Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-28
OPPOSED TO WOMEN SUFFRAGE.
Woman Who Argues Very Scundly
Against Her Sex Voting.


they did, to find me opposed to WON
ans suffrage. Because have been for
SO many years a working woman, and
because the profession I chose is, or
to be entirely a mans profession, they
thought l wanted all they privileges of
men. But l don't. You could have
counted the women journalists on the
fingers of one hand when [ entered the
ranks. Nowadays you could not find
fingers enough in a regiment to count
them on. There are now certain
branches of journalistic work that are
almost entirely given over to women,
and women not only edit mere depart
ments of daily papers, but there are
those who edit the Sunday editions of
some of the biggest dailies.
l am great be lever in the mental
equality of the sexes, but 1 deny the
physical equality. l believe in putting
same kind side by side, and judging
them not as sex work, but simply as
work. To have "Woman's Building"
at the Worlds Fair did not seem to me
compliment TO the sex, but 1 believe
some good reasons were advanced for
it. Even some of it's staunchest advO-
Gates, however, doubt if there will
ever be such another building at such
another show. l do not believe in sex
in literature or art. Every book should
be compared with all other books of its
kind, and so with every picture, statue
or musical composition. There are few
trades or professions that L do not
think women fairly equipped for. l
cannot say that [ like the idea of a
woman preacher; but that may be a
mere prejudice; nor do l think that |
would retain woman lawyer. But
this is neither here nor there.
In politics L do not think women
have any place. The life is too public,
too wearing. and too untitled to the
nature of women. 1t is bad enough for
men-so bad that some of the best of
them keep out of it; and it would be
worse for women. Many of The women
who are enthusiastic in the cause of
suffrage seem to think Il at if they are
given the power to vote, every vexed
question will be settled, every wrong
righted. By dropping their ballots in
the box they believe that they can set
in motion the machinery of an earthly
paradise. 1 wish L could think so. 1t
is my opinion that it would let loose
the wheels of purgatory. If the ballot
we're the end, that would be one thing;
but it is only the beginning. If women
vote they must hold office. they must
attend primaries, they must sit on
juries. We shall have women ''heel-
ers'' and women ''bosses;" there will be
the ''girls of the Fourth ward (when it
comes to New York. as we'll as the
boys"
What will become of home life, 1
should like to know, if the mother and
the father both are at the primary" or
the convention? Who will look after
the children? Hired mothers? But
can every woman with political am
bitions afford to pay for RESIDENT
or visiting" mother? And even if she
can, will such one take the place of
the real mother? think not. Cannot
a woman find sufficiently engrossing
sphere in the very important work of
training her children? If there are
any sons among them, she can mould
them into good citizens; if there are
daughters, she can guide their foot
steps along any path she may choose,
for all paths but the political are open
to them. l do not think that to be a
good housewife should be the end and
aim of every woman's ambition, but L
do think that it should be some part of
it, for l am old-fashiOned enough to be
a pious believer in the influence of
mothers training upon her children.
Read the life of any great man, and you
will see how much of his greatness he
owed 10 his mother.
l do not see how woman can culti-
vate home life and enter the political
arena. Circumstances forced me to GO
out into the world to earn my own
bread and a part of that of others.
When my mother was living she made
the home and ali went well. But after
that. after marriages and death a
family of four small children came to
me for a home. | don't mean for sup
port, for they had father living. L
had to take, as far as possible, the
place of my sister, their mother. To
do my duty by them and by my work
was the most difficult task l ever un-
dertook. 1 had to go to my office every
day and leave them to the care of 9TH
ers. Sometimes the plan worked ill
very i'll, indeed. l had seven people
doing, or attempting to do. what and
two others could have done, had been
able to be at home and look after things
myself. Suppose that politics had been
added to my other cares? Suppose
that l had had meetings to attend and
e. 70