The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-05-15
RASTUS.
Woman's Rights,

EDITORS INTELL1aENcER I claim to be
an advocate OF 'womGn's rights in the very
highest and most honorable sense. It Is
understood In this country to be the duty
of men to advocate and defend her rights
to guarantee them to the point of chivslry.
But when she undertakes that business
herself she refuses to him the honor Of
awaiting her beck and call, and be, of
course, becomes tardy in bis devotion.
That devotion has then lost it's inspiration.
I am sorry that she now claims her rights
and has become the seeker rather than the
sought. She is now making speeches and
publicly pleading her civil rights without
waiting for the gentlemanly devotion Of
the other sex to offer them. am sorry
that she has put her blu Of graces and
bill of rights. For il the gentlemen of the
becoming to offer her political and public
her long ago. But now that she claims
them as Individual and separate rights,
they feel taken down.
Is 1t not very strange fact that the
wisest, and politest men never thought Of
Offering them before? And is it not a
noticeable fact now, that when woman
claims her rights, only one in q thousand
of the men espouses her cause and helps
her to run the campaign? The men seem
to be dumb foundered. And yet they are
learned, and able and honorable.
The arguments used In advocating her
claims are amusing. She Is mans equal,
it Is said. Wall. She is indeed equal as
one Of a pair. She ia nymph and he
coryphoeus. She has narrow shoulders
and he has broad. She flashes out grace
and beauty and elegance; he storms forts
and confronts an angry crowd. She would
lose grace and elegance In the hustings; he
would lose his wisdom and valor in nurs.
ing babes. Man and woman are equals
In their respective spheres. She can vote
very well. But IL her voteis the mere echo
Of her husbands, 1t is worth nothing as
right, and In its numerical value cancelled
by thousands of other woman's votes
against hers. If she votes different ticket
from her husband she runs the risk Of
partisan interests In the house, and differ.
ence in political views In the house excuses
differences in other interests and disturbs
the homo, the most nicely balanced institu
ton in the world.
Another argument Is: woman has no
real power at ALL II it is meant, mo
power at all to vote on questions that
often in1ame the strongest passions of
men, no power to breathe the atmosphere
of ribaldry and coarse inveotive in public
crowds; no power to discuss blmetallism
in legislative halls all day long and half
the night, no power at all to gain worth
less victory over men ashamed to confront
them violently; it is blessed privilege that
they have none of that power at all. On
the other hand they have all power In
shaping the destinies of men, in calming
the passions Of men, In assuaging the
fevered ambitions of men; in making them
cool and calm for the copfict. They rule
by keeping behind the throne of power.
They say, men slouoh up to the polls
and take bribes.' Women voting would
correct this How Is it that they who
raise men and shape their characters did
not correct this early and at home? Then
there would be no necessity to 60 to the
polls to show men not to 'slouch up to the
polls. And how did taking OF bribes ever
get into the men7
They say, that We have baby carriages
these grand times and women can take
their infants along with them to the polls.
So. That is one female iucumbrance
honestly acknowledged in the exercise of
political rights.
They say, if man can cook better than
woman, let him cook, and II women can
manage the affairs Of government better
than man, why should she not take the
reins in her hand? Which is to say let the
revolution come and man 60 into the
kitchen and woman in 'bloomers, into
the halls of legislation; let the whole
nomenclature of the law and the courts
be changed from masculine to feminine
gender: Mrs. Speaker (of the house),
THE Lady from Bsrnwell,' etc. Ladies'
of the Jury The sentsnce Of the court Is:
That she be sentenced to the penitentiary
and that Mrs. - be appointed and paid
to take charge of the children
In the church the new nomenclature
would run: Let the bishop be the wife of
one husband not two.
We are just taking glance at the revo.
luton contemplated, perhaps not contem-
plated, but apparently looming mp on the
horizon. D. E. F.