The herald., 1895-07-08
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
) SsooSosoeeeeeseSeoo00d
By Abbot Kinney


this movement has no foundation in
either our religion or in any other relig-
ion. but on the contrary Gefies the dog
mas of religion on social sex function ev-
erywhere and in all times. The Article
further shows that our feelings OF right
and wrong are primarily founded ON the
religious sentiment. Where religion has
been overthrown the eventual outcome is
| loss of morals due to the loss OF the foun-
| dation OF the idea of right and wrong.
| The conception that man can do without
religion is pure assumption without any
experience OF human society for confirm
| alton during the entire historic period.
Tue denial of religious dogma on social
sex function denies also the propriety OF
the use of the word rights in reference
to it. Right, and wrong are the out
growth of religious sentiment and the re-
| moval OF eiigion from humanity removes
! the moral foundation on which right
rests.
Womar's rights. therefore. is a misno-
| mer. A distinguished critic OF mine says
| that the woman's movement Gas no rela-
| ton to religion, and is in fact, as he puts
| it, religious. meaning by the context
| neutral as to religion. movement that
! denies absolutely religious revelation re-
| peated and clear on sex social function
| and that sets up>a point-blank DENIAL of
plain religious sex dogmas must be prop
| erly classed as anti-religious.
One proof that religion is not found IA
| vorable to this movement is in my critic 8
| fling at the Bible, and still another in the
| proposed revision of the Bible by certain
| intellectual new women by taking out its
sex references.
| NV article simply stated facts and a few
clear annd logical deductions from them.
| Mr.. Randolph's arguments attacking
| these are doubtless brilliant-as the fixed
stars-but like them are too remote from
| the points at issue to throw light on any
of them. One of the gentleman's phrases
is hit. decided hit. He describes the
| female suffragist as "a "fcmale man, an
| excellent desert ption, indeed.
Darwin in his Animals Under Domes-
| tication says that the hen when past the
| period of ovuaton tends to the male type.
| The comb and hackles grow with advunc-
| ing age and she becomes more and more
possessed of the pugnacity OF the cock.
Unsoxing OF animals produces this
effect. Early spaying OF the heifer II 1t
| does not make of her a bull in size and
courage distinctly tends that way and
| such hefer assimilates TO steer. The
| castrated bull becomes steer and loses
| the strictly male traits no longer OF use
| to protect the purity Of the breed or to
defend the cows and calves.
| The human animal is the same. An
usually speaks in falsetto, lacks courage,
the beard rarely grows and he becomes a
sort OF female man.
When woman has passed ithe period of
ovulatiun or when she is incapable OF
the woman's social function through IL
Jury, concenital defect or through exac:in g
standards we nj offer no objection to
her assuming male industrial activities.
In fact, objection would be as Idle as was
advocacy OF bloomers before the bicycle.
Such women cannot perform the full
maternal uutles. The race and the society
goes on in the next generation with few
or none Of them represented by children.
The great duty to God, to country and
to race OF creation-often recreation OF
themselves in children, must be done by
the male women and not by female men.
The independent career and opportuni-
ty of caree: selection is fairly open to
women in this country. The family may
creation duties be refused under present
laws.
But when women who lack the capaci-
ty. or the attractiveness or the sound soul
and heart to become mothers. undertake
to force or persuade all women into SINH
lar denials Of their highest pleasures and
their greatest glory we may well consider
somewhat of it. The franchise is duty
far more than privilege. 1t is duty
already too much neglected by the best
informed men. Especially neglected by
the over-retined and by the most scnsi-
tive men. The franchise demands for its
proper nse under our system strict atten-
ton and work at primaries and at con-
ventions. Men voting as we all know is
quite insufficient to secure good govern
ment or even good laws. A wife with
young children in esse or in posse is
handicapped out of the active political
field.
If the American people contemplate
holding America for more than genera
ton or two they must see to it that their
best women have children and that while
thus engaged and tor their greater patrl-
ot,sm that they shall have exemption
from the more severe political and indus
trial duties of society. Among them ar
iurles, police, military. naval and poli'
ical duties and individually dancerou
and heavy work, such as that o: locomo-
tive engineers, sailors. ditch diggers,
miners, iron workers bartenders. fire.
men, etc. 1t is not that women cannot
be soldiers or miners or bartenders; they
are solids. .rs in Dahomey, they are miners
in Hungary. they are ba'tcnders in Eng
land, but the point is that there are fea-
lures of the outside fight that are too dan.
gerous or TOO arduous to impose OH WON.
en- in addition to their essential duties of
child beaing ana child care.
In our complex civilization the repro
ductlve duty requires more vital force and
the prolonged preparatory and helpless
period of childhood more care than in the
more simple system CT the savage. Con-
seqnently greater exemptions are due to
women for this function in civilization
than in barbarism.
1t is clear to any intelligent person that
there must be births to exceed the deaths
IN any vigorous and progressive society.
Otherwise the light and life OF the socie-
tvs xrnnld co pYtormlnHtlOu. Stpr-
ifity drops upon society the curtain of
erernal death.