The Forrest City times., 1901-06-07
The Political Study Club.

OF the Political Study Club was held
Monday night at the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. y. b. Rollwage.
The meeting surpassed any previous
occasion from standpoint of interest
and originality and was full of bright
readings and helpful exchanges of
thought.
Owing to the early departure of the
president, who will spend the summer
In Europe, the public meeting which
was to have been held at the court
house on the third Monday night In
June, was indefinitely postponed.
Below we publish an address deliv-
cred by Judge Beasley at its last meet
ing in May:
WoMAN's SUFFRAGE.
The subject of my address tonight is
woman Suffrage, and | hope that what
l may say on this occasion will contribute
to the progress of the woman suffrage
cause, which has been very dear to the
for more than thirty years.
My attention was directed to this sub.
ject for the first time in 1868, while I was
IN Washington City, and then had the
pleasure of reading humorous and pa
thetic speech delivered by an able repre-
sentative from Missouri in the lower
house OF Congress who evidently believed
that nations will never beat their swords
into plow-shares and spears into pruning
hooks until the ballot is placed in the
hand of woman and her more exalted ma
ture is permitted to exercise its refining
and ennobling influence in the political
affairs of mankind.
The gentleman from Missouri, whose
speech was published 10 tue COMPRESSION.
al Record, deserves to be remembered.
But in my opini on two of the most in.
duential men in England or America who
ever advocated the cause of equal freedom
for men and women were Herbert Spencer
and John Stuart Mill both OF whom were
distinguished English philosophers of
world wide reputation.
Mr., Spencer's famous work entitled
Social Statistics" was published in 1851
and Mr.. Mills book entitled THE Sub
lection OF Women" was published in 1869.
These books present arguments which
cannot be overthrown, aud they clearly
show that corruption will reign supreme
in all the public affairs of men until the
great, principle of equal freedom is recog-
nized and established in the organization
and constitution of the government.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that
none OF the great daily newspapers Of
America are openly and boldly opposing
| woman suffrage.
The editors of these papers know that
| the bride. givers and bribe-takers are now
| controlling the United States of America;
that ell matters of a public nature are
made subordinate to the Interest of the
trade power and money power, the might
lest, the grssdiest and the bloodiest tyrants
| that ever existed upon the earth; and that
the only way to destroy these tyrants and
overthrow corruption is to enfranchise the
women and put the law-makng power
| into the hands of ell the people.
But the great daily newspapers are
| owned by capitalists who are in favor OF
political corruption, their interest being
| in harmony with the Interest of the mon
fore, while they do not. oppose woman
uffrage openly and boldly, they are
nevertheless opposing it secretly and cum
| ninglv by keeping the public mind con.
stantly occupied with something else,
There Is nothing new about this meth
| cd of fighting great reforms. 1t has been
practiced by corrupt governments in all
ages of the weird. And the men at the
baa nf haa 81.
been in the hands of the trade power and
| money power like clay in the hands OF the
potter.
1t is remarkable fact that Henry c..
Carey of Philadelphia, a successful mer-
| chant and one OF the ablest writer's on
Political Economy that ever lived, was of
opinion that nearly all the wars that ever
occurred were brought about and carried
Oh In the interest Of trade.
But Mr.. Carey seems to have forgotten
that both the trade power and the money
power have plundered the world for
thousands of years; that the interest of
one is considered by them as the interest
Of the other; and that both are in favor of
corruption In public affairs and war with
foreign countries, war being the faro
table of governments and nations the
dupes of the game"
1t is well, therefore, for us to know
that the trade power and money power
are the most cunning and deadly enemies
OF woman suffrage in America; and it is
well for us to know that they are the Gre
ators of those material conditions which
produce nearly all the poverty aud crime
in the civilized world.
Herbert Spencer, the great English
philosopher, said the poverty of the poor
is the result of class legislation enacted
for the benefit of the wealthy classes, an d
that the only remedy for this evil is to
abolish all m0narchies, aristocracies and
republics and put the law-makiDg power in
the hands of all the people, thus creating
a truly democratic government. the only
kind of government which is not corrupt.
That the poverty of the poor is the re.
suit of class Legislation enacted for the
benefit of the wealthy classes is an idea
which was entertainedl by the French
people i'm 1889 when they rose in rebellion
against their own government, decapitated