The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-18
It Is Called Conservative, While the Pho
neer Movement Was Radicaiism.

It Is Called Conservative, While the Pho
neer Movement Was Radicaiism.
Within few days postal card read
ing thus has been sent to a large num-
Der of people in this city, both men and
women:
A committee of ladies invite you and all the
adult alembers of your household to call at
Sherry7s any Saturday April between
and o'clock to sign g petition to strike out in
our state constitution the word male as a quail
ification for voters. Circulars explaining the
reasons for this request may be obtained at the
same time and place
Mrs. CHARLES RUSSELL LOWELL.
Mrs JOSEPH II. CHoATE-
DR.. MARY PUTNAM jacob.
Mrs. J. WARREN GODDARD.
Mrs. ROBERT ABBE-
Mrs HENRY III. SANDERS.
Miss ADELE M. EIELDE.
This circular has much significance
because of the character of the ladies
whose names are appended to it. So far
as we know, none of them has taken part
in the wOmen's rights agitation of the
last 40 years, and hitherto they have not
been among those who were active In
demanding the suffrage for women. The
radical WOmen's rights agitators like
Mrs Stanton and Miss Anthony have
not had them among their followers and
have not enlisted their sympathies
They have represented feminine conserv-
atism or the prevailing feminine senti-
ment, and hence have kept alOof from
the little band of women who have
struggled for years and against so many
discouragements to arouse in their sis
tiers a desire for political privileges
which would put them on an equality
with men in the state.
It is true that Mrs jacob, for in
stance, was one of the first American
women to enter the regular medical pro-
fession, and that she has won much dis
tinctiOn in that field, but she has not
been publicly associated with the wom-
ems rights agitators who have been en-
gagged in ceaseless fight for those priv
ileges during the whole of her successful
professional career. She began by con-
tenting herself with resisting the preju-
dice, then almost universal, against
what was called the enlargement of
E'Women's sphere, - which opened for
them other activities than those pursued
in the seclusiOn of the home or the
schoolhouse. At the time when she pre-
pared herself for the medical profession
it was a brave step for her to take, but
since that day it has become matter
of course for women to engage in any
honorable occupations for which they
can fit themselves.
With the sole exceptions of the en-
Payments that require rude masculine
strength and endurance, they are now
successfully pursuing every department
of business and professional industry in
numbers so great that their appearance
in competition with men no longer at
tracts attention. If a woman has her liv
ing to make or practical abilities which
she wishes to exercise, public opinion
finds no fault with her if she goes ont
into the field of industry like man She
can do as she pleases about it, whether
the occupation be trade, manufacture, a
profession, the public service, the stage,
the platform or any other career for
which she is competent, and she suffers
nothing in public or private estimation
in consequence. She rather gains in es-
TEEN because of her self reliance, and
experience shows that she loses nothing
of the feminine charm that is in her.
This great advantage was won by
women during a period when the cause
of women $ right-, as represented by the
mere agitators for woman suffrage,
seemed to be going backward rather than
making progress Women were strug
CLING for social rather than political
rights, but now having conquered in the
first field this circular looks as if they
were beginning to have aspirations for
equal triumph in the other. Having DEM
onstrated their ability to compete with
men in private business, they are grow
ing confident of their ability to join with
them in the management of the affairs
of the state They are not wildly agitat-
ing to accomplish their purpose by dint
quietly organizing to influence the rea-