The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-11
WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Rev. John A. Merrill i'm
It's Favor.
Presbyterian Ministers Listen to
Paper on the Topic, and Discuss
1t at Length.

The Presbyterian Ministerial Union at its
meeting yesterday morning approved by
vote the proposition to establish a ward
for incurable children in one of The hospi-
tails of the city. A committee was ap-
pointed, consisting of Rev. ID. Hanson
Irwin, Rev. II. A. Ketchum, ID, and
Rev. W. II. Landon, ID, to prepare an
address of welcome to General Booth of
the Salvation Army and present it to him
on his arrival in the city.
Rev. John A. Merrill read paper on
"Shall Woman Vote?" He said that be
had given the subject of woman suffrage a
good deal of thought and had studied it
carefully for number of years.
Mr.. Merrill said that 100000 tramps.
100000 ignorant foreigners and 10000
negroes, two-thirds of whom could not
read, were now allowed to vote at our
elections, and he thought that il the ballot
could without danger be given to such men
! 1t could with entire safety be iDtrusted to
the women. Referring to the progress in
the direction of the enfranchisement of
women he said that in the middle ages
| they were not allowed to testify in courts
| of justice, and in England, not many CEN
turIes ago, they could not write books or
articles for newspapers. Later. in Ameri-
ca, they were not permitted to hold prop
1t is not much more than a generation
since Tree speech began to be accorded to
them, and when the first woman's con-
vention was held forty years ago it was
| called then convention" and the worst
kind Of ridicue was heaped upon il
and upon those taking part in 1T.
With This was contrasted the deference
! and respect NANTES ted for the woman's
congress at Chicago during the Columbian
Exposition. Papers that were once fore
most in the opposition 10 the woman's
| movement were now the warmest ia their
advocacy of female suffrage, and many
men, like Mr.. Merrill himself, have, after
having considered it carefully and after
having watched the result of its opera
tion where it has been tried, abandoned
their former opposition to it aud are
row standing up in advocacy of it, as he
| was then doing
Mr.. Merrill selected ten of the principal
objections commonly urged against allow
| ing women to vote. aud answered each
one briefly as be enumerated them. They
were as follows: Q) They will vote as
their husbands do. (2) Trouble in families
will result from a difference of opinion Oh
political questions. These two we're
shown TO contradict one another. 81 Bad
women will do the voting. () Mans men,
TAI superiority TO women, and the greater
SIZE OF MS brain, was an exception that
was quite sarcastically answered, aud in a
ment % Woman should not usurp au-
thorlty, but should be Kept subject TO man.
6) 1t would be wrong for woman
to enter the dirty pool If poll
tics. But the pool is made dirty
by dirty men who go into i, and TO
live with such one was as bad at best q s
1t would be for her to go into the pool and
endeavor to purify it. @ Women should
be keepers at home,' where their place
properly is. 81 They are not qualified to
near arms. and would be unable 70 do So.
90 In politics woman would be out of her
sphere. But woman's sphere Is what man
permits her to make it. This was shown
by some striking illustrations. Q0) Women
themselves do not wish it, In reply TO his
Mr.. Merrill said that more petitions had
been presented 10 our national and State
Legislatures during the past year asking
Tor woman suffrage than in regard TO all
other subjects combined.
line paper provoked lively discussion,
winch revealed quite division of senti-
ment. but the preference seemed to be de-
cldedly IN favor of OF the views of the
writer. Those participating in the dis
cussio9 were: Revs Messrs. Ellis, Munro,
Clarke, Clemenson, Bevier, Mcdonald,
| Alexandra. Klink, LardoD. Sit:on, Dupuy,
Irwin, Mathena. Scott, Jones aud Perry,
| also Dr. Surge. Mrs. Marshall ana Miss
| Graft. Mrs. Marshall, who is native of
| france, but who has mingled largely with
American society, and who represen ted
her own country at the women's congress
at Chicago, WAS especially earnes and
vigorous IN the defense of her sex and of
| the claim Of women to the ballot.
Next Monday Rev. Joseph E. Scott will
read paper on. rs Socialism Prac-
| ticable ?"