The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-06-01
OUR SUFFRAGE DEBATE.

UUR SUfFkAGE UtbAlt.
livered by Miss Agnes Robinson at the lola
High School Commencement May Is, 1894
AS civilization has advanced, the
status of woman has advanced, and
there has arisen one of the most vital
questions in the annals of history.
The question of Woman Suffrage. 1t
is not que tion of few days, but of
years-frem Sappho to the present
time. No question has received more
opposition. In the histories of the
European nations, you can read every
where of the subsection and depres-
sion of women, whose slavery was alb
ject. and whose degradation was faith
omless.
The question arose in France i'm 1889
during the Revolution. Condorcet
championed the woman's petition
which was presented to the King de-
handing political rights for women.
The National Assembly, however, re-
jected it without hesitation.
In England, when The women pc
titioned the House of Commons for
equal rights, their petition was grant,
ed, but in such a revised form that it
was of little help to them for it gave
them only the rights of parochlal
vote. But in the last few years wO-
man has made substantial upward
progress.
In our own country since the Civil
War there has been an increasing ag-
itation of the woman's question. And
almost every year has brought about
notable advancement, as judged from
the standpoint of the movement ITSELF
Women now have school suffrage in
twenty-four States, complete munich
pal suffrage in three States, and par
tial municipal suffrage in four States,
while they may exercise full and
equal suffrage in two States. And
bhOlO dlO OblICl dlO
little behind our own.
In New Zealand women have the
right, by law, TO vote on equal terms
with men. In France women teach
ers vote for representatives to sit in
the department of instruction. And
it is estimated that there are three
million women in England, Scotland
and Wales who vote for all elective
officers except members of Parliment.
In many churches on both sides of
the Atlantic women, though excluded
from office, vote with the men in the
appointment of ruling elders and
ministers, and in everything that is
decided by popular vote. But this
privilege has not hardened" them,
has not made them unfeminine, nor
interfered with wOmanly duties. On
the other hand it has largely contrib
uted to the success of the voluntary
system and to the strength of the
church.
Woman will make a better home
by knowing and being interested in
that which will make her better out
side her home. She may now warn
her son of evil, but as soon as he goes
out into the world there are vices
which mothers hand, as she is now
limited, cannot reach.
Why is it that some of our great
minded women are criticised so Sc
verely as not performing household
duties if they devote a portion of theiI
time and strength to the uplifting of
mankind and to the considerations
of the great questions affecting their
generation, while their husbands may
be away from home all day and at
some lodge or club room six nights
out of every week? But they still
vote, no one criticises them for ne
glecting their duties. 1t does not in
terfere with his business. Why
should it with hers?
Woman instihctively opposes wrong
and her fight against wrong as a vot-
er will enable her to strengthen her
character and hence make a better
home.
Many a law has no defender except
the appetite it has created and foster
ed. The politicians who are willing
to barter their manhood to obtain its
influence can never be secure from the
rising tide of woman's indignation.
Without the ballot woman is as
helpless to fight against intemperance
and the liquor traffic as was Mrs.
Darlington in her struggle with the