The San Francisco call., 1896-06-07

band, whose only object in life was to sur
round her with luxury and spend every
spare moment at her side.
These fortunate women are implored
not to exchange their throne Tor the oaiiot-
box. not to take the awful step which
leads from the parlor to the polls. am
reminded of discussion l once had with
q man on this subject, which he ended by
declaring, sNever shall my wife undertake
the rough work of politics; her place is in
her boudoir." I happened to be driving
mast their house few days later but his
wife was not in her boudoir, she was outin
the back yard splitting kindling wood.
There are two sides to this question; one
is set forth in the sentimental editorials
and interviews as above quoted, the other
NAV be found in the telegraph and news
columns of the papers. Life is not all
beer and skittles' for women. Nobody
knows this better than men, and yet In
opposing the granting of further privileges
to women thev always argue from the
stand point of that woman who has a COM
Portable home, devoted husband ana
family OF young children. -.
They take no account OF the millions OF
women who have no home except such as
they make for themselves, who have no
protector, and only the bread they earn by
the sweet of their brow. They do not con-
slider those women who have never mar
ried, or those who have been widowed, or
those who are neglected, abused or for
saken by their husbands. MAN to man
so oft unjust, is always SO 10 woman"
sang-not woman but a man poet, and
not in any one point is he so conspicu-
ously unjust as in his treatment OF this
question of women's enfranchisement. l
do not believe in bringing personal mat
ters into discussion OF this kind, but for
my own satisfaction again and again. l
have investigated the character OF the
men who talked the loudest and longest in
opposition. Almost without exception l
have found that the men who prate of the
holy duties of maternity, the obligations
of women to be mothers, ETC., are bache-
lors living around in clubs and hotels.
The men who declaim about the sacred
ness of the tireside, the holy functions of
wifehoud, ETC., etc., are the ones who ha-
bitually neglect their homes and do the
least to make 1t place so desirable that q
woman would never wish to leave 1t.
Those men who are continually laying
down the rules as 10 what woman must
do and be if she wants them to love her
are usually the men whose love would be
declined with thanks ii it were offered.
There are exceptions to these rules but
II any one doubts their general application
let him make the experiment. You do
not find big-hearted, broad-souled, just
and lovable men making these petty,
prejudiced and unmanly objections. Is
there no way by which men can be made
to see the impertinence OF such express
sionsP The very fact that women submit
to these things without protest or re-
sentiment shows the effect of years of de-
pendence and subordination.
II man believe that under the consti-
tuition woman is not entitled to the privi-
lege OF the franchise he has an unques-
toned right to say so, or if he thinks it
would not he for the good OF the common
wealth, or if he has any legitimate objec-
tion. But challenge the right of men to
define by fixed boundaries the sphere OF a
woman's activities; to limit her privileges
except as they are defined by statute; TO
say whether she shall or shall not marry !;
to instruct her in her duties as wife and
mother.
The true woman has a knowledge of
these duties far beyond what it is possible
for any man to conceive. The instincts of
nature are her guide. They are as old as
the race; they will endure as long as the
race. Increased freedom. larger oppcrtu-
mites tend to make her nobler, stronger,
more canable woman and. by so much, the
better fitted for wife and mother. Let
men devote their gigantic intellects for a
time to the training of fathers. and give
the mothers rest. IDA A. HARPER,
Chairman State Press Committee.
Thomas Slater has a message for every man on