The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-01
HERALD Calendar for March.
THE TROUBLE IN THE CONVENTION.


1t is said that woman is at the bot
-em of every serious trouble But what
world man be without her? He would
rather taEe the trouble with the wo-
ma than be delivered of it without
her. Woman of course is the source
Of the trouble in the convention which
has disturbed the public mind and
quickened the public pulse in this city
for several days past. It is all about
one of Woman's rights-the elective
francbise-about which there need not
have been any trouble at all.
The two political parties are virtu-
ally pledged to restore to the women
OF Utah the suffrage of which they
were summarily deprived in 1887. We
will not go into the reasons for that
congressional act. There is a differ
ence of opinion about it's necessity
and it's justice. But there can be no
truthful denial that the reasons al
legged for it do not now exist. and that
the passage of the enabling act was
Dre0icated upon the public and Official
recognition of the essential change.
That being so. there remains no sound
reason why that which was taken
from the women should not be return
ed, now that it has been restored to
the men who were also thus deprived.
While some of the people have been
carried away by the force of inpas-
sion6a oratory SO. that they applauded
sentiment and defamation, there are
but few if any whose convictions have
been changed in reference to the mer-
is of the question.
There has been nothing new brought
forward by way of argument against
woman suffrage. Although dressed
up with some new trimmings, the al
legged reasons advanced are the same
old platitudes a little the worse for
wear. They are as familiar to the
advocates of womans rights as are
the soughing of the wind and the pat
tering Of the rain.
There is perhaps no necessity to go
over the ground again. But one or
two points we would like to touch.
First the degradation Of woman as a
consequence of voting, and second the
family as the metric unit of the
state"
Is it a fact that politics il degrading
In its effects? Did the possession of
the ballot ever degrade it's possessor?
Is not the right to vote an element of
power and one of the highest privil-
eyes of free citizenship? Is it not the
sign of liberty and the seal of
equality? If it tends to elevate
and advance man why should it not
have the same effects on woman?
It is nor denied that women may
talk politics, read politics, have their
individual views and discussions upon
politics. But when IT comes TO simply
casting a ballot to indicate their choice
of a. public officer or their opinion on
a public question, all at once r will de-
grade theml Fudge! How much did
it degrade the women of Utah after
seventeen years of its exercise? Did
4hey not rather feel that they had been
degraded as citizens when they were
summarily deprived of that great po-
liticaI privilege?
Is the family the unit of the state?
What is meant by the metric unit
we do not know; perhaps the author of
the phrase didn't know himself. But
the unit of the state is the citizen.
Laws are made for the citizen. The
ballot is cast by the citizen. There is
no such thing in the political system of
this nation as a family vote. Every
citizen of the United States over p
wears Of age" etc, is the language of
the law Not every head OF a family.
The man votes as an Individual, each
of his sons when of proper age votes
FOR himself. Why not the daughters
also, who are equally citizens -as the
men?
AS to the liability of zyomen to be
swayed by other influences than polit-
zeal convictions, the same can be said
of millions of men. And all that can
be advanced against women voting can
be equally applied against a large por-
ton Of the men.
The debate that has been held over
this matter is we'll enough. Every man
on the floor of the convention has
equal rights with his fellows. No man
should be berated for the sincere ex-
preston OK his opinions. Those who
argue against their own convictions
are net worthy of respect. But every
man who advocates what he believes,
will gain TIE respect Of reasonable
people, even if they are not convinced
by mis- pIeadings.
The trouble in the convention, Chen,
so far as the women are concerned, /
will not be disastrous to any, one in
the long run who acts from correct
motives, and the suffrage will be
granted TO the fair sex, who will show
that they are entitled to that appella- |
ton by fairness in all their political
acts and the exercise of that freedom
which it will secure to them.