Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-02-17
SUFFRAGE.

w
opposed to extending the right OF
suffrage to our mothers, wives and
sisters. 1t cannot be from ignorance,
but must be from human prejudice
and false premises in reasoning-if
reasoning it may be called.
Every thinking person must adj
nit that the moral susceptibiiities
and the intuitions of woman are
superior as rule of conduct, to the
reasoning conclusions of man.
Human nature can reason itself To
believe in the most absurd views
that the intellect has ever conceived.
We need not stop to illustrate this
statement, the world is full of ti.-
ting examples and ever has been.
We would argue the right of the
elective franchise for women on the
ground that il opens to her the
broadcast privileges of American
citize lship, and that the progress
OF the age demands that important
St"D.
Fifty years ago no collcg. opened
her doors to women. The objections
Il g by the wise g. men were that
| aid ,al.I ,e moral character
of our sisters and lower the disci-
pline of our colleges, that the stand
ard of scholarship must necessarily
be lowered and the curriculum
changed and fitted for two classes
IF ao,;als. one male and the other
IN lie. and many other puerile rea-
s'n+. Then came the agitation of
question OF co-c l,ication of the
"- On" 60 af'"r another
the repo.i stain .ouay: a higher
moral standard in college life, stu
dents more easily managed. a refin-
ing atm ,sphcre which was never
visib;e O. II . System. No
neces II IT i',fs.'ilg the cduca-
tional ie record dem
onst,A o.. ne prizes won by
the "a in our bcstcolleges. Even
conservative Harvard and Yale
have op ned side doors and the
question of higher education for
our sisters by the side of their
broth RS i'll the same colleges and
univer les is forever settled.
Now 'l"i we think of the thou
sands Dung ladies who gradu-
ate fir ,r college and UNIVERSE
ties a "a hundred of thousands
from lhe high schools of our land
yearly. those who have studied thor
oughly with their brothers the his
tory of our country, the history of
the world and civil governne 1t in
all its phases, and have learned TO
think for themselves. why say to the
boys. von may Iow apply your
knowles q of civil government
througl tht elective franchise and
the di scuesion of the great prob
ms OF ne day, but to the girls,
on mus, 400 enter there:
We ask what consistency in de-
barring the larger and often the
brighter class from the application
of that kno Wedge which prepares
best for American citizenship:
More than one hundred thousand
of the lowest strata of human soci-
ETY. of foreign lands come to our
shores yearly and although they
have never studied the history of
our republic and cannot reau its
constitution, nor even the ballot
placed in their hands, yet in less
than a year we grant them the cleo
tive franchise.
Why not neutralize that terribly
dangerous element by the moral
culture and refinement of those
hundreds of thousands of American
born who have been 80 thoroughly
prepared for life's work in our col
leges and high schools!
What parents would not prefer to
hear their daughters conversing
upon those highly intellectual ques-
tions pertaining to civil govern
ment, than wasting so much time in
conversing upon subjects that re-
quire no thought?
We apprehend some will say that
women do not ask for suffrage, that
only a few demand it. This is
mistaken idea. The growth of this
demand during the last decade has
been marvellous! Its advocates to-
day are the most cultured and re-
fined ladies in America and Eng
land. The moral sentiment of the
American women as class is far
in advance of their brothers and it
is this very element that we must
introduce into the political struc-
ture of our government.
1t you were to canvass the homes
of Baxter Springs, or Cherokee
county, or the state of Kansas, and
ask which is the most capable of
casting an intelligent and elevating
ballot, the mother or the father, the