Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-11-21

OF the election IN Massachusetts
was the overwhelming defeat of
the movement to introduce
woman suffrage into municipal
politics. Comparatively few
women could be induced to reg
lister, and fewer to vote, on the
question whether or not all wo-
men should be permitted to vote
hereafter. The proposition was
farcial on the face of it; for any
body who does not wish to vote
can hardly be induced to go to
the polls and cast her ballot TO
that effect. Had the women done
so in any large numbers, the ad-
vocates of female suffrage might
point in triumph to that fact, no
matter how the vote stood, as
showing that the repugnance of
the sex being overcome on one
question could and should be
overcome on others. With fe-
minnie intuition, which is some>
times better than logic, the wo-
men who do not want the suf-
frage stayed at home and let
their sons, husbands, brothers
and fathers answer for them.
Probably a good deal of the
disgust towards voting expressed
by the representatives of modest
womanhood at the polls resulted
from the tacit alliance between
the suffragists and the proscrip-
tive A. P. A. society.
Because woman in her private
life is better than man, (which
nobody can deny" it does not
follow that she is a better or
wiser counsellor in affairs Of
State. On the contrary, she is
worse. Men are accustomed to
giving and taking Lard knocks
in political or military warfare,
and knowing what war is, they
are prone to forgive and forget
the past when the fray is over;
bat non-combatants are proverb-
tally implacable,
If woman should ever really
want and demand the ballot, be
sur she will get it, as she gets
easily everything that she wants;
but having already the empire Of
the world, by grace of her beauty,
virtue and gentleness, she would
be extremely foolish to give up
the substance for the shadow
and, stepping down to the leyel
of man, accept the hardships and
responsibilities which he endures
none too patiently, and which he
would be tempted to share with
grim equality, like the Brute
that he is, when emancipated
from the restraints Of civilization
and the laws Of courtesy.
Chivalry, which is the key
stone of the social fabric, was
not established by a popular
vote. The knights who went
forth to redress wrongs, and, in
particular the wrongs of woman.
were first trained carefully in
the use of arms. It is a pity
that it should be so, bat the fact
remains to-day as it was a thou
sand years ago, that force, the
weapon of wrong, must be met
with force, the shield of weak
ness. Else why our mighty ma
vies and murderous modern
guns? It is easy to point to ar
bltration, as a happy instrument
for averting more than one
trouble between this and other
countries; but the significant
truth is that arbitration is the
resource of powerful nations
only. England does not arbi-
trate with Mashonaland, nor
Spain with Cuba, nor our own
enlightened country with Sitting
Bull. A hundred petitions each
signed by a million women,
would not be hundredth part as
potent to avert the invasion of
Venezuela as the message of
Monroe backed by the presence
Of half a dozen American battle
ships and armored cruisers of
the mouth Of the Orinoco.
When the Millennium comes
and the war-drums throb no
no longer, it will be time enough
to turn the affairs of the nations
oyer to the control of the weaker
sex, which. if it's wisdom were
equal toj it's goodness, would
have long ago swayed directly
the destinies of the world. Until
that time comes, we shall have
to trust to force and to those who
can WELD it. for the attainment
of justice; and when it comes,
there will be no further need of
politics, or caucusses. or ballots.
not even to give as playthings to
our children. Meanwhile, the
ballot is as the bow of Ulysses.
useful only to him who can bend
it-and even he, alas! does not
always use it wisely, as the re-
cent defeats to Democracy fully
nr0vyo