The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-11-22
w. C T. U. COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY MRS. NJ. l.. HoBBs.
By THE LATE Mrs. ZERELDA G..
WALLACE.

Mrs. Zerelda G.. Wallace, Of In
diana. whose recent death hal
calls d utsuch widespread regret, il
her plea in b. half Of equal right
. for women, said:
IL think the animus of hi.
movement for worpan's freedom hal
been largely misunderstood through
the idea that it meant competition
between women and men. To my
thought, it simply means co-opera
ton In the work of the world"
but, it is objected, women can,
not fight. This is mistake; wo.
men can fight. They have led
armies; but history is full of in
stances Of women who have fought
a Drawer battle than thai fought by
an army. But it is in no degree
necessary that women should fight
1t is good to have some element in
government which does not fight.
Such an element will help on the
supremacy Of spiritual power over
brute force, and help usher in the
realization of the beatific vision Of
Isaiah, when a little child shall lead
the forces which will find better
work to do than cutting each Others
throats and blowing out each Others
brains. Woman's ballot will in
crease the tendency toward arb.,ra-
ton between nations, and thus has
ten the time when they shall learn
war no more.
IA gentleman once asked me
sneeringly. What have you women
ever done for the state that it should
give you the ballot?' We were in a
parlor with a company, and | did
not care to be drawn into a discus
sion; but he persisted, till at last |
said: Napoleon realized fully the
value of women to the state when he
said, 'The great need Of France lie
mothers If women do not fight,
they give 10 the state all its soldiers.
A woman who goes down into the
valley Of the shadow Of death every
few years, who gives up her health,
her beauty, her means Of improve
ment, her social pleasures, that she
may furnish soldiers for the state,
certainly does as much for the de-
tense of the state as the father who
buys bread and shoes for the chill
dren.'
"You intrust your dearest inter
ssts to woman, you contide to her ,
keeping your honor, your children,
he sacred interests of your home;
Why fear TO trust her with the bal !
OF, by which she can serve and de-
end all these? You call her the !
queen OF the home, and so she is;
,ut without the ballot che is an un- ,
queen, and her scepter but |
! broken reed. Call this the hons |
Il the free? So long as its women
re classel with criminals, idiots !
nd panpers it can never be free. |
}, my brothers. do not your cheeks q
urn with shame at the spectacle Of
That you have reduced your moth '
RS, wives and sisters to? See them c
oming like supplicants to the polls :
there questions most vital to the e
Of home are being decided I,
y the votes Of Tom, Dick and G
larry and Sambo, to whom they n
fer coffee and cake-it il all they Il
an do-begeing them to vote for d
le protection Of your homes! u
You'd not the ballot be as safe in
,eir hands as in those of Tom, Il
lick and Harry, and could you not 81
,unt on it as the bulwark of home? e.
tell you the time is coming when 8,
ONE, that little stone which politi- Ii
Il builders have SO long rejected,
,all become the head Of the cor
er."