The Bessemer indicator., 1894-08-04
THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
bsnster Hoar Olives Good Reasons why
sunssgs Should He Conferred
uuon Womnn.

Upon Woman.
Tho August number of The Century has q
controversy on woman suffrage, Senator Hoar
advocating the bestowM OF tho ballot upon
women, and Rev. j. N. Buckley giving his
reasons for believing such course dan gerous
and incxpcdent. An abstract of Senator
Hoar's arguments follows:
! am not one Of those who arc impatient
with the slow movement of the cause OF wo-
man suffrage. Its advocates seek to change
. relation which has existed from the foun-
dalton of the earth. 1t Is but century since
the experiment of n government In which all
grown men could be admitted to an equal
share was well under way, and even In that
every sixth man was slave. Many persons
now living remember the time when 1t was
not considered safe or decent that a married
woman should control her own property, or
that any woman should speak In public, or
attend public banquet, or practice med-
cine, or engage in many other honest and
pralseworthy occupations. Tho changes of
the last nifty years have demolished one by
one most OF the prejudices and most of
the arguments which woman suffrage has
now to encounter.
Nor am one OF those who think that the
right OF suffrage is denied to women by men
because of tyrants desire to keep to them
selves the rule OF the state. There are some
exceptions, but think 1t Is chiefly an honest
desire for the good OF the state, and an hon
est desire for the welfare of women, that
we have to deal with. We convert men to
our cause almost IA fast MS we convert wo-
men.
Nobody that know OF proposes to compel
reluctant women TO vote. The proposition we
have to deal with is to allow such women to
vote as may desire to, and upon the same
terms and conditions as nre prescribed for
men. You may have any provision to secure
Intelligence, to secure education, to secure n
properly quallncation, require residence In n
state, or the payment OF taxes as n contrbu-
tion to Its maintenance. All these things the
governing power In the state must settle.
What we say IL, as we say about negro suf-
frage or Indian suffrage, that where these
conditions exist the question of sex, as the
question of race, Is totally lmmaternl
All the evils OF misgovernment affect wo.
men, aud, In many cases, Affect women far
more than they affect men, while women are
ordinarily free from tho temptation which
would lead to their continuance.
There cannot be found, either in our con-
stitutions, or In the discussions of thIa sub
ject by great philosophers, any definition OF
the right to vote which does not include wo-
men.
have never seen anywhere any well con-
sidered statement OF the conditions upon
which the right TO vote ought TO depend eX-
cept these
~ A stake In the country;
(.0 Attachment to the country;
t3l Capacity TO judge of tho character OF
candidates;
~ Capacity TO judge of the public inter
est;
t5) Contribution to the cost of the govern
ment;
t6) Capacity to servc 1t In public ofics;
"a Capacity to bear arms In Its defense;
(s) An Intelligent interest In public affairs
(9) Sufficient education.
Senator Iioar then takes up these cond-
tions one by one and argues that they nre as
well fulfilled by women US by men. He ad-
mits that women cannot, perhaps, bear arms
10 the defense OF the country. but still he
holds that fair shnrc OF the burdens of war
fall upon women, and he points to the classes
OF men who are exempted from war by reason
OF their occupations.