The sun., 1894-05-13

| our IncIInations
y Resiiy. II the sntIs were kept awake o. nights
they violate with impunity this world would
be = paradise. T. T.
BRooKLYN. Mayo
IL wonn. suGrnE- Rightt- wonss's
sphere vs. M,n's Sphere
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUISSE, Nothing In
the woman's suffrage movement IL more to be
deplored than the manner IN which II is con-
fused with other issues connected with the so
called advancement OF women. Both its friends
and its enemies are concerned In this process Of
ENLARGEMENT. and between them the main
question is fairly driven out Of sight All this
discussion as to the superiority Of one sex over
the other is wide Of the mark so are the ouss-
tlons Of business. Of professional life Of fitness
for holding otflce. &c.
When young man comes Of are and puts In
his vote there is no consideration OF his physl-
cal or mental inferiority to the next man in the
line nc question as to what his trade may be.
whether he ls successful In hls own sphere. nor
whether he does or does not intend to run for
ofloe.
He Is an American citizen OF sound mind who
has presumably arrived at an age Of dis
erection. and is therefore presumably qualified
to form fairly intelligent opinion and to claim
his right to record the same There are abso-
lutsly no other points at issue.
II is so far from being q question Of phys
ical superiority that he may be an incursble
invalid driven In his carriage to the pols He
may be stupid. ill-educsted. unreasonable; he
may be so necessarily occupied By his private
business as to render the idea OF his holding
any public office an absurdlty. yet he has the
inallenable right to formulate his opinion as
to who shall administer the laws which he is
bound to obey. Universal suffrage may In
itself be n mistake yet 1t is here to stay. under
the Constitution. and no sane male citizen may
be excluded from its privileges.
The matter is one OF simple human right. II
the demand Of woman is based upon broad
principle It is q Just demand. no matter how
strong the voices which clamor against it.
When the Aboltionists. taking their stand
upon the eternal verities. proclaimed ed the prin-
ciple OF freedom for all mankind. and con-
tended for the right at any cost, there were
not found wanting the cogent arguments OF
tradition and expodiency on the other side. It
was suggested, and very truly. that many OF the
negroes would suffer more through freedom
than they had ever suffered through slavery.
1t was urged that white men would suffer at
their hands, that valuable property would be
alienated. that innocent women and children
would be plunged into poverty: In short all
the valuable arguments were used which can
snsf ef fnss %s 69 90
s shs Saso H fne oas.en
voices Of our land united IN one ringing YES"
an and the iooTsd Thsn |. must
question OF consequences.
This Is the one solitary simple question now
right that citizen OF mature years, and Of
average intelligence. hound to obey the laws
pay Sa be op %
traneous consideration. to place on record that
simple expression Of choice which goes to
through which. the laws OF a, republic are ad-
ministered2 Have the people a right to be
can We be said to hear the people when half
the people are silentr II the question lis it
swered In The Affirmative then we have moth
ing whatever to Do either with objections or
The equality or inequality of the sexes is
not point Involved. The claim OF either sex |
to superiority Is too often mere blatant ex- |
cal di1erences which will ever remain In the |
nature OF things There are grounds for mu-
mutual blame. Ali that is best In each is
worthy Of the esteem and hearty recognition |
the Dsher DC Without each 9th
form each other In a spirit Of human helpful. |
ness, ness we may sa ssk the PRIVILEGE OF
siS:. Tor U the " good Of ts' the race: G PS but
neither O. us can eliminate the other as a
rave against each other. our cause 10 weak
,nsd. Much good theory Is thwarted OF Its
We have taken our stand uton the broad plat
orm Of simple human rights we can afford
.Get to the
xhen applied TO whole sex. There is no
iSns,s % sphere and Mays sphere spssSe asss there is
Toms. Dicks. or tiarry's sphere, A sphere"
i circ1m stance. environmsnt. and personal
lbility and preference II Mary is a busy wife
,ice hH % or for ,rads She ess sPsrs tims p.p
,,aps: to inform herself upon questions Of the
east once In four years--to go down town
md drop DR. G& In vote, just as she could
Q buy a new suit for little Tommy. In any OF
hese cases she must leave the iour walls Of
hildren while rhe preathes the outer air. To
20 out sometimss Is an inalianable right OF
o 0'aT Will lin PSF art Mag
rcise the simplest duty Of citizenship.
h8gsh af,H CLEARLY, she has not time ioE any
Iation. Neither has John [; he is a clerk In a
'ank. perhaps. and every moment Of his time
phere Jane. on the contrary. is unattached.
he was. perhaps. consiitutionally opposed to
appy without III but she must maintain her
ell and her invalid mother. She 10 business
led to her Vote but I she % has 'D no special iseuty
aeh = thing: Ellen, on the eo1traTy"siso
uperfuous woman-has marked abilities II
sT oppoTt9nlty comes. It may be,n that the
tfce viii degrade the woman-but tipat the |
roman will exalt the Office! Who knows1 All
hese things await the proving.
by these faneied Individual instances. I
nerely wish 10 illustrate the idea that things |
lill adJust themselves. The circumstances,
he native faculty. the common sense. perhaps. |
{ Mary aud John and the others will rule
heir lives and am also old -fAs hion ed enough
0 believe that Providence will have a good
cal to do with It. Lot US have what Is right.
any cost, and everything else will take care |
I itself Tho fact that We want our natural
lRhts H. not sign that We want to rule. and
oyern the earth and plant an aggressive heel
pom the head Of poor super sede ed man. II any
us want all this, sensible majority do not
III these things will adjust themselves Only |
ssp theimain question clear. and do not com-
onA |
All the objections to woman suffrage which
re worth considering would apply equally 10
ny suffrage at all Most Of the objections.
o weyer are not worth considering. ignorant
Oters among women will do no more harm |
IAN lGnorAnt voters among men; probably
ley VIII do less harm, for their votes will not
. so easily mark k6tAbl0 and they will in anV !