The San Francisco call., 1896-04-17
According to the Rabbi the
Family Is the Unit of
Society.
MISS ANTHONY THE REFEREE
The Veteran Suffragist Predicts the
Speedy Advent of New Era
for Women.
"oueht women TO vote ?"

people ANXIOUS 10 near the latest answer
to this much vexed question. Nor did the
fairer portion of humanity preponderate.
The tyrant, man, was there in force, to
hear himself berated or defended, as the
case might be. The affair was In the ma
ture of an informal discussion between
Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper and the Rev. DR..
Voorsanger, Miss Susan B. Anthony act
ing as referee.
At 8 o'clock DR.. Voorsanger, in faultless
evening costume, escorted to the seat of
honor on the stage Miss Anthony, who
looked picture of graceful old age, her
clear cut, classic features wreathed in sill
very locks arranged in the fashion of
half ce injury ago, and her spare, erect
figure clad in plain but elegant costume
of black brocade. Mrs. Cooper, in black
nuns yelling, with q corsage bouquet of
tea roses, took seat next her rabblnical
antagonist, and Mrs. Ada Van Pelt, Nine.
Louise Sorbier, Mrs a. A. Sargent and
other well-known lady suffragists occupied
chairs at either side of the stage.
"Why do l believe in woman suffrage?"
commenced Mrs. Cooper. 81 answer that
woman has tn obey the law, has to pay
taxes and is amenable to all the vicissi-
Iudes to which men are subject. Hence l
believe woman should have right to say
something as to the administration and
enactment of the laws. And, besides, it
seems more in accord with our grand
American ideal that all the rational beings
who have to submit to the authority of the
government should have some voice in
the government.
1--WE are told that women do not wish to
vote. So also were we told that the ne
groes did not wish to be freed. Yet when
they were liberated none of them elected
to remain in slavery. When they were
freed they voted. Why should we con-
slider the wife, the mother or the sister
less worthy to approach the polls than the
negro?
AZ know that st. Paul-the dear, stern
browed old bachelor-says that woman
should keep silent in church and in public
assemblies. But what would he think of
the Jewels and the graceful, elegant
clothes worn by the ladies of to-day :?
The truth is that he wrote for the pagan
women of old, whose morals were at low
ebb. Hence, the great apostle wished his
converts of the fairer sex to be distin-
guished by their modesty in dress and de-
meanor.
Napoleon 1 once asked Nine. de Stael
why women persisted in meddling with
politics. Sire, she answered, IF you me N
will persist IN hanging US, we ought at
least to have the right to ask the reason
why Taxation without representation is
tyranny. Yet women are taxed in this
free country without anything in the
shape of representation.
"Does this seem right and Just? To be
sure we are told that women are better
than men because they have been kept
from politics. Well, if this be true, then
why can we not disfranchise the men and
see whether that step will make them any
better than they are.
'As at present situated woman labors
under many unjust determinations. Now,
if mother dies, there is no confusion in the
family-a new wife comes, new children
are born, and nothing is upset But let
the father die, then the inheritance is
divided among widow and children, and
in many cases we find children complain
ing that they have to support their mother
out of the property which she helped to
accumulate. Is this iust2
~ am a convert to the doctrine of
woman suffrage. Some years ago I even
wrote against it, but of late years I have
come to regard the matter from differ
ent standpoin A day is coming when
those whom God hath Joined shall not be
put asunder. Man and woman shall enioy
an equal independence, bear an equal por.
tion of life's burdens and recognize obli-
cations which are reciprocal The day is
coming, and we may live to see it."
burst OF applause greeted Mrs. Cooper
as she took her seat, number of hand
some floral tributes being handed to her
over the footlights.
DR.. Voorsanger in his reply said:
1--WE he ar that women are equal to m en-.
There is very little to say in answer to this
since it is true. There are in fact too
many men who ought to be kept out OF
politics and obliged to stay at home.
Who could look for more disgusting
state of things than that which surrounds
the oaIlot-box at the present day? This
condition it is that keeps so many good
men opposed to women voting. The at
mosphera of ignorance and corruption
which pervaGes the polls is unfit for good
woman to breathe.
Zone thing l must, however, say: If
woman goes out into the devious ways of
government the home becomes imperled.
We know what took place in ancient Rome
when women, who should be mentioned
only in terms OF pity, were at the bead of
politics and letters. A woman who be-
comes wife and q mother gives to the
state certain security that she will aid in
the formation Of good and worthy citi-
zens. The question of woman suffrage
would never have arisen had not. men
forced woman TO cry out for justice. The
ancient Jewish law gave to a woman hav-
ing no male representative civic equality
with men. But this applied 10 single
women The wife and mother and daugh-
ter need not vote, since they have hus-
band, son, brother or father to plead their
cause and represent them at the polls.
The unit in the sum of the state IS NOT
man or woman. but the family, of which
the husband and father is the accredited
representative.
81 believe the giving of the ballot to