The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-05-17

county, state and national conventions.
No honor Is due to the recent Republic
can convention. but the force of circum-
stance. the evolution in public opinion
carried it by the mere force and trend
of the times, and no doubt as bait to
catch the women that would vote the
ticket straight at their first election pri-
vilege. l presume such women are not
aware that for quarter of a century
our pioneers have petitioned that same
Republican party to amend the fifteenth
amendment of the national constitution
giving woman the same political rights
granted the colored male voters, or that
at certain national convention OF that
grand CD old arty"several years ago,
when that same petition presented Its
| usual face. 1t was unceremoniously ia
| bled, and in due course of time found
| its way under the table, and at the pres
ent time is an honored memento Of that
| convention, covered with tobacco juice.
| Be wise in time, my sisters and render
"honor to whom honor is due"
While not Democrat, / respect the
| Democrats in that when that petition
was presented for endorsement at their
| convention, not favOring the move
ment, they refused to give 1T recogni-
| ton at their national convention. They
| did not stoop to entertain the petition
and then submit it to the indignity re-
ceived at the hands of the Republicans
| in that same presidential campaign, nor
|
time to catch the unwary. Give me
| man or party who holds to the princi"
| pies of his convictions, If he be honest
in them. until he is truly converted by
the evolution of public opinion. no mat
| ter what may be the cause under con-
, sideration.
If the amendment carries 1t will not
| be because the Republicans advocated
it, but because the true men of every
party recognized the justice Of woman's
demands and are proud to have her take
her rightful place in all the affairs Of
life.
When a man or woman admits that
they favor woman's advancement, are
willing they should enter any and every
line of business fill any profession and
trade for which they are best adapted,
yet in the next breath declare they are
opposed to her entering the political
arena that the associations in the field
of politics are very communicating, they
are weak In their logic. Woman can
not reach the summit of advanced
thought while held in political bondage,
for she will still be held in economic
and social thralldom; her enfranchise-
ment is the entering wedge to the full
expansion of her talents, her gifts.
adaptability. and the worlds ultimate
freedom. Nor will the mere exercise Of
the franchise rob her of her innate re-
finement, her purity of thought and life,
or loftiness of purpose; these will only
be enhanced, emitting their subtle fra
| GRANGE. 1t IS the lifelong intercourse
in the home with the vicious, corrupt
man that communicates. A quiet walk
to the polls, political chat with some
friend on the way, five or ten minutes
alone in the booth q moment to deposit
the ballot, and a brisk walk home could
not by any stretch of the imagination
corrupt a good woman any more than
it could good man. Above all. 1t is
the one thing that will settle the social
| evil. Woman, once her economic free
dom Is assured, opportunities opening
on every hand to earn her own living,
able to secure a competency for her
/ self, will rise supreme in her woman
anhood no longer will she be the tool
and plaything Of the depraved moral
| 1epers of society, to be cast aside at any
moment; no longer will she sell herself
body and soul, for bread: she will ava
ken to the full consciousness that she
is the equal of man in all things, and
| able to do battle for herself. for she has
taken a new and frmer hold on life
The issue before the voters of this
state at the ballot box will not be on
party lines, but they must ask them
selves, Is it right? Is it in the interest
of justice? And let their manhood and
honor answer 1t is all well and right
that each party give it a place in their
platform. but not that honor was due
them when it was expediency that car
and we will give it grandly when the
men of the state have voted the grand
majority MAY ELMORE BENSEN.
Woman Suffrage Advances
Editor Herald: After nearly half CEN
tury of agitation on the woman's sur
frage question in this United States, 1t
has become of sufficient Importance to
attract the attention of the whole :coun-
try when ever any of the states are
ready to submit to the decision OF the
voters whether one-half of the people
shall enjoy the rights. duties and priv
ileges of citizenship or remain politically
dependent and disfranchised. The IN
| telligence, patriotism and sense OF what
is right and just will be put to severe
test this year in the state of California.
The test will be equally applied to both
sexes. Prejudice and ignorance, so long
rooted in the minds of both sexes, on
one hand and political corruption and
dogmatic ecclesiasticism on the other
! will be the most formidable obstacles
that will have to be surmounted in the
| struggle for truer and broader free
dom. The Los Angeles Record Is doing
| good work in publishing the different
views from different people on the sub
! ject. In Mondays ISSUE May IL there are
fourteen clergymen who express their
ideas, thirteen of which one can easily
, detect have given the matter more or
less consideration, but the fourteenth.
4 the reverend Lutheran minister's dog
matte attitude, leaves no room for doubt
that in his high wisdom he considers the
question of the political emancipation of
one-half of the people as beneath his
notice. By the tone of his expressions
one can almost fancy to see the set teeth
| and clenched fists of the intolerant dog
matist of old. Hear him: II am firmly OPP
| posed. to woman suffrage. Woman's
sphere is at home. She has too many
sacred duties to NEEDLE in politics. From
the Biblical standpoint 1 consider it
| wrong. 1t is contrary to the teachings
of the scriptures. The true emancipation
| of woman does not consist in making her
equal in all respects to man. The gov
eminent of the state and of the church
rests in the head of the family, and the
head of the family by Gods own insti-
tuition is man." Now l will assert what
may seem to the clerical opponent
blasphemy, and that is that if the kind
/ and loving Nazarene were in California
he would stand on the side of right and
| justice. and would be woman's most
willing champion. He showed in many
| instances that he was true woman's
| friend, and took her part against the
! aggressions of the would-be followers
! of his time. The would be followers of
modern times would hear again the much
meaning rebuke of leave her alone"
The self-asserting quality Of the rever-
! end gentleman would have forbidden
him to speak to the woman of Samaria,
nj nay % t1,e. 49,