The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-06-15
OUR SUFFRAGE DEBATE.

1.-The following is the graduating Grafton de-
livered by Miss Ella Bostwick at the lola High
School Commencement May Is, 1894 ]
However much the idea of giving
full political rights to women may have
been ridiculed and pushed aside in the
past, thequestion has come now to be
recognized as one of great Importance.
as one that can no longer be ignored.
In the daily press, from the pulpit, on
the streets, in social gatherings, and
i'm legislative malls it is being discus
sed. Whether we favor the move
ment or oppose it, we should know
the causes and conditions which have
brought it forward prominently ia this
and other countries. This movement
has been misunderstood through the
idea that it means competition be-
tween man and woman. 1t is not be-
cause woman wants to be masculine,
it is not because she wishes to make
the home and the household duties a
badge of slavery, that she asks this
right. 1t simply means cooperation
in the work of the world. Men and
women have each their own part in
this work. Man exhibits the ag-
gressive and combative force of the
race. God gave man the aggressive
force and he has used it well. He has
invented machines to make labor
easier. His steamboats, and railroads
have reduced distances, and the tele-
graphs bring to our knowledge the
thoughts of the whole world. But
there are the forces which must be
brought under subsection to humanity
before we can reach the highest de-
velopment, these are the moral and
spiritual forces; and this largely is
woman's work. Woman is held re-
sponsible for the moral culture of the
world. Therefore, to deprive her of
anything which aids in the fulfill
ment of this work is a wrong not only
to herself, but to all mankind. To
deprive woman of the right to ex-
press her thoughts with authority at
the ballot box in favor of or against
the laws by which she is governed,
places mark of weakness upon her.
So far as the law is concerned she is
under perpetual guardianship; she is
a minor always. And while, not
withstsnding this, some good men
will act justly toward woman, it is an
excuse for every wicked man to op-
press her. Is it right, is it justice to
place the ballot in the hands of ignor-
ant foreigners, anarchists, men who
cannot even write their own names,
or read the names upon the ticket
which has been placed in their hands
by some inscriptions politician who
has bought the vote for drink;
while you deny your mother aud sis
ter, cultured, intelligent women who
read and understand the issues of the
day, the privilege of voting for their
convictions simply because they are
women? This places women in the
same class with criminals, idiots, and
paupers. 1t places her even beneath
Criminals and paupers. The criminal
may be restored to his political privi-
leges, the pauper may again become
self supporting. The more highly
woman is educated the more deeply
she feels this humiliation. Without
the ballot, woman is taxed without
being represented. 1t was not on &C
count of the heaviness of the tax ON
tea that our forefathers fought against
the English government, but because
they were taxed without their con-
sent. But woman does not take up
arms against this injustice; she bides
her time. She is certain of success.
She does not reckon without her host.
Weman has carried refinement to the
household, to the church, to social
life, to literature, and to art. What
is to hinder her from producing the
same effect in legislative halls, in
primary meetings, or in any public
sphere? The interests of man are
bound up with those of woman. Man
and woman must rise or fall together.
If man degrades woman he degrades
himself. What is of value to one half
of the race is of value to all. Any
measure therefore, which liberates
and develops the powers of woman is
of universal value. With the ballot
she can destroy these determinations
in wages whereby man and woman
do equal labor for unequal pay. She
can open the doors of these institu-
tions from which she is now barred.
She can secure equal laws of purity
for man and woman and equal penal
ties for their infraction. She will in
troduce into legislation better balanc-
ed and more practical considerations
of affairs bearing upon daily life, es-
pecially where legislation affects the
health and morals of a community. |
When man deprives woman of the
ballot. he deprives her of that which
he himself holds as most precious of
all rights. Woman alone can free