The herald., 1895-07-17


Editor ;Herald Mr.. Abbot kinney's
anima madversions on the woman's rights
| question contain some true statements
wrongly applied my women friends ask
| me to do little furher disentangling of
his twisted arguments.
| It is true that spayed heifer develops
traits of the male; it is also true that
| woman so treated becomes mannish.
But-now mind your logic--it by no
means follows that woman would be.
CONS mannsh simply by voting on ques-
tions of right government. Arguments,
however Ingenious, can never abrogate
known facts: for instance, women have
been voting in Wy omlng for years. Then.
as matter oi fact, have they begun to
grow boards, are their voices getting
coarse are they OF larger size than for
merly, or is there the slightest tendency
in any of these directions? All intelligent
| well-informed people will answer no, in
every case. Now, in the light OF COM
mon sense, does the exercise of the
ton in which yet undiscovered truth may
lie, have any sort of competency to un-
sex them? Emphatically. no. No more
than to teach female child to read.
Intelligence, discernment, reason these
are soul properties and are either seXless
of being monopolized by the male man.
The free exercise OF these soul properties
is vitally essential to the we'll being of
humanity and the duty and responsibility
lies with every huamn beng possessing
them, whether that being is male or fe-
male. In q former letter in reply to Mr..
Kinney the compositor got in his deadly
work and made me speak OF mar made
garments" as the thought was thus OBJ
sculed, revert to the idea that man. made
governments are the only exception in
the cosmos where the male and female
principles do not take equal part in the
creation and preservation of a harmoni-
Gus whole. Both these elements are abso-
lutely necessary to any created being that
is capable of adding to our safety Oh hap
piness. Any government lacking either
male or female functions, appropriately
represented is destined t. slow and pain
full career with downward tendency; it
violates the cosmlc laws.
Another curious, and, withal. serious,
mistake Mr.. Kinney makes, is in suppos
ing that woman will be compelled to abb
dictate her sex functions and take up occu-
pations heretofore held by men, when she
begins TO vote. Ihre is no warrant for
this belief II women are entering new
fields of work that to me is - proof that
their good sense has tired of a life of in
action, of the hot-house doll baby role,
and they but simply exercise their inher-
eut TlSut W taINe tub IoT tlltlllSelNeS an
individual destiny on the reflected glory
of husband. Mr.. Kinney seems to lhink
that every woman must of duty become q
parent; does he demand as much of all
men? 1t is not at all necessary to flour
ishing feminnity that all women should
be mothers ofxlarge families. Though
most women are willing to raise q small
family, there are many who do not so
desire, that are none the less womanly
and contribute their part in noble meas
ure to the betterment OF the race. This
scare, feigneu or real about womanS
rights decimating the race is amusing.
Women know that when they get hold OF
some of the governmental reins. taat they
will help steer civilization into more
natural conditions of life, in which child
bearing will not be fraught with SO much
hazard and waste. Under proper condi-
is born will live, and the cost and sui
fering OF giving birth to two or three
children then Will net as great results to
population as that of bearing large fam
lily does now. If it can be shown-which
is extremely doubtful-that there is any
ncapacity for self government attaching
to women, it would be amply accounted
for in their long unjust and melancholy
political disfranchisem ant. Disuse of any
organ or function tends toward its
atrophy that is a natural law. Supply
the opportunity and the trait will unfold.
IL CdlIllbl Ue SdlnSdlu tHaJ WOHleil Ill pull
tics would exert an influence upon it akin
to her own nature. For instance she
would not influence 1t as a warrior for the
obvious reason that as she is not war
rior-lt is not her nature to be so. But
it is her nature to seek cleanliness, there
fore she would cleanse politics. She is
everywhere gladly acknowledged to be
more quiet, peaceful and spiritual than
the male man. therefore she would assist
in bringing forth a more peaceful ard
harm onious state. 1t is my opinion that
governments among men stand more in
need of Just such qualities as woman is
designed by nature to supply-love amia-
billty, purity, etc.-than they do of the
male mans over estimated quality OF ex
ploltation, energy and courage. The
union of these two is the ideal state. The
ri ght to vote attaches to all beings who
can comprehend their surroundings, and
can reason on the causes of or principles
concerned in human we'll being. 1t is
intelligence that should vote - not
breeches. The male man says to the fe-
male man: IF you will not bear arms
you are not entitled to vote" If there
is any truth in this idea, then that being
who bears the more arms or bears arms
tor the longer time is the better voter.
How does the ability or the willingness
to kill people confer the right to vote?
Would it not be intinltely more reason
able to say that good judgment, integ-
rity, righteous, intelligent mind shall
exercise the elective franchise regardless
OF any extraneous or sex consideration?
W. G. B. RANDOLPH.