The record-union., 1894-05-24
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
The War is Raging in the State Of
New York.
Women Now Come Forward and
Make Fight Against Female
Suffrage.

New York State has a Constitutional
Convention in session. and the female
suffragists are at work in full force to
have the word male" stricken from the
Constitution. For the first time, how
ever, women who are opposed to female
suffrage are organizing and taking active
measures to prevent its adoption. Great
meetings have been held in New York,
Brooklyn and other cities, and protests
are being numerously signed urging the
convention not to strike out the word
"male.''
Following is a statement of some of
the reasons influencing the women who
are sending the protests:
l. From time immemoral the respon-
sibility for civil government has been
contided TO and been exercised by man.
The reason is founded in nature. The
ultimate reliance of government is upon
force. Man is by nature combatlve-
woman is non-com batiye. The response
blity for the maintena6ce of civil govern
ment rests, therefore, upon man, because
some one must be prepared to fight Tor it
whenever the necessity arises.
2. The junction of maternity is the Pc
sphere is in the family, and love and not
force is the source of her power.
3. In consequence of these functional
differences between woman and man,
she enjoys certain rights, privileges and
immunities which are denied to men.
Among these may be enumerated the
following: First, the duty OF holding
public office; second, the obligation of
Jury service and the discharge of judicial
and police functions; third, military SER
vice. None OF these duties could be per-
formed by women without violating the
proprieties and safeguards of female pu-
rlty and delicacy.
4. The suffrage is a duty which can be
exercised by women as well as men, and
it will doubtless be cheertully conceded
to women wherever it can be shown that
it will be for her benefit or will promote
the welfare Of society; but the burden of
proof rests upon those who advocate this
extension of the suffrage. The suffrage
is not a question of right or of justice, but
of policy and expediency. Heretofore 1t
has been conceded only to those who can
perform the duties which are inherent in
the nature of civil government. Shall it
be extended to those who cannot perform
these duties?
5. 1t is alleged that women are subject
to certain legal disabilities and deprived
Of certain privileges, the injustice of
which the possession of the suffrage
would rectify. The Legislature of the
State of New York has already redressed
all grievances brought to public atten-
ton, and If any remain to be redressed,
the suffrage is not necessary to secure
beneficial action. Man in this age is not
willing to bear the odium of injustice to
woman.
6. 1t is claimed that the vice of intem-
erance and the traffic i'll strong drink, ad
united 10 be the crownlng disgrace of our
day and generation, would be cured if
women could vote. If this expectation
were well founded, it would go far to
overcome the obvious objections to the
exercise OF female suffrage, but nothing
is more certain than that the suffrage,
whether exercised by man or woman, or
both, is pOWerleSS to restrain the animal
appetites. There is abundant ex Experience
of prohibition enacted by man alone and
OF its failure to produce reformation so
much desired by all good men and
women. This reformation must be the
result of slevating the moral tone of in
divlduals, and herein lies the greatest
power of women, which will be inn
paired, if not destroyed, by contact with
men III political movements. assemblies
and elections. Experience would seem
to show, therefore, that there would be a
loss, and not Il gain, III the encouraging
progress how discernable in favor of
temperance throughout the world If
women were deprived of that influence
which is now potent in the family and
upon those who arc dear to them,
Z. IL is asserted that the denial of suf-
frage to women is a violation of the prin-
cipIe of mo taxation without representa-
tion.o This assertion rests upon an en-
tire misconception of the origin and ma
ture Of that political canon. 1t originated
III opposition to the attempt OF Great
Britain 10 tax her North American colo
MES without their consent. 1t had no
connection whatever with the basis of
representation, or the limitations upon
suffrage, and these questions were never
the subject of discussion. Universal
male suffrage did not exist anywhere at
that time, but If it had been of any conse-
quence, the abolition of the property
qualification in the State of New York
and elsewhere has entirely discovered
the connection of taxation with represen-
tation. Ii such a relation should be re-
established, justice would require that
representation should be proportloned to
taxation, proposition which will hardly
be recognized in our political system.
s. 1t is assumed that the possession of
the right of suffrage would be an elevat-
ing and refining influence for women.
Has it been so with tnen? Certainly at
no period of the history of the country
have there been so many complaints as
to the Indifference Of the educated classes
and of the yenallty of ignorant citizens as
at this time. Judging by the effect,
therefore, OF universal suffrage upon
man, and considering the more emotional
nature of woman, ii is a fair inference
that the comforting of the suffrage upon
them would be a adegrading rather than an
elevating and refining influence.
8. So far as the family is concerned, a
new element of discord and of justice
will be introduced. Among the enlIght-
ened, doubtless, political issues would be
fairly discussed and differences of opinion
would be tolerated. but in the great ma
iority of cases women will either blindly
follow dictation or submit to coercion,
by which the influence of the baser ele-
ments of society Will be enlarged and
that of the conservative elements be i'm
paired.
10. Taking dispassionate survey,