The Portland daily press., 1899-09-14
Why Struggle for Better Civilization
Results in Little.
Why Men Are Given the
Ballot.
Women Should Demand Suffrage
as Duty to Themselves.

The lecture OF Mrs. Caroline Chapman
Gait last evening In the Friends' church
under the auspices of the Portland Equal
Suffrage club was attended by over two
hundred. large majority of whom were
women. Mrs E II. Bigelow, the presi-
dent of the club. called the assembly to
order and introduced Mrs. Gait with a
few appropriate remarks. Mrs. Gait is
very eloquent and q most entertaining
speaker. She presented her arguments
for women's suffrage with telling force
and held the closest attention of her audi
enoe until the end. She said in part:
There Ia divine law Of progress
which compels humanity to move onward
and upward whether II Wills or not. An
election IL a record taken of the status of
each community In the upward march.
Every element puts Its opinions, hopes
aspirations. and prayers with the ballot
box and the average of all is the degree of
civilization in that community. Ii much
intelligence and virtue is represented, the
civilization Is intslligen5 and progressive.
II ignorance and vice ara In majority
the civilization is evil and degraded. The
test result Of each generation Is its up
ward march. Imagine an election day
when every element is united to put Its
hopes into the ballot box. What factor
deserves to be counted firsts The public
school, because 1t Ia this institution
which alone can save our country from
besetting dangers. Yst it is disfranchised
because majority Of its teachers and
graduates ars girls Next comes the
church. 1t is silenced also because two
thirds Of it's membership are woraen.
Next comes the altruistic movements,
which are rescuing pauperism. criminali-
ty, intempe-ance. Two millions Of or
ganized women exist for these purposes,
with no similar movements among men,
These are all silenoed on elsction day.
Why do women organizsf To combat
ignorance ami vice. Yet when vice is
iDvitnd to the polls we find it all en-
frsnchised. There are evil women but
each evil influence is represented In ma.
jorlty by men and minority by women.
Even prostitution is enfranchissd since
mora men than women maintain it. Is 1t
any wonder whsp the prayers of evil ars
IIs heard and many prayers of virtue are
unheard that the struggle for better civil
izalion results In little? What is the
reason that men ara given the ballotP
For that reason ayl it for women. L do
not ask women TO accept the suffrage as
a privilege, but as the solemnest and
most sacred duty of their lives. / believe
no woman has right to be exempt from
registering her prayers at the ballot box
The woman suffrage. movement is not
designed to dlsplace men, nor assume nj &
prerogatives. 1t deSigns to place women
by the side of men that both together may
solve the great problems of life. appeal
to every woman TO stand for the move.
inent because 1t lie jusS and right and be-
cause 1t Is her duty. appeal to every
man to stand by it, as the surest and
safest factor in building a better ciyiliza.
tion. We will win. For right Is right
since God Is God. And ri2ht the day will
win. To doubt will be disloyalty. To
faIter would be SIM"