New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-28
WOMEN AND POLITICS.
WHAT CHARLES KINGSLEY WROTE ABOUT
WOMAN SUFFRAGE TWENTY-FIVE

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In a paper written In october, 1863, by the
Rev Charles Kingsley I find several statements III
regard TO woman suffrage which may be OF interest
to those who In favor OF this movement ana
which at least deserve some respect and considera-
ton as being the earnest convictions OF 50 wise
man Among other things he says: Many women
and some also. think the social status OF woman
is ust now In special peril The late extension or
the franchise has admitted to a snare IN framing
our laws many thousands of men OF that class
whch-whateyer be their other virtues and they
are many-is most given to spending their wives
earnings In drink and personally maltreating theln
and least key-to Judge from the actions OF GER
tain trades-to admit women 70 free competition Tor
| employment Further extension OF the suffrage WILL
PERHAPS In a very few years, admit many THOUSANDS
more And 1t IS no wonder II refined and educated
women In an age which Is disposed 10 see in the
possession OF n vote the best means or sef-detencc
should ask votes. for the defence not merely OF
themselves bat Of their lowlier sisters, from the
tyranny OF men who are veto the shame of
the S;ate-most OF them altogether uneducated. ~
for the reasonab leness OF such a demand can only
say what has been said elsewhere. that the present
state OF thngs-in which the franchise Is considered
~ something important and 20 sacred That the
most vlruous, the most pous, the most learned the
mos, wealthy the most benevolent. the most justly
powerful woman Is refused H. as something too
precious for her and yet Is intrusted freely ana
hopefully 70 any lii,erate. drunken. wife-beatine
ruflan who contrIve 70 keep a house over MS
heads equally unjust and absurd. There may De
some sufficient 70 the conclusion which con-
science and common-sensc. left to themselves would
/ draw from this statement ~ the as It now
/ stands but none has occurred 10 me which Is not
contrary to the first principle OF free government
81, must be asked Is It just that an educated man
who r. able Independently 20 earn his own living
! should have a vote but that an equally educated
! woman equally able Independently 70 earn her own
livelihood should not? IL IL Just that a man owning
! a certain quantity OF property should have vote
| in respect ~ that property. but that a woman
| owning the same quantity OF property ana perhaps
/ a hundred or a thousand times more. should have
/ no vote? what difference founded al Nature and
/ fact exists between the Two cascs' II II be said
that Nature and fact arguments grounded on aught
else are - be loft 70 monks and meliaeva priests
/ rrovo that women ARE Jess able than men 20 keep
house over their head or - manage their property
| tho answer IL that fact IS the other way. Women
are us, az capable as men of managing large
estate a vas, wealth Mr. NH gives fac, which
SURPRISED even him that the best administered
/ Indian states were those governed by women who
could neither read write and We're confined all
their lives % the privacy ~ the harem Woman AZ
/ least j. not likely by gambling. horsc-racing AMI
rronl-,cv % bring herself arl her class - shame.
As for the womans power 81 supporting herself AMI
| Keeping up az least lodging respectfully. can any
one have lived past middle age without meeting
dozens OF single women or widows OF all ranks VINO
and Il n potter ana more FtHiif ltiiit Hi'Nt
men because they 10 not Ike men. require vino.
beer tobacco and sundry other Injuries? 50 wise
AMI thrifty are such women that very many Of
| them are able out OF rhe!r pittance 70 sup
por, besides themselves others who have no legal
claim upon them
~ may DE that women would not care 10 use
the franchise II they had Il, Tha; Is their con-
Germ not ours Voters who 90 not care 70 vote
/ may he counted by the thousands among men.
| som" ~ them perhaps are wiser than ther l l''
mn fool
y showing their Wlrlom BE- that "a u may. "e
are 92 NOR ja.c o F1i"s S so c human 20 9 X
eryl.e 10 than we are 10 refusing 90 pay MIN rs
due because De- may probably hoard his none
/ The Objection that women are better without a
| vote hecaus, a vote would interest them ~ poll
! seems slender enough. What domestic duties have
they % which ihe state can take cognizanc". save
! their duty - mos" - whom ihey Nv" Hon'l' Sl.t
| their duty 20 keep th" peace In~T otheI am
most usually are fulfilled as secretly IS possible
| The state commits nm injustice In debarring a
chooses over and above them 10 perform the good
works OF a saint AMI. after all VII II be worse
| for these women or for the society In which they
live II they 10 interest themselves Ia politics.
Mrht not the presencc o.; tae yotyns po|er OK a
! keep candidates for very shame from saving ana
f5rc a crowd 81 men Nigh. not thc intervention
| ~ a Few women who are living according g. the
eternal laws of God help 70 intnse some slightly
stronger uncture ol .hQ,r law INTO our l'gisa'9ar
social reform. 'i the las- iori, 5'iT7 j. Ni"" 90.
ought 10 be known % all. Mignt not they nave
done TAR more ana might iI' ll'A 40 iti HiNtf
hereafter. u they. who generally Know iar more
| than men do OF human suffering and OF the con-
| sequences ~ human folly were able 10 ask Tor
further social reforms. not merely A. a boon 10 be-
beggei from the physically stronger sex DHt as
their VIII. which they. as citizens have rlgnt 70
gee fulfilled. u just and possible? Woman has
piavcl Tor too many centuries The part which
Lady Godva plays In the old legend. II Is time thAt
she should not be content WIN miisatns oy ne, heT
OF men, but exercise her right as member OF uS
State. and as believe member or christ ana
difference between the intellect OF woman ana tnat
| Of man which should preclude the former
distinctions drawn even by those who uphold the
intellectual equality OF women. have almost II not
altogether escaped me. The only important differ,
cnce. think. Is that men are generally duller ana
more concelted than women. The dulncss Is
natural enough on the broad ground that the males
all animals )being more sensual and sclhsh) are
Iullor Than the females The concelt IS easily ac-
counted for The English boy II told from child
hood as the negro boy IT, that superior
proposition by beating his mother. the English boy
by talking down his sisters. That ia all.
women voters TO the number OF the uneducatcd
men Will only be to make the danger worse.
the answer IL that women VIII always be less
brutal than men, and Will exercise on them unless
they are maddened as I'm the frst French Revolu-
ton by the hunger and misery OF their children
the same softeninS Influence I'm public life which
they now exercise In private; and that. moreover.
as things stand now the average woman
f. more educated in every sense OF the word. than
the average man: and that TO admit women would
be TO admit class OF voters superior. inferior
to the average. Startling as this may sound to
These are but few passages taken from a long
article in Witch me author quotes John Stuart NH
Klnnear" and 1t Is all very deliEhtml and enter
New9York. May q. 1894.
DO NOT ASK UNLIMITED SUFFRAGE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.