The times., 1897-06-20

A woman OF thought, experience and
scholarship has dared deny the cardinal
virtues and the inherent universal integ-
rity of womaa's suffrage, and she dares
put her name, her whole name, 10 the pages
of denial This one characteristic would
make any book unique Add 10 it the fact
that ellen Kendrick Johnso1inher" Woman
and the Republic mas written dIsserta-
tion full OF the social, political and moral
scholarship, flanked on all sides by genuine
Common sense, and the logic of evidence,
andit may we'll be assumed that the book
is worth while.
So long have Susan b. Anthony and
Elizabeth Cady Stanton been sounding the
tocsin OF female suffrage without reply,
except an uncomfortable silence, which
suggested contempt, that they may well
gather their skirts and fly before the apos-
tscy of Mrs. johnson. Such a book as
woman and the Republic might well
have alarmed the suffragists had it come
from a honid man, for horrid men have
given the deaf ear and mute tongue TO the
claimants OF the new creed OF equal suf
frage But it is written by a wonan
What Will those unfortunate creatures
whom Providence placed III petticoats do
now? What has become OF loyalty TO sex?
The new book is really valuable docu-
ment. Calling attention 10 growth OF re-
ligious liberty, enlargement OF home and
foreign ulissions the temperance move
ment; the giant war waged for principle
during the past fifty years, it puts the fifty
years of the struggle for womans sHf-
fragei In judgnentfor its share in the evoIu
ticfl- itc affaet ,,non tho ravnlutinr
She argues her case step by step, in
welI-conadered chapters on the woman
suffrage movements relation TO and ef-
feet upon the repuhlic, philanthropy, the
laws, the trades, the professions, educa-
ton, the church, sex and the home. And
she makes out tad case for The principl
of the would-be voters. She points out
very clearly that there may he movement
without progress that movement which is
not progressive is re;rogressIve; that the
absoluteness OF the dividing line between
wonan's progress and wonan's suffrage
is appreciated in the consideration of the
result, should we know tomorrow, beyond
a peradventure, that woman never would
vote in the United States. Not one OF
her charities, great or small, would be
crippled. Not woInan's college would
II
withhold its diploma from her, not a trade
its recompense. Not a single just law
would ee repealed; not a bad one framed
as consequence Not a good book would
he forfeited. Not a family would be
less secure of domestic happiness. Not a
single hope would dIe W inch points TO a
time when our cities VIII all be like those
OF the prophets vision: First pure, tlien
peaceahle.''
Yet she believes woman's relation To
the Republic is as importa ant as mans
Woman deals with the beginnings Of life;
man with the product made from those
heginni gs; and this fact marks the
difference OF their spheres, and reveals
woman's immense advantage in moral
opportunity. 1t also suggests the
incalculable loss in case her work
is not done or is i'll done Wo-
man has-the balance of power in influence
Unless her ideals are worthy and truth
ful, unless she gives the republic sons OF
prohi5y and daughters of virtue there would
soon he nc republic, for men, or men ma
women, to govern or defend Man is what
wonaa's influence makes him Woman s
position is to implant the faith I'm the
heart aud mind OF youth, mans portion
is TO cause the nations faith to show
Itself in works. More and more these
duties overlap, hut they cannot become
interchangeable while sex continues TO
divide the race into two halves of what
would hecome perfect whole. Woman's
suffrage aims to sweep away this natural
distinction, and make humanity a mass
ofindividuals with ar indiscriminate sphere
New York: d. Appleton & Co Washing
ton BrentanoD