The sun., 1898-02-19
TRIUMPHANT WOMANHOOD.
Washington.

TRIUMPHANT WOMANHOOD.
Mrs. Russell Sage Sees Equal Suffrage In
the Near Future.
copyright, 1885, by the Author.l
The movement toward woman suf.
frage which SO agitated the country
four years ago is supposed to be dead.
have been asked to give my opinion in
regard to the truth Of this supposition.
I answer frankly and to the best of my
knowledge, no. l have just sent to the
New York legislature letter standing
by my opinion expressed in the petition
of 1894 for suffrage for women.
The very silence in which the ques-
ton now lies is portentous. Thousands
who frowned Cn Susan B. Anthony are
now working for tho franchise Schools
to teach women politics are quietly
forming all over the country. Hundreds
OF petitions TO strike out the word
"male' from tho constitution are all
the time being prepared to present to
i the constitutional convention of 1914.
AS amendments to the New York con
stitution can Ee made only once in 20
years all are locking forward to the
great campaign OF 1914.
| believe III using any Instrument that
benefits mankind. Suffrage is one Of
these instruments. In woman S hand
the ballot will be tOul which she will
use for the good Of her nation.
Woman is no longer part Of man $
goods and chattels. a wife owns prop
erty III her own nanlc, can buy and sell
real estate as she pleases, knows her
own mind and asserts her own will. A
few years ago when woman suffrage
formed the most popular topic in the
daily press, tic pulpit and the house
hold women in various cities-the very
women who own property and who,
therefore, ought to wish to be recognized
as citizens and nave their voice in the
making of the laws of the land which
taxes thenl-opposed the movement
Luckily they are i'll the minority. Once
we went to war because of taxation
without representation. Are not women
who own property subjects of taxation
without the corresponding representa-.
ton? In New York state alone women
own $1,000, OOO, 900 worth of taxable
real estate.
With women as lawyers, doctors and
even as clergynlcn, with women mer-
chants and women manufacturers and
women marching steadily upward in
the arts and sciences, it does not seem
strange that women should now take up
politics.
In fact, with limited opportuni-
ties American women have shown
such skill in political diplomacy that |
draw the justitiable inference that be-
fore long they will have "a powerful in-
tuence in state and national affairs.
The present silence into which this
great subject has fallen is simply the
necessary period of preparation Just as
the greatest silence precedes storm
and the most Ominous Stiffness forms
the prelude Of u great battle, this pres
ent silence is the calm term of thought
which always precedes action.
When women vote, we shall have
wiser government and cleaner politics.
When men and women labor together.
there is compactness, a completeness,
y thoroughness often wanting when the
sexes work separately.
II men have experience, women have
insight. Men Use logic and reason,
women instinct and intuition. If men
ire hasty, cruel. brutal, women are
diplomatic, merciful, refined Combine
hese qualities, and you have a unit
hat approaches perfection.
II the movement effects any reform,
t will be the reclaiming Of national
buildings and thoroughfares from their
masculine uncleanliness anticipate a
lational house cleaning such as this
ountry has never beheld, and the
leaners, q vast army, fully armed with
nops, brooms and buckets, will be
made up not Of men, but of women.
Why not? In private homes the house.
eeper is woman, why should not the
ousekeeper in our national home be
lso woman?
Woman suffrage would first reform
'omen. The reformation would be in
onverting women from condition of
pathy and indifference to her absurd
to state Of lively interest in
hich she would claim recognition in
Il departments of life.
A vote in the hands of women will
} more than reform, it will revolution.
O. Moreover, it will bring the present
,riod Of unrest to an end.
No advocate Of woman suffrage con-
ders the present year any too soon to
'gin work. Every moment is precious,
cry day brings new recruits, every
'ar adds new regiments to an already
'st army. Mrs. RUSSELL SAGE.
n,,S, Ian