Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-03-27
woMAN's SUFFRAGE AND THE HOME.

ing the ballot are averse to the cares Of
home and despise motherhood. The
facts so utterly contradict such state
ments and are so patent that even Q
careless inquirer may easily find the
truth. Woman's suffrage women as 6
class will compare favorably with any
other class of women in their care oil
home and children, and never have
they preached against home duties OF
urged that women should refuse to be.
come wives and mothers. On the con.
trary, they have declared not once OF
twice, but constantly, that they hold
home to be the most sacred place on
earth, and motherhood the highest and
hottest responsibility that can come to
any human being they constantly as
sert that their chief reason for asking
the ballot is because they believe that
the best interests of home and child
hood demand that the mother, the ma
tural guardian of both, should be On.
franchised. Moreover, they as con
stantly disclaim any hostility toward
men.
Women do not desire political rights
that they may change places with men
and in their turn play the tyrant; they
do not even wish to initiate them. They
claim that the best results will come to
man as to woman from the cooperation
of both in all the activeness of life: the
greater the inherent differences be.
tween man and oma the stronger
the reason for their participation in all
things which equally concern both. In
the face of all this, anyone who con.
tinues to make the above accusations
either does not make the investigation
into the matter which the commonest
justice demands of q person who is ex-
pected to speak upon it at all, or else he
deliberately says what he knows to be
false. There is no middle ground; there
is no possibility of mistake in one who
%candidly and fairly informs himself
upon the question.
1t is, therefore, with the deepest pain
as well as some righteous indignation,
that we still hear of men holding the
highest position il the Christian
church, giving to these calumnies the
support of their influence and position.
We Will interpret their action by the
more charitable of the two suppositions
and we will not return railing for rail
ing, but it should impose upon us all
the need of continuing to contradict
these ISLANDERS. We can not hope to
make any impression upon these ''blind
leaders of the blind" but there are
those who will listen to us. Very many
people have been honestly deceived by
those statements coming, as they do,
from men whom they have a right to ex
pect will not make assertions of this
kind with no other ground than person
al prejudices. Such people will hear and
weigh the statements of the other side.
One of the best results of the Suffrage
Convention held recently in Atlanta
was the revelation which it brought to
hundreds of people that accusations
against suffrage women were utterly
and maliciously false. Many people
went to the convention expecting to
see "mannish women" initiating male
attire as closely as possible, and with
their that's on one side" according to
the description recently given by a man
from whom we had expected better
things. Instead they saw attractive,
pretty and womanly women dressed in
most fashionable style. They had to
look among fashionable bellies of the
street cars who would not 90 where
woman suffrage was talked" to find
women wearing the shirt bosom, four
in hand tie and silk hat. They went
expecting to hear these same women
express their contempt and hatred of
men and rant against the duties of
home and motherhood. Instead they
saw several instances of man and wife
sitting side by side as delegates to the
convention; they heard words of moth
erly love and tenderness for helpless
childhood; they heard home praised
continually as the most sacred spot on
earth; they heard these woman's rights
scorn the idea that the ballot, ''or
any other creature" could ever turn the
woman heart from its dearest loves
husband and children; they heard that
convention utter its rejoicing with
unanimous voice that the first bill ever
introduced by a woman legislator was
one for the protection of the home.
And these people who had been de.
ceived by teachers who might have
known the truth if they had cared to
know it, went home astonished with
changed ideas of woman 5 suffrage and
woman's suffragists. So it will be
everywhere. The common people"
now as of old, are ready to listen to the
truth. 1t is to them we must appeal.
Let them know that Notwithstanding
the accusation of priest and the lie.
vite," the woman of today ask the bal.
lot, not that they may use it against
men, but with, and for, all good men
in making this world a better and a
safer place; not that they may disrupt
the home and forsake the children, but
that they may the better protect both
home and children; that they ask an
increase in their own privileges,a broad