The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-27
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Mrs. Julia b. Nelson Replies to Mr..
DOnneI1y.

To the Editor:
The best of men are liable to mistakes"
so are others, and others means women, as
can be proved by the constitution of the
state OF Minnesota, article T. section 2.
Those who may not vote are idiots, luna
ties, convicts, Minors naupers, aliens I'M
taxed Indians and all sothers not mention
ed in section l. and women are the others,
the only others I. D. is somewhat mis-
taken in his reference otto my little 20 min
ute speech made at Cannon Falls after
had the pleasure of listening to his able
advocacy of the Peoples party for about
two hours, at meeting where two other
prominent Populists were present and adj
vertised to speak. ~. t
OF my candidacy for county superintend-
ent of schools, he says: Both the old par
ties refused to nominate her." but neither
of them refused, neither of them was
asked either directly or Indirectly. stat
ed that when members of three parties
had proposed my coming out as an indie
pendent candidate l had declined to do
SO, and thought 1T in accordance with the
eternal fitness of things that 1 should be
the candidate of party which recognized
in its platform that women are people,
If accepting nomination from the People,
party in the stronghold of the Republicans
at convention in which not a man could
be found to stand as a candidate the
Populist ticket for that office or any other
said nothing, the people generally thought
it did. Was it necessary or proper that
should spend a part of the little time |
had at Cannon Falls in pleading for the
Peoples party when three of the party
leaders had spoken al length one of whom
was the great Ignatius Donnel1y? But |
really supposed l standing upon Pop
ullSt ground when advocating equal rights
When 1 held up the woman suffrage plank
of the platform, 1 must have had the heav-
lest part of the load if that plank is SO
heavy that all the men in the Peoples par
ty together can't carry it, and are in dan
ger of dropping it on their toes. l. d. says.
"Womans suffrage had better run it's own
campaigns" and that "there is no reason
why the Peoples party should mount it
on the front seat of the band wagon" ETC.,
and this reminds me that 1 paid full fare
for. ride in the band wagon, did not oc-
cupy a front seat, furnished the flag and
the feathers risked the pelting hooting
and yelling, and, right or wrong, Goodhue
county voted three to one that womans
suffrage was the most respectable part of
the procession. If woman's suffrage should
be the passenger on board that's left be-
hind when the engine of reform starts
off, 1 fear the engineer will sadly whistle
the tune of 1.-THE Girl Left Behind Me-"
Hear what Mrs Mary E. Lease says Mrs.
Lease, who has been lately quoted as au-
thority for keeping all women in the cate
CORY of fools. In a letter dated Feb 6,
she writes me:
Il consider the question of suffrage to
women the paramount question of the
age, the foundation of every movement
loking toward the advancement and up
building of the race, and that party that
is too cOwardly to espouse it deserves the
defeat that will surely come upon it, 1t is
true that I have deplored the spirit of envy
and petty jealousy manifested by women
toward each other, their lack of justice
and tolerance to each other, but my rem
edy for these defects is to give them the
ballot. The ballot will be an incentive to
education, and thus will they broaden and
deepen and strengthen, and knowing them
selves they will learn to know and rever-
ence each other. With me the question lies
deeper than merely deposting the ballot
which represents an opinion. 1t means
more than the immediate effects which will
of necessity be small andsobscure. Enfran-
chisement means the1lfting of the inferior
ity and degradation that has been borne
so long and so forgtvinsW by women. 1t
means Independence, knowledge growth,
and for unborn generations incalculable
blessings. How will I'VE be able to advance
or broaden in any way If kept bound and
gagged in the centsHy worn rut that we
have been inchng In fo3 80 long,"
Women have BEEN taught to be senti-
mental rather thant'sensiBle. Having been
classed with fools FOR 50 long, it is little
wonder that some bf them act like fools,
even to the extent ,bf sehding violets to a
Haywards are the political superiors of all
women! So are crimna1plawyers
JULIA B. NELSON.
Red Wing. MINI. Is oi 81