OF the privilege and the imposition
Of the duty would prove curse to all So
ciety. men and women both.
We remind DR.. HUNTINGTON. however.
that every step In the advancement OF
women from savage subsection and tradi-
tional social restraint has been resisted by
the same argument as is now used against
woman suffrage. Even Christianity. as
represented by ecclesiastical opinion In the
fourth century more particularly. insisted
on keeping them within bounds insult
ing to womanhoOd and Injurious to its
development. lest they should trans
eend its limitations as fixed by COP.
The withdrawal OF women from purely
domestic seclusion was fought against
for the same reason: but the experience OF
the last generation has proved that the
wider and the more various their interests
the better 1t is for the family. and conse-
quently for the race 1t has resulted in the
Improvement Of the human stock to a de-
gree so marked that 1t can escape no ones
observation. 1t has been eoincident with
the development Of liner types of both men
and women. taller. handsomer, more en-
during. and more perfect in every way.
Different causes of that obvious improve
ment have been suggested. but unques-
tionably the emancipation OF women In
modern civilization from their old-time re-
strictions has contributed most powerfully
to produce 1t.
Thus far. the argument that the family
would suffer from the enlargement OF what
used to be called 1.-The heaven-appOinted
sphere OF women" has been proved to be
baseless. So far as it has gone. their social
progress has Injured to the highest and best
advantage Of the family. At present. the
women who have been converted TO the ad-
vOcacy Of woman suffrage after long and
apparently uneOnquerable aversion to
it. are generally representative OF the
most valuable and admirable qualities OF
womanhood within the sphere Of family
life. Many, II not all. OF them are devoted
mothers Of whom the State has more reason
to be proud than OF any other Of its citizens.
Their broader interests and more complete
and systematisal cultivation aRd develop