The Portland daily press., 1899-07-15

| II viii thersfers. be sen that tue very
oueEtIon OF popular Hsif-aofnfnm1It fs nt
e6eke In thin nnattBr OF woman suffrage
Ana u may further be seen shat woman
is not excluded from tho constitutional
nature and ciiilIsA usage from this final
act whose dect&ons she cannot support.
II WI nlzo be made evident that woman
Is thds, with dignity, left free 20 do her
natural share in the prcgress Of her coun-
try rs we'll % Of her eex.
kJufy duty has for its drawback the en-
forced absence OF q woman from her home
where her imptrati' 9 duty s lies and
this practical objection would also inter-
fere with her pursuing the other oallings
mentioned. Fatherhood inferferes with
the pursuit Of none of these caliings, but
on the contrary, these callings give the
father means OF supporting and educat-
ina his children. But motherhood does
Interfere with duties outside the home,
and just so far as that home Is threateusd
or disturbed, just so fer will the race
grow less rapidly toward perfect woman-
hood and manhood.
the claim that the woman Of wealth and
that the waRe'earning woman should
have. the1ballot:
Governments have always held the
right to extend the suffrage gradually
and on lines where the welfare OF the
Ac4utEFA w. AH1 nuAAbEt
question should not be eonfounded with
the principle of mo taxation without
repi piesentation'', since while the one In
wolves obligations contrary to the laws of
sex and is therefore inadmissible, the
other may admit OF consideration and Of
qualified extension when circumstances
demand it.
with regard to tha wonderful economic
nd vance Of women and their growing de-
lnand for more general equality in
wBges and lator returns, we would point
TO the wage-earning man who, although
possessed OF the privilege and duty OF cot
Ing can compel tie capitalist to o recoe-
milton Of the rights of the waRe-earner,
not through the ballot, but only by organ
ization sufficiently strong to successfully
demand such recognition, and we would
assert our belief that only through such
organization OF labor, through the faith
full work OF self-supporting women pion-
eers, and the educating influence OF q
humsne and scientific sociology, can real
relief come to the problem Of the sslf-sup-
porting.
We have purposeIy avoided the compari-
son OF mental attributes, and the discus
sion Of whether or no the emotional aud
fntuitive rature of woman makes her
more or less valuable as an active or de-
Lucrative coadjutor.
Tho physiological aspect Is the kernel
OF this question. No possible lture con-
ulbiUnb Chu bFtT bSbsr buS 6lOIOElcal
differences between the eexes. Granting
every claim OF the suffTagists, these
natural differences must ever remain.
Once the .nconti overtibls and unalterable
fact of physical limitation is fac,d and
Hcknowldse led. all the plausible arguments
which have grown up about the question
of the snffrnge, obscuring its inmost
meaning, fall away.
At present. women with special talents
have as the result of the work of broad.
minded men and women a full oplortun :
ity to educate Themselves. and there is no
channel, which the higher education mas
opened, in which We are not glad to see
them turn tleir energies. We nave physi-
clans, lawyers, professors. mathsma-
ttctans, and astf o lomers who are " omen.
No use of the ballot by women has been
necessary to accomplish this, although the
progress has seemed slow 10 those who do
not realize how gradual such changes
must always be. The change is accom-
plished, however, and there are 70 re-
strictions placed upon woman's educa-
tional devs iopment. which may now e
carried forward just as far as her natural
abili y will take her. All this is that
which we desire; for which we have
worked in the past, and to which we
shall devote time and thought in the
futura. livery privilege should Le shared
by men ana women, but the ballot is not
a privilege. 1t Is an obligation calling
for tho performance OF certain duties of
the State requiring the physical strength
and mental qral Il TEX n ging to men.
If women see t. assume these duties,
they ignore tha physiological line Of dis
tinction betwee men and woms n, and
the result bears directly and disastrously
on the qualities affecting the home llfe
and It's duties.
Ihese duties in the economic life of the
State are of equal imrortarc CO with the
duties specifically d,manded CT men. If
we devots ourselves to tht Sc duties, we
shall seek to perfect our womnnhood by
every aid Of education and experiences, -
learn to he ideai wives, to bs mothers TO
our own and all other children. ch out
the hand OF fellowship to every striving
human creature, work for the broaden
of every channel through which enlight-
eminent moy fiow, give our men helpful
counsel work with them and not against
them. We shall intellirently interest
ourselves and Others in public affairs, and
arouse public opinion against wrong do.
ing, o quick to see and TO support every
wise movement toward the higher de-
velopment Of the State.
Thus in place of a futile and unnatural
strrggie, we through wise philosophy of
lie .erenely followed, seeing the whole
and not merely part. shall tread the
Tath which Us wemeE we have chosen, -
tie Tath pointed out by the finger of
Science and TO whi,h we tuin our faces
with valiant hope.
Mrs. j. Elliot Cabot, President cf
Mass. Association opposed to the further
Extension " Suffrage to Women.
Mrs. Francis NJ. Scott, President of
New York Association opposed to the
Extension OF the Suffrage to Women.
June 25. 1899.