The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-07
THE BURNING QUESTION.
VIEW OF AN OPTIMIST ON WOMAN
SUFFRAGE.
The Position of Mr.. Roberts and His
Associates-This Writer Claims
That Sentimcntality Is the Sole
Basis of Their Argument.

All who have heard Mr.. Roberts
whether they agree with him or not
must admit that he made a mastery plea
against woman suffrage. But are we not
at times carried away by eloquence which
can make even the wrong and weak
seem plausible?
Mr.. Roberts accuses the poet dele
gate of bringing poetry and sentiment
into a grave discussion. 1 contend that
the arguments of Mr.. Roberts. Judge
Goodwin and Mr.. Lund have ITO other
ground than that of sentimentality. when
they argue the question upon its merits.
The great cry is that domestic peace
will be disturbed and that the nature OF
woman will be changed.
The first charge is made by those men
who believe that they have the God
given right to De the masters of their
wives Women on the platform do not
appeal to them. Either, then, they have
not heard able women on the platform
or they do not want 10 hear such women.
For woman is the peer OF man IN oratory
and Mr.. Gladstone and Robert IEgersoll
admit that she is likely to surpass her
brother In this field. The fact IS that
many women are capable of differing N
opinion from their husbands, just as they
are capable of leading these same hus-
bands. No man can represent an lntelii-
gent woman at the polls. How could a
Republican represent a Democrat or vice
versa, and this condition exists in many
families where hamony prevails in spite
OF Inherent opinions. Must a quarrel en-
sue whenever husband and wife differ
on any point? Sucn a view is absurd.
Difference of opinion and argument vary
the monotony af domestic lie and keep
the wifes intellect from getting rusty. l
notice that the men are not so fond or
the society of these domestic wives Wnom
they claim TO admire so much. These
wives are left at home with babies. wash
ing and the rest of the details OF house
work to grow sadder and sillier, While
their fond husbands seek econgenial COM
partnership at tn club or III the Taioon:
IL would not hurt men II they relieved
their wives occasionally from the care OF
children, and allowed them to listen to
political speech. or even 10 make one
Any man who OBJECTS to his wife ming
ling with politics has faith neither III
his wife nor in politics.
The statement that politics will degrade
women should be resented by every pure
minded man and woman. This same cry
has been raised whenever Women nave
commended for their rights. They Rave
been sneered at and snubbed for attempt
ing to get an equal education with men.
What Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan
B. Anthony have endured only those
brave women know. Yet. have their strug
giles made them less Womanly? Is the
woman suffragist OF years standing the
Amazon that, she is paoined, masculine
in nature and appearance. or still more.
neither man nor woman, human nor
brute?' All those who have seen the
gentle Susan b. Anthony, the motherly
Mrs. Stanton, the charming Anna Shaw.
will answer with an emphatic NOR
Why, If men are such corrupting crea-
lures, women would do well not to asso-
ciate with them at all. Yet Mr.. Roberts
would have US believe that men and wo-
men are not natural enemeis / agree
with him. and add that their intercourse
breadens the woman and refines the man
in the field of politics as II does in the
home and in the school. Must women be
deferred from noble deeds for sfaer of in