The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-05-25
EQUAL SUFFIAGE.
nlitteeman.

The editor of the Mercu 3y in his be-
nlglited way attempts to inveigh
against woman suffrage in this weeks
issue. Being lawyer, his views are
naturally somewhat biased in favor of
men, they, being the law-breakers, are
of course his clients, but knowing him
personally and believing he desires to
be correctly informed on the leading
questions of the age, we shall attempt
to show him few of the weak places
in his argument.
Mr.. Smith says that women do not
want the ballot. We ask him to look
at the long petitions that are yearly
sent to party conventions, to state leg
islatures and to congress asking for the
right of suffrage for women. Look at
the National Woman's Suffrage Asso-
citation; an organization composed of
or brightest woman, women of cult
walton, of intellectual refinement, and
social position; in fact our representa-
tive American womanhood. They are
continually asking for the right of
franchise, continually begging for a
thing that men, with their boosted
sense of justice, ought to have given
them long ago. Some of the most
noted women OF our day lave devoted
their lives to the cause of equal sufs
frage; Susan b. Anthony, Lucy Stone
Blackwell, Lillian Devereux Blake ana
we might mention many others who
are peers, intellectually, of any Ameri-
can man, and as sweet and womanly as
any American woman.
They are simply asking for consti-
tutiOnal right, and i'll the face of all
this the editor of the Mercury tells you
that women do not want the right of
| franchise. We contend that it Is not
necessary to wait until the women OF
the slums of New York, Boston and
Chicago ask for the ballot, to give it to
us. No man who keeps up with the
times and sees the constant effort
being made by the earnest, thoughtful
women of our day for the cause of
woman suffrage can conscientiously
say women do not want the ballot.
Mr.. Smith then goes on to say that
LII the last municipal election1in Kan
sas only ten per cent of the women
voted. 1t IS not only Il woman's
right to vote, it is her duty; and espec-
tally her duty if she is the mother of a
family growing up Under a govern
ment, to use all the power she may
have to make the laws of that govern
ment give to humanity the greatest
possible happiness, and promote the
highest development OF its citizens.
Because few women, yea, even
though nine-tenths of them neglect
their duties, shall the other one-tenth,
who endeavor to be faithful, be dis
franchised?
LII an election there is always one
tenth of the men belonging to the bet.
ter educated element who fail to vote
so little interest do they take in the
political affairs of their country. That
is no reason for depriving the other
nine-tenths of their right to a voice in
affairs Of state. Mr.. Smith, being a
lawyer, surely knows that a funda.
mental principle of our government is
that no person shall suffer for the sins
of another.
| Then he goes Oh to say that fran.
chise is not right, but a privilege te
be conferred by society on whom i,
pleases-a sort of reward of merit as il
were. Pray, who, or what, is society
Is it mankind? We might say to Mr..
Smith. tina. if mankind had composed
society it would only have lasted
for one generation.
I We cite him to a Self-evident truth
contained in the Declaration of Indie
pendence, that's Governments derive
their just powers from the consent of
?. the governed" Women are governed
by the same laws, their property is
taxed the same per cent, their children
are controlled by those laws and they
are punished if they transgress them.