Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-09-15
SUFFRAGE FOR NJ

SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN.
This movement of women's freedom
has been largely misunderstood and
misrepresented, al competition between
men and women. Such is nature. 1t
Is mere co operation in all things that
pertain to the highest interest of home
and country. By no means do women
want the supremacy. We have no SYM
patty with the thought that women
want TO be men, or do mems work, in
mems ways. 1t is true only in a physi-
cal sense-he is the stronger-for it
was said to him only, ITO earn bread
by the sweat of his brow.n Women
are equal mentally, and holds the sway
in moral culture, and for such reasons
need the broadcast culture and liberty.
To d%isfranchise her, is an xcuse for
every ignorant and foolish man to op.
pose her, as inferior and insignificant
pertaining to great things, placing her
in a scale lower than criminals and
paupers, for they stand a chance to be
restored to liberty. There has been a
picture drawn, by whom l know not,
which represents woman and her po-
litical peers" 1t is a striking and aw.
full picture. but it paints facts. In one
corner of the picture is an idiot, a male
idiot, of course, and in another q luna.
tic, in another a blanketed Indian, and
in the other the worst of criminals. In
the center Frances Willard, the beauti-
full character, which not only repre-
sents the w. @. T. u, but the woman
hood of all this land. Is that not an
argument to raise women from the
shameful category of the disfrachised?
There has never been an argument
against woman suffrage. There are ex-
pressions of prejudice, and h~eathenism,
the traces of ancient barbarism, still
lingering with ominous ~forbodings
over rights of Gods last and best cre-
alton. Such as then did make them
beasts of burden, etc. Less than a
hundred years ago in Massachusetts,,
girls we're not allowed to go to school.
One man who had five daughters,
wanted to give them a chance, but one
man in authority replied: use public
money for shesp Never
Both men and women should vote or
neither. The question is asked: "What
do women want to vote forp
Well, what do men want to vote for?
They both have identically the same
reason. Man need not give himself any
credit for being a man, it was not his
choice. Their interests are mutual. 1t
is true some women do not know much:
some men don't either. Men are not
wise enough, o generous enough to
make laws for women, since the laws
that men have made of all nations, de-
press woman. Some men say women
will loose popular estimation and
courtesy if they vote. Ballot %confers
power and power commands respect.
A gentleman is always courteous. and
from gentlemen women of no condi
ton have anything to fear. If il. is
womanly for Queen Vicoria to govern
England, it is surely womanly for us to
expect such dignity in the United
States, being united citizens Some
will say the polls are not decent for
wo nen. No place ia decent from which
women are excluded. why ''strain
at a gnat and swallow a camel?"
They meet together in private life
and in public; they crowd in churches
and court houses, theaters and in all
public places, and yet to go where men
meet would be a terrible thing. They
say again, women don't know enough;
what about the negroY 1t is an insult
TO our civilization to assert we have not
the intelligence TO do what we have
the right to do. The whole secret lies
in this: Were women to become citi.
zens men would have no further do.
minion over anything but dumb brutes,
and with them they could not find
such self qualification, as Shakespeare
has said, "Oh, thou monster ignorance,
how deformed thou dost look" And
to the sisters Of America, how unutter
able.