El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-05-10

Lee Moque, q Washington physician.
Her position ia certainly q strong one,
and SO far as logical argument goes and
statement of fact, no one can question
her conclusions. On this matter We
hesitate to commit ourselves. We
prefer to let our readers judge for
themselves whether DR.. Moque or the
leading spirit of the Sea Cliff "Good Of
the Village Auxiliary is on the true
highway to the shrine Of the Ideal
Woman; or, to 60 still further, whett er
either one is right.
The following is the physicians
plea:
What will we do, we who are denied
citizenship? What of US who, by &C
cident of birth, are doomed to be
known as merely the protected, not
the protectors, of our nations honor?
What of us who are denied the JOY OF
action, the fame of herOism, the thrill
of martial enthusiasm, the glory OF
victorious valor, the fame OF the bloody
battlefield, the honored scar of con-
fiict, the sacred bed Of the nations
sleeping martyrs?
il it not time for America to wake
to the voice of her daughters, to heed
their cry for citizenship and to accept
their loyal service? .'Tempora mu-
tautur. nos ct mutamur In illis!"
1t is idle to claim that all women are
weak; that all women must be protect
ed: that all women need to be shield
ed or that all women are physically
inferior as q class, as it Is untrue that
all men are strong, all protectors, or
all physically whole. 1t is beyond Ca
kat Nhn,,oan6o NJ m
who, by drink, are totally unified for
active service: 1t Is also true that
other Thousands are of delicate con-
stltution, predisposing them t0.disease,
and whose enlistment means 1t most
but q few months of usefulness, and
still other thousands who buy substi-
tutes or who find their way to the hos
pital mot because of any shot or shell,
but by fatigue, disease and exPosure);;
body, of clear eye and unclouded
brain, il she be Q female, must stand
aside, while her weaker brothers are
chosen for work they are incapable of
performing, simply because of the sex
bias, born of ignorance, welded to con-
servatism, which refuses to accept the
changes In the status of women
wrought by time and altered condi-
tions.
There are women as hale and
hearty, as brave and fearless, as dar-
ing and patriotic, as strong and endur-
ing, a. any male who ever marched in
trousers to the sound of martial mu-
sic.
Physical fitness, not sex, IL the vital
requirement.; physical fitness 10 the
only just criterion by which 10 measure
Q sOidier's prowess, and physical fit
ness is the claim of those patriots who
demand the right denied them In 1893,
the right of every citizen OF adult age
the right Of bearing arms in uphold
ing the dignity and honor Of the re-
eyes of the woman patriot, but denied
her, to be given to the uncouth, un-
educated, brawling alien, whose
foreign ideas as we'll as foreign lam
guage and ignorant prejudice rhwart
the will of the native-bOrn, disfranchis-
ed citizen!
Let America be the first to proclaim
liberty to all the world, and liberty
without sex or favor. Leu it be no
with fear and trembling into action,
while the sturdy soul ana body of the
female patriot are chained to in
activity, to be consumed by the un-
quenchable fires of amor patrias!
No one can help the mistakes of Da-
ture. No one can alter the color of the
eyes or the spOn tAneOus enthusiasm OF
toe soul. No one can be blamed that
the chicken-heart has been given to
some brother or that the martial spirit
is within the breast of a sister, bus we
can all help denying to each soul it's
inalienable right to think and act for
itself untrammeled by obsolete dog
mas which should have no longer place
In our land ana day.
In the sig ht of the Nations dome, in
the light of liberty, in the land OF law
and equity, let the wrong be made
right; let the old give way to the new;
let the msnumissiOn Of women be &C
complisned by the emancipation pro-
clamation which shall sdeclare 70 the
world Americas pride in all her
children, and her edict that citizen
ship, with every right, privilege and
obligation, shall be given TO every ma
tive-born adult, without regard to sex,
dress or previous condition Of servi-
tuoe. Fiat Justitia!