The herald., 1895-04-07
Economic
Effects of Woman
Suffrage
~.
MARY ELMORE BENsEN

In the evolution of time and thought
woman has taken a marked advance in
all professions and trades. Wherever she
has persistenty knocked the doors have
slowly but surely dropped their bars and
low swing wide open TO receive her.
Colleges, universities and the higher edu'
cation find in her fitting compeer with
man, often taking precedence where he
has stood in conscious power alone.
Woman has given an impetus in the
social, ethical and economic conditions
of life that are felt in all departments.
Her influence has become recognized
power, momentum that is ushering in the
full tide of her enfranchisement. Ever
and anon some meteor from woman
sphere flashes across the orbit of man.
startling him with the possibilities lying
dormant within her heart and brain,
until man, SO long dominant, has awak-
ened to the realization of the power that
woman wields throughout the world not
only in the social but i'll the influence
she has brought to bear upon the poll
tical arena.
Today the only obstacle to her com plete
advancement is the Withholding of the
right of suffrage. But men and states
are advancing, as her demands become
more urgent and determined. Two of our
sister states have nobly recognized her as
co-equal with man. while the Legislature
of our own glorious California is seriously
considering her just and inalienable right
to stand beside man in all the affairs Of
life. She has been refused and denied the
right OF admission to citizenship as an
elector in some states, but the ebb tide
has set IN and no power can stay its on
ward course.
When liberty's bell shall ring out her
freedom, will woman be prepared to meet
the exigencies of the hour? To simply
hold the right of suffrage alone does not
imply freedom in its fullest bravest
ere she can reach the zenith of her power.
She must be not only politically, but So
cially, conjugaly and economically free.
But to gain these with the ballot IN
hand all else depends upon her economic
freedom. She may exercise the intent of
the ballot. but until she is placed on an
economic equality she will still be in the
labor market only as q bond slave.
1t is the wide difference in the wage
system that has kept woman in social
thraldom. True, in some of the pro-
fessions she claims the full title to her
birthright, but in the trades and those
distinctly OF her own vocation she is
ground down to pittances So low that
lie and honor are ever at stake; even as
teacher and educator the difference in
alary is marked. though her talent abil
ity and education must stand on a par
with man. With the incoming of her
political freedom, the study of the econo-
mic question, as with many others, will
be demanded of her to equalize the con-
ditions OF life. She must look well into
the cause OF the pl esent financial depress-
ion. the false system of legislation and
economies that has brought such wide
spread poverty on one hand and aggregate
wealth on the other the causes of the
money panics that every few years cripple
trade, ruins thousands and push to the
wall all smaller esta blishments to give
growth to gigantic monopolies.
These and other grave issues that con-
front the male voter must come up before
woman for solution. Will she be equal to
fall of our nations prosperity and free
dom? ! have faith to believe that
woman Will. WHOM dnty naIls erappIo
with these questions, abstruse as they
now seem. The spirit of investigation,
curiosity, as some term it, that seems to
preponderate in her nature, will set her
thinking, and though blinded for time
by the effugent rays flashing across her
political horizon. and Joining with those
whom she ignorantly believes in her dazed
condition will bring about all things for
good.
Ere long she Will take hold of these very
issues and by the force of her own nature,
by her natural powers of intuition her
higher perception of morals and deeper
sense of justice. she will take her place
beside those who are vainly striving to
save the nation from the grasp of the
money power. She will realize that eco
nomic freedom for her means economic
freedom for man, that together