The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-11
OUR SUFFRAGE DEBATE.

1t would seem that enough had beer
said in our suffrage debate, to call fol
a submission of the question, but sc
much more can yet be said, and as the
gentleman from Lone Elm expressed
l think, 1.-THE sentiment of large mum
Der of people, that the articles are
worth more than the subscription price
of the REGISTER to many, and make
quite interesting reading, beg leave
to add my mite toward keeping them
going, which | hope will continue to
be done until very large majority OF
the (male) citizens of our county, yea
and State, will be anxious to vote in
the affirmative when the opportunity
comes.
We think that only those fully blind
ed by prejudice can fail to see the
hand of God is leading the women out
of the narrow rut in which they have
so long been compelled to remain.
Witness their call to the Foreign
Missionary work. When some of our
women visiting in foreign lands came
to realize the awful condition of heath
en- women, not even privileged to hear
the Gospel from Missionaries already
in the field, because men could not
enter zenawa, and women could not
be seen outside, their hearts were
touched, and they appealed to the
Church at home to send women to
work for women. But for lack of
means, or because it was not thought
expedient, this was refused. What
then? They appealed to the women
of the Church to raise the money.
This coming just at the close of the
late war, when women had been
learning valuable lessons in the aid
they had rendered to soldiers, they
hesitated not when the call came, but
organized the Woman's Foreign Mis-
sionary Society, and pledged the
amount necessary to send women,
who at once volunteered to go into the
foreign field. And see how Gods
blessing attended them. 1t is said in
the first decade, more had been ac-
complished than in a century pre-
vious. Again, who doubts the call of
women to enlist in the crusade against
the liquor traffic, which has been so
signally blest of God, that from those
praying bands of women has sprung
one of the grandest and best organ
lied societies known for the suppress
ion of vice and the upbuilding of the
Redeemer's Kingdom?
But in this onward march how often
the hand of man has touched the ark,
and thus hindered Gods work. An
incident related recently by one of
our white ribbon missionaries in India
will serve to show the extent to which
this prejudice is often carried.
She was told of place where troops
were stationed in which there was
great need of temperance and Gospel
work. She determined at once to
make the journey, which proved to be
a long and very hard one; only to find,
on her arrival that she would not be
allowed to speak, the Church of Eng
land Chaplain refusing her the use of
the prayer room. This she said was
more to be regretted at that time, for
a fever was raging among the soldiers.
from which fifty had died the week
before and seventy-nve were taken to
the hospitals the day of her arrival.
That Chaplain was indeed loyal to
the letter of the law. But is it not
such chivalrous men had done with,
alone making the laws TO govern and
prescribing the sphere of woman?
In our own grand and glorious State
of Kansas, where the laws are said to
be so liberal to women, look at the
difference. When the husband dies
the property must at once be divided,
the courts kindly (?) taking charge to
see that the children get their rights.
Although it took the combined efforts
of both, and the use of the whole es-
tate while he lived, to keep the chill
dren together and get along, she must
now do it on half She is not even the
legal guardian of her own children
unless the court chooses to make her
such. But on the other hand, if the
wife dies first, not word is said about
q division of the property and the
children's half. even though most of
the same property came through the
mother. 1t has been questioned
whether the condition OF affairs would
be bettered if women had the right of
franchise.
This remains to be seen. Surely
there is no risk TO run if the moral
status of the sexes is taken into con-
sideration.
1t is stated that three-fourths of the
membership of the Church are wo-
men. while more than ninety-five per
cent. of men compose the prison pop
ulation. Hence we conclude the good
men of our nation need the help of the
good women in every line of reforma-
tory work, political especially.
MRS. LIZZIE HAWKINS.