Evening journal., 1895-10-23
Female sunrare From Male view.


The last Legislature of the State OF
Massachusetts passed q lar. providing
that all persons qualified to vote for
school committees at the approaching
state election, whether male OF female,
shall have an opportunity at that
election to express their opinion either in
the affirmative or negative on the
following question rs It expedlent that
municipal suffrage should be granted TO
womsn7' As result this question is an
issue OF the election now being agltated
by the people Of the state named, and
as 1t is looked upon as a stepping stone
to universal female suffrage It Is
creating good deal Of attention among
the friends aud foes OF the measure.
The "Man Suffrage Association" Of the
state has Issued q circular In which It
SO forth that ''the laws Of nature
plainly call for n division Of labor and
responsibility between the sexes.
Equality does not require similarity Of
function. To create conditions which
suggest that the power to make the
laws may be in body different from that
which has.ths power to enforce the law Is
Objectionable To more than double the
total number Of voters Is IN itself
no advantage. Women as compared
with men, have had but little
experience in private. or trust
or corporate business affairs This Is
not due to our laws, but to other causes.
So long AS the relative inexperience Of
women in business affairs continues, II is
not to be expected that the combined
vote Of men and women will give as good
results as the vote OF men alone, and We
submit, therefore, that the rights and
property OF our citizsns, female "a we'll
as male. are now better protected than
they would be tif the mass Of voters
should be doubled by establishing woman
suffrage.
Woman suffrage will not promote the
happiness or physical welfare OF woman
It will not tend to her social or moral
elevation, and It viii not prove benefit
but rather an injury to the family, which
is the basis OF the growth and prosperity
Of the state The uuwillingness of
women 10 assume the duties Of voters is
so widespread, and has been so plainly
indicated by the smallness Of their
registration to vote for members Of ths
School Committee, that the fact that
woman fails to register and vote cannot
be fully construed, as an assent to or
approval Of the scheme Of woman iuf
frage
We.havo given the substance Of the ch-
cular which is signed by what the Boston
newspaper say are one hundred OF tho
solid business men Of that city. Asan
argument agsins. female suffrage IL
strikes us as the,best we have ssen. II
women are not thoroughly prepared to
vote, or physically and mentally suitable
10 exercise that right, It would certainly
be unwiss to double tho number Of voters
OF which we have already too many,
forming standing objection TO our free
and unlimited suffrage laws
On the other hand, there have been
some strong arguments made In favor OF
female suffrage, for which we have not
space In this article, that will be urged
for all they are worth In the present
campaign. At a meeting Of Mstho.
dist ministers, recently held, IL was voted
TO urge the women Of the state 20 register
and vote Yes" This Is significant ss
Introducing religious element in the
discussion, which seems TO us ~ ad
vised. So far politics and religion have
been kept apart in this country. and Il
female suffrage results In fomenting
religious strife, It's introduction will be
SAD misfortune TO the republic.