The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-02-14
SHALL WOMEN VOTE?
Or Shall the Women SUI
fragists
SUFFER ON IN THE HOME CIRCLE.
The Idea COmbatted by MIR. Fred
Morris. Women In Politics will
Make Matters Worse.

EDS. JoURNAL.,-This is question
which is agitating the minds of a
certain class OF people just at pres
ent. This question does not mats
urally suggest itself for at this time
in our country's history man nat>
urally turns to that from which some
good is expected. But from the re-
cent demonstrations OF the Women
Suffragists Convention held in At
lanta, We feel compelled, though we
feel assured that nothing so terris
bic will be done, that it will cause
true women to so far forget her
mission in the world as to even de-
sire to enter the political arena.
The next question which arises is
"Does the majority of women want
to vote p This is not only denied
by the men, but is denounced in the
strongest terms by the true woman,
hood of our country as a movement
unhecoming to women. But with
their bombastic bugles they would
make you believe that the safety of
the country is in imminent danger,
and that the only way to save home
and liberty is to allow them the
right to enter the political arena,
and with their refining element re-
form all the alleged corruptions.
We do not for one instant fail to
remember the refining and eleva-
ting element found in true woman,
for nething equal the influence
brought to bear upon man, which is
exercised by true, uGsullied, and
right-minded woman moving in her
right sphere. She alone-it is that
approaches the angelic, but the
place to exercise this influence is
in her home made happy by her
presence and not at the polls, where
scenes are enacted by drunken and
riotous men @ which cause many
to turn from them in disgust! His
? tory in no place will come nearer
repeating itself than in America,
and in this particular it has repeat~
ed itself without an exception.
Look at the instances in which wo-
man has ruled. By her came the
fall of Adam by the hand of Helen,
Troy fell; Cleopatra caused the fall
OF him who had withstood the armies
of the world; St. Bartholomew Was
massacred at the hands of Cathe-
rene de Medici; Bloody Mary Of
England shook the foundations Ct
the British Isles. Look at the
"Reign of Terror" in France where
the blood Of men, women and chil|
dren flowed in a common stream
then it was when women were plac.
ed on an equal with men in the eyes
OF the law, and then it was when
women exercised the privilege given
them in such a way as to move the
world to tears and to stand in the
annals of history without parallel
1t is true that this finds an excep-
ton in the states which have given
the franchise to women, but never
theless true is it that in the wonder>
fully short time which has interyen.
ed since it was given, that the true
womanhood and manhood of owl
country, seeing the inevitable con-
sequence, have denounced it and
prayed for its repeal.
10 not believe that We would have
you judge man and woman by diff
ferent moral standard, but believ
ing that the worst things can only
result from the abuse OF the best
we enter a solemn protest agains
woman entering politics. In re
forming the politicsa she must nee
essarily meet the world on the same
level with man. She must know
mans character, but in doing thi'
she must not only fail to imparr tt
man her refining influences, bit with
few exceptions she fails and Loser
what she has: and to establish ,