The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-10
Mrs. Marion Todd Replies to the Ed
itOr in Defense Of Woman's Suf-
fraee in Thoughts That Breathe
and Words That Burn.
A GREAT LETTER, EVEN IF YOU
DON'T AGREE WITH IT'S CON-
CLUSIONS.
If All Women Were Marion TOdds the
World Would Adopt Woman's
Suffrage by a Rising Vote.

After last falls elections you bemoaned
the fact that there were so many million
voting fools in this country. I bemoaned
the same fact, as usual We are not with
out crumb of comfort, however. since
the prophecy will hold good, undoubtedly,
in the case of present voters as well as
coming ones.
To enfranchise women and thus add two
like quantities might not be an improve
ment, but it seems a little unfair that any
one set of fools should hold the field all
the time Most any other class Of fools
would be willing to alternate, at least.
You say you doubt even if men are yet
ready to meet women on the plane of po-
litical equality" and then you cite the Col
orado legislators, who proceeded to discuss
questions involved in an "age of consent
bilp' in terms that emptied the galleries,
while three lady members had to listen with
blazing faces;'' all of which you pronounce
as terribly brutal and disgrace" The
moral to your citation is that women should
not become legislators and avoid the
need of their becoming legislators. So long
as HlOIueTS nave girl DdDicS SuDJeCI " lily
grace by men who WELD ballot, they
should remain in their seats and endeavor
to tame or curb the wild beasts.
You say, God, when he made woman
and made her beautiful, even placing be-
meath her skin a coat of adipose tissue not
found in man, to give her softened outlines
and fit her for embracings, meant her to
ha 1oyolv op1 ha1ovad DO Won sum
pose the great Artist went to the pains of
getting up that exquisite picture with
intent that these apostles of beauty should
make men of themselves and meet brutal
and filthy men on terms of perfect equality
in the lowest struggles Of lfe?"
Perhaps not. Perhaps God did limit her
association with these brutal and filthy
men, to the hearthstone. l am glad to
learn there is a place where "brutlity" and
beauty" can meet in sacred relations
where a beast can embrace a beauty with
consistency and sentimental sanction and
save them from making men Of them
Selves
In a late number of the Ladies' Home
Journal Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst, D. D.,
said: II really sorry for these women
who wish they were men. The greatest
thing a woman can do is to bear children
and train them for the uses and services
of the world
There is no grander state than mother
hood. The rule of exceptions applies in
this case, however, as in all Others Wheth-
err motherhood was ar exalted state when
the Rev. Mr.. Parkhurst was born might
be a question. Much depends upon the
fruit Sometimes the only thing of which
a mother has reason to be ashamed is the
fruit she bears. This reverend gentleman
has no confidence in wOman's ability to
perceive her own mission on earth, al
though especially fitted to train voters for
the world Imagine an upstart of a son
turning preacher and presuming to stand
between the Almighty and his mother. No,
1 cannot believe there are women who
wish they were men, for just think of the
liability of becoming Parkhurst.
If God has seen fit to inform the mascu-
line persuasion all about His intentions
relative to women and closed the door
against her in the revelations, it would be
a little immodest to refuse to be guided
accordingly; but there is a creeping doubt
in the minds of some women concerning
this monopoly of communication with the
Most High, audacious as it may be, and
they still insist that they stand as good a
show of hearing Gods voice and being taken
into his confidence as man does, and so
they are listening for themselves and ex-
cuse man as their interpreter.
You say, Mr.. Donnelly, that woman is
not man. Her brain is smaller. She has
not reached the topmost heights in any of
the great arts. She has never yet pro-
duced a Caesar, an Angelo, Homer or
Darwin"
Nav not the superiority be found to exist
in the quality rather than quantity of
brain? Is not this theory taking the place
of the old? May not the texture of her
brain account for that sixth sense I'M
known to man?
Your Caesars and Angeles, and Homers
and Darwins were superior men, but the
modest character of Florence Nightingale
greater than them all.
What is it to be great? Is it to fight to
kill. to legislate, to reign supreme, to paint
a picture, to write an epic, to discover the
origin of species, to burden the brain with
information on scholarly thoughts? No.
We have many women who have accom-
plished wonderful results along many Of
these lines, but none of these constitute
greatness
1.-The greatest thing in the world is love-"
The love enshrined in the heart of Florence
Nightingale crowned her queen. 1t was
that altruism that heard and listened to
the cry of distress in every quarter which
hallowed every foot of ground she trod.
Retiring, modest and delicate, yet she
was of the bravest and strong within her
invulnerable Notifications of love to the
world. knowledge is but the instrument of
love, and weak until it arrives. To fulfill
this mission of love she entered into the
very jaws of DEATH No soldier on field of
battle performed more daring Deeds The
care of the soldiers and sailors in the
Crimea was assumed with an understanding
of the sacrifices to be made the formidable
magnitude of the responsibilities, the hard
ships, dangers, tolls and continual scenes
of human suffering which must meet her
upon every hand. Mr.. Macdonald said of
her: Where there is disease in it's most
dangerous form and hand of the de-
spoiler distressingy nigh, there is incom-
the medical officers have retired from the
tied down upon the miles of PROSTATE sick,
she may be observed alone with a little
lamp in her hand making her solitary
rounds"
The Hon. Sidney Godolphin Osborne said:
Her nerve is wonderful. 1 have been with
her at very severe operations. She has
utter disregard of contagion. 1 have known
her to spend hours over men dying of
cholera or fever"
1t is said that rough, brave fellows, who
had refused to have operations performed,
absolutely would be overcome by a few
calm remarks by her. Do you wonder
these men would kiss her shadow as she
passed, that the ''cussin' and swearin ="
ceased and the quarters became as holy
as church?
Happy the deeds which in their bare
enumeration proclaim their own surprising
worth" Miss Nightingale possessed a
knowledge of the ancient and modern lam
guageS and higher branches of mathe-