The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-03
so CHARGES JAMES WEIR, JR., IN
AN ARTICLE IN THE AMERI-
CAN NATURALIST,
ENTITLED 'THE EFFECT OF FE-
MALE SUFFRAGE ON POs-
TERITY."
He Charges That Woman Sufragists
Are Degenerates Because They
Possess Too Many Traits
of Masculinity.

an opponent seems to be to demonstraI
that he is suffering from one or NOR
of the prevailing forms of degeneration
These tactics are adopted by Jane
Weir, Jr.. who in an article in In
American Naturalist for September
entitled 1.-THE Effect of Female Suffrag
on Posterity," asserts that the maJorlt!
of woman suffragists are degenerates
that they are viragints, or women Wh'
have some masculine traits, and tina
physical and psychical degeneration o
the race will inevitably follow the sue
cess of the movement. His first pom
As to show that female predominance IL
society, called by anthropologists "tht
matriarchate," is q more prlmltlVe anO
a lower form of social organization than
the present We quote from the article
"Laxity in sexual relations was, al
first, common to all races of primitive
men, but, after time, there arose Ger
tain influences which modified TO GER
tain extent this free and indiscriminate
intercourse. Frequent wars must have
occurred between hostile tribes CT primi-
tive men, during which some of them
physically or numerically weaker than
their opponents) must have been re-
lDeatedly vanquished, and many of their
females captured, for, in those old days
like those of more recent times, for that
Inatter) the women were the prizes for
which the men fought.
"Under circumstances like these, the
few remaining women must have served
as wives for all the men of the tribe;
and in this manner polyandry had its in
b IDaI
tain privileges which mOnandry denies,
and she is not slow TO seize on 'hese pre-
negatives and to use them in the further
,ance of her own welfare. Polyandry,
originating from any cause whatsoever,
win always end in the establishment of
matriarchate, in which the women are
either directly or indirectly at the head
of the government. There are several
matriarchates still extant in the world
and of the best known, as well as the
most advanced as far as civilization and
culture Is concerned. is that of the Nairs,
a people of India inhabiting that portion
vt the country lying between Cape
Uomorin and Mangalore, and the Chats
described as being the handsomest peo-
pie in the world; the men being tall
sinewy and extraordinary agile. while
the women are slender and graceful with
perfectly modelled figures. The Nair
girl is carefully chaperoned until she ar
rives at n manageable age, say IA or 10
years, at which time some complaisant
individual is selected who goes through
the marriage ceremany with her. As
soon as the groom ties the tall or mar
riage cord about her neck. he is Toasted
and is then dismissed; the wife must
never again speak to or even look at her
husband. Once safely welded, the girl
becomes emancipated, and can receive
the attentions of rs many men as she
may elect, though | am informed that it
is not considered fashionable, at present.
TO have more than seven husbands, one
Tor each day of the week. OF no impor-
fancc HERETOFORE, after her farcica, marri-
age the Nair woman becomes Mt once n
power in the coucils of the Nation: as n
matter of course, the higher her lovers
the higher her rank becomes and the
greater her influence. Here is female
suffrage in its primitive form, brought
'nbout. 1t is true, bv environment and
not by elective franchise. AS far MS the
chlldren are concerned, the power of the
mother is absolute for they know no
,athcr, the maternal uncle standing in
MS stead. Property. both personal and
real is vested in the woman: she is the
mistress and the ruler The mother
reigns and governs; she has her eldest
daughter for prime minister in the house
mold, through whom all orders are trans
mltted to her little world. Formerly. in
grand ceremonials, the reigning prince
nlmselt yielded precedence to his eldest
daughter, and, of course. recognized st;ll
more humbly the priority of his mother
ncforc whom he did not venture TO sou
n'msclf until she had given him pcrmis-
sion. such was the rule fror, thn rrIocc
70 inc humblcst dwelling of Nair.' Dur
ing the past 30 wears those people have
made rapid strides toward civilization
monandry and monogamv taking tbo
Mace Of polyandry and nolygamv, and IN
or lW' yc'rs hence this mntriorcboto
WI, IN all probability, entirely dis
appear. Wis
nave demonstrated. | think. Clearly
ana distinctly, that matriarchy. or fe-
marc government, is neither new nor
advanced thought, but that it is as old
Utmost, as the human race; that the new
woman was born many thousands of
years ago, and that her autotvno' in
some respects is to be found TODAY in
Mangalore. A return to matriorchy NJ
me present time would be distinctly
ind emphatically. and essentially retro
irade III every particular The right to
vote carries with it the right 10 Mold
Once, and. if women are granted Tho
privilege OF suffrage, they must be given
the right to govern. Now LET is 500 If
we can not find reason for this otovis-
'uc desire (matriarchy) in the physical
and psychical histories of lis forcmoSt
advocates. must
There are two kinds of genius. the
Irst is progressive genius. which always
'enunciates new and original matter of
material benefit to the human race and
which Is consequently healthy; the sec
ond is retrogressive genius, which ;s
initiative and which always enunciotes
dead and obsolete matter long since
abandoned and thrown aside rs heinz
utterly useless. The doctrines of com.
munism and nihilism are the products
OF retrogressive genius and are clearly
atayistic. inamsuch MS they are n rc-
version TO the mental habitudes of orr
savage ancestors. The doctrines of the
matriarchate are likewise degenerate
beliefs, and if held by any civilized being
of today, are in evidence of psychic ata
vism. Atavism invariably attacks the
weak: and individuals of neuras-
thenic type are more frequently its vic
tins than are any other class of people.
Especially is this true in the case of
those who suffer from psychical alta
vvism.
Il think that | am perfectly safe in
asserting that every woman who has
been at all prominent in advancing the
cause of equal rights in its entirety has
'either given evidences of masculo-femi-