The record-union., 1896-09-13
EvERYBODY's COLUMN.


spondents on topics of interest to the
general public. The matter in these COM
munications will be understood to repre-
sent only the views of the writer's All
communications must be accompanied by
the name of the writer, not for publica-
ton unless so desired. but as guarantee
of good faith.-Eds-
Political Equality-Amendment Six.
Eds. Record Union: In the his
tory of California is about to ap-
proach a crisis. The voters, that
is, the qualified male citizens of this
State, are called upon to decide at the
coming election whether or not the wo-
men of California are to be openly
recognized as an equal half Of the hu-
man race in feelings, sentiments and
opinions, with an equal right and re-
sponsibility as to fgovernment. 1t
is important that this question should
be earnestly considered by every intelli-
gent man and woman in the State. By
every man, that he may not fail to help
with his vote this latest, great and in
evitable movement upward Of the hu-
man race. BY every woman, that her
long -talked-of potent "silent influence
may also be in the direction of. this
righteous evolution.
Amendment No. g. placed last upon
the ballot, simply omits the word male"
from the existing qualifications, which
now apply to men only, and, if carried,
will secure to all human beings, ire
spective of sex, the same rights and
privileges political.
A disfranchised class in a republic,
where the Government claims to be of
and by the people, is absolutely de-
barred from being considered as ra-
tional human beings. Their wishes and
opinions are ignored and set aside ex-
actly as are those of children and lu-
natics. It is impossible to escape the
obloquy and contempt attaching to such
a position. 1t may be an affectionate
contempt in some cases, out it is senti-
ment as applied to the mothers of the
race that the more thoughtful among
women are now seeking to reject and
repudiate.
Women don't know enough to VOTE"
is the common cry Of ignorant men and
small boys. IT thinks youse is mighty
smart ladies, but not quite smart enough
to vote Women could never vote;
they wouldn't know who to vote for,
cause women amt smart enough to
vote" Such are the veritable sayings
of young and ignorant scions Of mas
culinity, black and white. NO. don't
'bleeve in wimmin's voting, wimmin
don't know enough" quoth the black
coachman, himself SO unintelligent that
he actually voted or deposited his poll
tax receipt in place of a ballot. How
long are the men of America going to
remain content to have this slur and in
suit to the intelligence of womanhood
rest undisturbed and unprotected
against? For intelligence Except as
counting against woman) is not here
a test Of citizenship, and how pitiful,
indeed, must be her mental equipment,
who does not know enough" in a land
where the intelligence is not questioned
of voting men, and where the most
feeble-minded youth (outside an asy-
lum) and the most ignorant Of newly
naturalized foreigners, are proudly
hailed as units and as sovereigns.
The very native-born Chinese, to the
number of several thousand, are eligi-
BILE to the ballot, being granted polit-
ical rights that the ablest and most pub
lic-spirited women of the country, who
have been demanding them for years,
are still denied. Think Of granting the
right to help elect the public officials to
rule over us to Chinaman and refus-
ing it to a protesting woman, the patri-
otto granddaughter of that revolution
that made us a nation-perhaps the wife
and mother of pioneers, knowing how to
bear equally important burdens, but
refused honorable recognition as an
equal factor in human affairs!
Women underestimate the respect due
TO the dignity and value Of their posi-
ton as women, while they remain will
ing to forego the equal human right
to one ballot in the ballot box. Men
do not honor, but dishonor them, so long
as they do not consider their opinions
and votes, as women, worthy to be
counted with. or taken into account,
in public affairs, along with the opin-
ions Of all men, wise and foolish, noble
and ignoble
To deposit one vote in the ballot box
that constitutes the dearly cherished
human right to be self-governed A
right that our Declaration and Consti-
tuition declare to inhere in every human
being, and in which, as human beings,
women, thoughtful. patriotic and con-
scfentious as men, must claim TO share
If the complete and noble man is
evolved through the use of the facul-
him, then in no other way is the com
plete and noble woman to be evolved.
ITO leave her in that category of the
Eon-voters, educates every woman to
feel that there is something the mat
ter with her brain" To maintain he,
in a secondary, inferior and artificially
Sheltered" position tends to the wo-
mans degeneracy, and to that, through
her, of the race. There is no argument
for relegating women to permanent tu-
telage and guardianship that will not
apply equally to various classes of men
If it would be an unsound and abhorrent
principle to apply in the latter case.
then so is it as applied to women. Yet
look on complacently at the crying
injustice of a system that places the
bravest and wisest women in a legal
status below that of the lowest ignoble
peasant who walks out of court a nat
uralized citizen, and the guardian and
representative of women workers.
thinkers and patriots.
What would be tyranny for any class
Of persons remains tyranny for each
and every class of persons, including
women. Arguments to deprive women
OF freedom. equality, the right to be
recognized factors in life, to be self
governed simply deny the principles
of our Government, justify tyranny
and despotism and take away the only
title to his own ballot that any man
holds.
Let woman, indeed, hold to her own
work and function in life; let her home
remain her sphere" But let her be
self-governed therein. The plea for a
vote is in no wise a prayer for pub
licifY in Mace of dOmeSticitY Do we