The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-20
now Will REspoNsrBuITY Az.
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Mr. Lecky, In his valuable work on
"Democracy and Liberty" finds one
source VI danger IN tie the increasine
influence ~ women In politics liz
thinks their tendency, IN trying to re.
form the world would be To ovrr~lcgis.
lation, They have thrown themselves
for instance, into the question OF tenn.
perancc In such u way as 20 consider.
ably alter It's prospects" And the same
is true ot Vivisectlon. which they are
disposed not only 20 guard but to ahol-
ish, thus booming thousands VI human
beings TO an untold amount of pre-
veutiblc sufterng "rhcrc have been"
he says, ages IN which nsensihlllty to
suffering was the prevailing vice ~
public opinion; In our own. perhaps,
more Is TO b. feared from Wild gusts
OF unrcasoning, uncalculatlug, hyster-
ical emotion"
l think that common fairness compels
US to acknowledge the at least partial
truth Of these opinions, Because women
are by nature more compassionate; be-
cause. in their domestic lives, they see
81 distinctly the immediate results of
intemperance, OF immortality, OF cruel
", they are moro likely To be tempted
(until they learn it's futllity) TO over
legislation and ovcr.coercion, TO sweep
the whole world clean ~ sin and error
by one grand whisk of the broom OF
the law, when Il comes TO the wild
gusts OF emotion" however, | doubt II
we could much cNaggerate the methods
OF our brothers, Their little ways at
nominating conventions. for instance,
where the correct thing is for the del
egates 10 climb on chairs and tables,
to screech, to howl. to roar to break
into sobs. to embrace each other, etc.
by way OF expressing their political
opinions-and not about any question
which could be called ethical, either.
our doings could scarcely be called
more hystericM than those In the bed
lam OF any city bourse. and we should
find It hard TO be more uncalculatlng
than was our congress short time
ago on receiving the message OF the
president concerning Venezuela, when
without pausing to consider conse-
auences, without stopping to compare
the unimportance OF the issue with
the awful results OF possible war,
they set to work on their resolutions
Of approval. which were to give the
cue to nation. with the glee Of par
Gel Of children starting a fire.
The fact Is, We would do better TO
say that unreasonlngness is the ten
iency OF the human race, and then we
can AFFORD to admit that the feminine
half, from the difference OF the condl-
lions in which II has been reared. and
from that absence OF responsibility
which always makes people more reck- |
ess in the expression OF opinions have !
been thus far even more disposed than |
men TO speak without consideration. |
Make every woman responsible. let her
-ealiEe that when she says man ought |
% be hung she Is helping TO hang him.
md that when she advocates war she |
5 helping to send the men TO the field. |
md after the first wantonness Of pow
sr. especially the supposed power to
egislate sin and suffering out OF the |
world. her sense OF accountability will |
steady her. And then II will surely |
rot be amiss that she will bring the hui
view Of a political question |
more frequently 10 the front