The herald., 1896-09-20

which would give to women the same
rights of suffrage enjoyed at present py
men in this state IS to Re Nn T.sf I'll to
this department must not exceed S0O WORDS;
written legibly on one side OF paper oniy'
"A REPLY TO ABBOT KINNEY.
The article in a recent number of The
Herald by Mr.. Abbot Kinney OH .nie
subject presents unique argument 10
say the least. and the writer Is 10 De
congratulated by all. whether accepting
or rejecting his conclusions upon inc
main subject, for the concise and COM
prehensive manner in which he has
stated that phase of the evolutionary
philosophy relating to human develop
ment. even though we shall endeavor
to show that his conclusions arise from
not having followed this same evolu-
tionary teaching far enough to find that
while the law of growth in the depart
ment of organic evolution is one law, the
law of evolution in society Is quite an
other and an entirely different one;
that while in the former the Individual
life of the parts is more and more sub
merged in the corporate life OF the
whole, in society exactly the reverse is
more subordinated to individual lite.
The highest organic life is that IN which
the units have the least possible free-
dom. The highest social life is that IN
which the units have the greatest pos
sible freedom
Mr.. Kinney's entire argument rests
primarily upon an assumption totally
unwarranted by facts and utterly re-
pudiated by all advocates of woman
enfranchisement, viz: that polit!cai
functions in themselves necessitate the
abrogation of sex functions. Expert
ence has demonstrated what common
sense ought to have taken for granted
that the exercise of political r1ghts III
no way interferes with the distinctive
function of woman TWenty-seVen
years of woman suffrage IN wyoming
and many years of municipal or school
suffrage in over one-half OF the states
of our union, as we'll as the experience
In the greater part of the British en-
nire and in New Zealand (for in the
latter it has not been abandoned, Mr.
Kinney to the contrary notWithstand-
ing) has demonstrated one thing pc
yond successful notwithstanding tins
home life Is absolutely undisturped ant
unaffected, except as better laws pct
purer and happier
So far from this assumption being
warranted. the chief reasons which
move the advocates of this subject are
those which depend upon fuller ap
precia ton of woman's natural plac'
in the society as the mother OF the race
With this correction of his genera
position let us now consider the argu
ment from the standpoint of the three
heads into which he has divided it, re
ligious scientific and political. For the
contention relative to Utah and the IN
stitution of woman suffrage by tn
Mormon church we care very little-i
may have been used by that organiza
ton to uphold polygamy or 1t may no
have been. If it was, there must have
been virtues connected with its exercise
greatly superior to even this vice t.
have commended it to the Gentiles o
Utah, for we find now that Utah ad
mitted to statehood, has woman stuff
rage as part Of her organic law, PLACED
there by. the trainers of her constitu
ton, some of them Gentiles and som
mormons, and afterwards ratified b.
the necessary majority vote of tn
people.
eIiItancldisehiiesfit abauaaipg to have on
is charged with duties in the home an
especially to have children" How lon
Will 1T be necessary to reiterate that
cause led by such women as Elizabet
Cady Stanton and Julia Ward Howe
each the mother of large family o
brilliant and noble children is not
movement which seeks to emancipat
women from family life.
l will leave to others the specifi
question as to the Biblical support o
the suffrage movement especially a
one of our prominent local ministers ha
promised in the near future to deal witt
this phase of the subject publicly.
oil
important fact is. that the entire spiri
and influence of Christianity has beef
one of the most important factors il
SiVinS 70 men that reverence for the in
dividual soul from which has grown tn
woman movement as we'll as all othe
FORMS OF modern democracy. AS befor
stated, with much that Mr. Kinney ha
said along the scientific line of his argu
ment we do not care to take issue
Tor in the main it is accurate, and tn,
emphasis which he places upon the pres
erVatlon of the sex function is not to-
strohgly put. His error arises from tn
TACT That his scientific argument stop
with the teaching of biology and fail
10 Jake account of the teachings foupt
III the more modern science of sociology
ooclological students tell us,and ex
animation of the history of society con
firms this teaching, that the end toward
Whlcn evolution has been workint
|hC o6cS has IOL Deen merely
the making of a physical being, or tn,
family life, or the highly evolved ant
complete human society of today, al
though all these have been progressiy,
steps in the steady onward march of tn,
evolutionary forces. but all have bee,
making toward its final consummatior
In the full-grown stature of perfected
individual manhood and womanhood-
In other words, to realize the full DO
tentiality of human nature has been a mr.
is the end sought
10 this end all human experience If
every relation of life has contributed
and in its realization evehy human insti.
tuition of time past or time to come will
have it's influence.
The poet Browning sounded the kew.
note of the evolution of humanity in the
poem "Paracelsus" long before Mr.. Oar
win had thought of giving to the wort
ms origin OF species or Herbert Spencer
Ills work on sociology.
-, "Oh, long ago
me brow was twitched, the tremulous
T rt,er peaceful snsno, mouth daturbed; half
Rufhed the lip, and then the teeth were
Inc breath draws sharp the strong right
hand clenched stronger
mi, AS u would pluck a lion by the paw.
1he ,g'oIious creature laughed out even
But when full reused. each giant limb
awake. ~ ANIL
ing fast P"i'-
He shall start up and stand on his own