Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-07-30

made heroes" How highly important,
then, that, should such power be pos.
sessed by her, it shall be wisely and
rightly used; that it be a wOmanhood
cOnsecrated to the noblest service OF
God.
l repeat, woman needs to be aroused
to her duty as a citizen. What, then,
shall be her wisest attitude regarding
public affairs, and political legislation?
Androscoggin Grange recently held a
lively discussion as to whether women
shall have any public rights. One of the
sisters read an able paper on "The New
Woman" from which quote some ex-
tracts:
"The day is long past when sneers at
the expense of women in organization
were tolerated or admitted among sensi-
BILE people. 1t was the great Civil War
which, in America, discovered to woman
her possibilities of accomplishment
where her heart was interested. While
husbands and sons were away fighting
for their country, wives and mothers
found they could manage farms, run
manufactures, carry on stores, publish
papers, in fact, take up almost any busi-
ness that husband or son had left in
their charge. The question came to
them-why not continue this after the
men came home? Some of them did
Others followed, and now, after thirty
odd years, nearly every branch of bust
ness is open to women who need to seek
employment.
"The new woman has somehow dis
covered the misery in the world. With
woman's quick adaptiveness she has set
about relieving this misery, inducing
others to help her, and so there has
sprung into existence the world renowned
and world wide w. e. T. u, and phil
anthropic societies that astonish the
world with the innocent perseverance
with which they calmly set about, and
soon accomplish, the very things that
men long ago decided could not possibly
be done.
"The New Woman wants to vote!
Why notP Our country decided long
ago that taxation without representation
was an injustice. Why should the
woman who has brains enough to do
business and acquire property, be
obliged to pay taxes without being repre-
sented in the disposition of those taxes?
A woman may be sued, arrested, and
punished, by the laws of the country
Why should she not have voice in the
making of those laws?
"Her children attend school. Why
shouldn't she have right to vote for
school officers? Good government af-
fects the happiness of her home, it
concerns her and her children. Why
should she not bring the light of her in
tuitive mind, her keen sense of justice,
her clear judgment and wonderful
mastery of details to bear on the man.
agement of government?
"Indeed, the new woman wants to
vote because she feels that her home,
her children, and her country need her
vote"
This paper provoked brisk discussion
among the brother Grangers. One said:
perhaps woman might purify politics
and society if allowed to vote, but l
doubt it. look upon woman as too
dainty a creature to 60 into old filthy
town houses. 1t is not such company as
l want to see her keep. The place for
woman is not outside but inside the
home. lido not believe the women ooant to
votem
When begun this paper am not sure
that I was entirely in sympathy with
suffrage for women, but the more l
studied and thought upon the subject
the more became convinced, that, with
the present corruption in both the great
leading political parties, doubt if ever
clean, honorable legislation can be
maintained without the aid and CO.
operation of woman.
Many men who realize the need of a
higher standard of honor in politics are
in favor of giving the ballot to woman
also, but, for obvious reasons, some men
do not want the women to vote. They
fear the result! They are reasonably
certain that their business of making
money by running souls would be wiped
from the face of the earth. Such men
have kept and would keep women from
having a voice in public affairs for
reasons best known to themselves.
Our Grange brother said he did not
want to see so dainty creature as
woman in old filthy town houses, which
l consider a superficial excuse. Pos
sibly said town houses might be trans
formed into clean, wholesome places
were women allowed to enter their
doors.
1t is not for me to say at this time
whether the women of America are ready
to vote intelligently; that may be mat
ter of individual opinion. But why
should woman not educate herself to cast
wise political ballot? If they so de-
sired there are but few women who
could not find time to acquire sufficient
information to make them far more in
telligent voters than many men who now
have that privilege. And l very much
doubt if woman could be induced by a
dollar in money, or few drinks of beer,
to vote with whichever party happened
| to first send around prospective alder
man. Woman is fearless, when evil in
fluences menace the peace and happi-
ness of home, and the welfare OF
husband and children is at stake.
There is no uncertainty as to how a
high-minded woman would vote on the
question of temperance and moral
purity. And think the vast majority
of women, if they voted at all, would
vote for principle. They would help
enact wise laws, and insist that men be
elected to office who would enforce such
laws.
have no sympathy with the loud,
high voiced advocate of woman's rights
who thinks woman should spend all her
time in public duties. We women
ought to possess the virtue of "sweet
reasonableness. We cannot lay toe
great emphasis upon woman as home
maker. She should never neglect hel
home. But, should woman wisely enter
into these things she would not detract
from the beauty of home life, but rather
add to the value and power of her in
fluence. The womanly woman has in
creased and will increase her attractive
ness to the very men who were sure she
would be spoiled if she got out OF hel
sphere.
And in this republic woman is having
put into her hands the power and in
estimable advantage of liberal educa
ton. True education is not that any
person shall be simply a walking en-
cyclopedia; but the woman who cal
Judge, compare, appreciate each fact ant
truth at its proper value, is educated.
The president of the Western Reserve
University recently said in the New
York Tribune, that women are fast be
coming the educated class of the com
munity. The number of girls exceeds
the number of boys enrolled in all th'
high schools. In the primary and gram
mar grades the percentage is abou
enual hut as soon as the high school il