Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-22
from the Baltimore sun, August 18TH
WOMAN'S RIGHTS.
Rev. Walter Rhodes Says the Ballot is Not
IT,

Rev. Walter Rhodes Says the Ballot is Not
One of Them.
"Woman's Rights was the subject
yesterday morning of a sermon by Rev.
Walter Rhodes at Fulton Avenue Bap-
fist Church. Rev. Mr. Rhodes was
formerly pastor of the Twenty sixth
and Market Street Baptist Church,
Louisville, KY.
His text was, But l suffer not wo
man to teach, nor to usurp authority
over the man, but to be in silence"
In part he said: II think woman has
the right to the affection of the home.
Yet how many mothers, wives and
daughters are sadly neglected in this
respect?
''As to her rights before the law, l
believe she should have the right to
| trade in her own name if she chooses,
and that she should be so protected by
the law as to preserve her real estate
and personal property from the inrOads
that might be made upon it by
worthless or spendthrift husband.
There is one right which | don't
think she ought to have, or that she
cares to have, and that is the right to
vote.
1.-The argument is put forth that if
women voted we would be able to put
down the liquor traffic. This is a huge
supposition, with no grounds for the
assumption and not real fact. The
truth of the matter is just the reverse.
1t women had the right to vote most
of them would vote as their husbands
do, and many would not vote at all.
These would be the women who digni-
fy womanhood and whose votes are
catered for.
"They argue the idea of allowing
| ignorant colored men and degraded
elnigrants to vote and depriving our
own intelligent and cultivated wives,
mothers, sisters and daughters of the
same right. AS matter of fact, l
would let a negro or emigrant do a
great many things that would not al
| low nv wife or mother or sister to do.
We would not be elevating them in
any degree by giving them this right.
On the other hand, we would be fore
ing upon them an obligation which
they are not willing to assume, and
which in the end would hurt them
more than help them. At the present
time woman is held the highest in
thought in the mind of man, and he
feels it his duty to protect her and
honor her on every occasion. Let her
usurp authority over man, and all this
respect and reverence he once had for
her is dashed to pieces and she is low
cred in his estimation.
II do not believe that the ones We
want to vote would do SO if they had
the chance, and all we would get would
| be the scum of womanhood. Instead
| of purifying our politics we would cor
rupt them and cast reproach upon the
better part of our women. l beg ladies
not to consider it compliment when
men try to persuade them to give up
their feminine character and become
| half man and half woman, with the
worst half of each.
"This question has vital relation
to the prohibition party, which | be
| lieve is good one, and which | will
vote for if it will knock out from its
platform the plank of woman's suf-
frage. When l speak this way | have
reason to believe | speak for five hun
dred more voters in Maryland. The
prohibition party claims to be on
Gods side. How dare they support
their claims in the light of my text? AS
| God has run the government of this
world for five thousand years without
| the assistance of women as dictators,
or rather voters, so l believe that He
| can run it a thousand more, and will
do SO. Unless the prohibition party
does His will, fail to see where they
can claim His support.
I'm the church woman is a mighty
power. Women are doing noble
work in our churches in the present
way. If they depart and become pub
lie speakers before mixed assem- blies, |
doubt whether they will accomplish
much