The Monitor-register., 1896-05-01
mo Less Unjust Than Unreason.
able"
BY EARNEST AVERY

81 AAhNhcI AVERY
Reason ridicules the absurdity. of refus.
Ing theb ballot to our sisters because of the
alleged corrupting influence of politics
having any power to corrupt. Politics
may be corrupted but they are not pri-
marily corrupt. Character is not the out.
come of politics hut politics are the public
voice OF character. Our actions do not
mako us, they are made by us. The
nature of any retroactive effect they may
have on our permanent character depends
not on their general but their individual
quality. Ii politics are corrupt it is
because corrupt men make them. A man
of principle will carry his honesty into
his political life. Trickery finds in politics
only It's opportunity not its cause. Al
though society may suffer more, the man
hsmseJ is no worse for the opportunity to
to do the wrong of which he is capable.
And II q young man lose s bis apparent
integrity when he enters a political career
it is because the weakness was in him,
weakness which would have developed in
any other walk of life. We are altogether
too fond of chance circumstances. Tho
u AtO AuhuuoL Uocks
Politics are under the control of corrupt
men because the virtuOus have abandoned
the field or are h~alf-hearted. It is the
cnlpable negligence of the right minded
that has given the important Cover ming
junction over into unciean hands. To
keep out of bad company is wrongly CON.
strued to mean to retreat before the world.
And because we have shirked our patent
political trust shall We be deaf to the
tramping and the rapping and petition Of
the coming woman? All the more we
should welcome the reinforcement and
carefully-not get in the way. As politics
are made by the participants they would
be purified rather than polluted by the
influx of this new stream.
The worst that can be said of partici.
patton in politics is that it would be an
additional temptation. And is temptation
an unequiv0cal misfortune? Will our
friends, the enemy, remember that to be
free moral agents we must have the choice
of good or evil, so that when we lay down
the burden of life we may be, not grown
up dolls but rounded men and women
prepared for a higher spherea
Can our sisters bear the added strain?
Who can doubt it? When the trying in
fuences of the long. sinful past has only
made the nineteenth century woman SO
much better, shall We let q remote p0ssi-
bility of 3 slight temporary DETECTION
waive the great probability of vast. needed
results? The objections on this score to
suffrage are but fears and theories,
and fears and theories are forever a bal
to progress.
And these fears aud theories are refuted
by facts and faith-the facts 10 Wyom-
past twenty-five years, in Colorado's
new regime, in Kansas nine years munic
ipal experiment, and In numerous school
SURFACES, and faith in the perfect safety
Of righteousness. For, after all is said, /
take my stand on the ground of the
of right. Although there are
cogent arguments I need nc other
than that Of Justice. Belief In an
.~verrulling wisdom assures us ths 10 the
'IRht Is no danger. Happily we q do
|ustiee and mo- feer the consequences
Happily, for u 9 far less difficult to see
I, Ia = rignt seAa p judge what would
Have women hs rixbt u votsq No oua
,en.es s; Then My refuse fhems Il Il
s. e p pxou.em els PedIency tsat psrplsxes.
g women mead TIE baliof2 sesrch H:
aulcsi an4 cfI1(insI records ~ vess
&tEf kFE1 !