The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-12-05
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
4 Correspondent Who Does Not Be-
lieVe in 1t.


To the Editor:
Under it's present able management | am
abundantly assured from its repeated utter
ances that the Representative is broad
enough and liberal enough to give all sides
Of question hearing, provided the mat
ter has sufficient weight and is clothed in
respectful phraseoogy, and from long ex-
perience I am fully convinced that spoon
full of molasses will catch more flies than
a gallon of vinegar; so what l have to say
in relation to one measure advocated by
party in several portions of the country
will be treated solely on this line, not to
antagonize, but to enlist others in the
same direction, that We may have unity of
sentiment, and thus secure unity of ac-
ton. I refer to the woman suffrage plank.
If this measure is to remain permanent
part Of the platform, it certainly can do
no harm to discuss it, and If it is wrong in
principle, then a full, generous discussion
may have tendency to develop that fact.
1 candidly admit that from all l have
seen and been able to gather from sources
where it has been in vogue, no good can
possibly come to society or the state by
enfranchising the women. In single arti-
Gle on a theme so prolific, one can hardly
get beyond the exordium but [ want to say
to the advocates of this measure that in
my opinion no good can come therefrom,
but l think l see evil only and evil contin-
ually, a menace to our institutions, to So
ciety in particular, without a single re-
deeming feature. In the first place it es-
tablishes privileged class in that it con-
fers all the rights abpertaning to citizen
ship without the burdens and responsible
primary law or condition of a republic
that all must be equal, The Representative
instructs that the people are the gov
eminent The people make the laws; that
is, the will of the people is voiced in the
laws made by their chosen agents. The
people determine by oballSt' to whom shall
be confided this importan trust; and it was
intended and expected that this choice
should be made in the most intelligent man.
ner, that this selection should be made with
sole or exclusive reference to integrity of
character, moral ana intellectual worth.
Now, as before stated, all must stand on
absolute equality before the laws that all
have had a hand in making. Every man
| that has had a hand or7Voice in framing
| laws for the republic must see to it that
| the same are upheld Or vinlicated when as
sailed by foreign or domestic foes This
admitted, then at the call of the people S
agents sovereignty. all, without discrm-
| nation, must fly to the rescue of the coun-
| try when assailed. That is, every person
who votes must fight, unless physically dis
| qualified.
There is no escape from this conclusion
| If the people are the government thew
| must of necessity take care of that gov
eminent. without exception discrimina-
ton. Now. if you double the vote by en-
| franchsing woman, where does il land
you? You have enacted that women shall
| have all the rights, privileges and bene-
fits resulting from the ballot without its
| corresponding burdens. In other words
| you have established a privileged class in
| republic which is indefensible You
| have enacted that this class can declare
over and compel the other GLASS to make
| good this declaration even on the bloody