Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-01-08
Woman Suffrage.
BY DOROTHY DoLITTLE


The Silver club discussed the woman suf-
frage question last Monday night, and had an
interesting time Geo. f. Glass read the fol-
lowing paper, which we publish by request of
the club
After the almost passionate interest manifest
ed in this subject by some of its advocates, the
public will expect from us some weighty, if not
convincing, arguments in its favor.
Failure on our part will indicate one of three
conclusions Either that the question is not
entitled to the merit that is claimed for it, or
that it's adherents are not sincere in their out
bursts of enthusiasm, or that they are unequal
to the task of advocating and defending it.
If failure there be, it will come from inability,
for the question certainly has the merit, and its
supporters are actuated by the profoundest sim
cerity
Taking casual glance at this question, one
would likely characterize it as an extremely
delicate and intensely interesting one. Further
more, the supposition is that, with long ac-
quaintance, neither characteristic would lose
any of its lustre.
Interesting: Every word uttered in rebuke
of this crying injustice of our time is as it
were, light in the darkness, every sentence
sensational disclosure.
Delicate In several respects. In few, 1t
is the reverse The accession would be strong
in numbers. In some Eastern states, 1t is
said the female population exceeds the male,
and, alphabetically speaking, if the women
would all turn out and the stay-at-home vote OF
man remain as it sometimes is, they would out
number us at the polls two to one.
The accession would be strong in moral tone.
Women would be the conservators of public
morals. This is evident when we observe the
composition of congregation at church.
There is the preacher, deacon or two, per-
haps stranger, and few pesky boys. The
rank and file of the congregation is made up by
the sisters.
1t is delicate in a political view. The slave
has no legal power to free himself Woman
has no mandatory process whereby to present
her claims. Her strongest weapons would like
ly lie in the line of pathetic appeals but, liy-
ing in our modern atmosphere, she will more
likely demand justice of her oppressors, Or in
vite them to get off the earth.
1t is delicate in a domestic point Of view.
We men might complacently tell foreigner or
stranger that we have always been doing our
own voting and ofice-holding and the plan has
worked very well so far, but when it is our own
mothers, wives, sisters and daughters who are
TO be kept in the rear the case puts OH differ
ent phase.
Another point of decaey is the physical one.
Right here lies the main reason why this has
been allowed to remain an open question tor The
last six thousand years. If woman had had
the physical strength Of man, Adam might pos
sibly have hoodooed Eve into believing that lie
was entitled to do all the voting and hold all
the Offices for the first three months, and When
the April elections came round, if he had in
sisted on the precedent, few days after you
might have seen man going round with a pair
of black eyes and a distorted nose, while the
question of "equal rights to all and special priv
ieges to none" would have been settled SO far
sex was concerned, for al time to come.
In the further consideration q this subject
can we find any other excuse or explanation for
this wanton abuse, or rather monopolization OF
power?
There are few circumstances that would
seem to have placed map at the head of the
counsel in former times. Among these might
be mentioned, emigration, navigation, ami war.
The practical details of these nearly all devove
upon men, and they formed large part of their
duties in former times But when the cowboy
encircled the ranges of Montana, Colorago,
Utah and Arizona, the last vestige Of the