The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-14
rnE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
THOMAS b. REED As AN ADVOCATE
or SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN.
His Minority Report In Its Favor. Made to
Congress In Iss4-Thc Woman's Vote
In Idaho In 1900 and In 1907
Mrs. j. Ellen Fosters Work There

bered with respect and gratitude by the
advocates Of woman suffrage for the I'M
compromising stand which he took upon
this question. In 1884 he submitted a mi
nority report from the Judiciary Committee
OF the House Of Representatives which set
forth the favorable side with so much logic
comprehensiveness and humor H. TO make
It seem almost unnecessary ever to ray
another word on the subject. The National
Suffrage Association held its convention in
March andthe usual hearings were granted
by the committees OF the Senate and House
Twelve of the fifteen members Of the House
judiciary were present, and Miss Anthony
made an impassioned appeal that they would
recommend to Congress a Sixteenth Amend
ment, which would enable the women to
carry their case to the Lagislat ures instead
OF to the individual voters She was followed
by number Of eloquent speakers from
various sections Of the country
soon afterward William &. Maybury Of
Mich. gan presented an adverse report for
the majority Of the committee, taking
the ground that suffrage is not right"
and containing the usual platitude- about
woman's sphere, shrinking modesty, UNI
married icmaloo, 4 Luke =. Poland OF
Vermont wanted something more drastic.
and 50 submitted one of his own, saying
that most women are married and there
fore under such influence and control a.
that relation implies and confers"; also that
the Office and duty which nature has de-
rolved upon woman would often
render il impossible and still more often
indicate Cor her to appear and act in
cauCuseS 4
This was more than Mr.. Reed could stand
The minority report was signed by himself,
Noses A. Nc ',rI Of Iowa, Thomas NJ
Browne Of Indiana. and Ezra b. Taylor
# Ohio, but the, hand of Mr.. Reed is APP
parent in every line, Space will permit
only few extracts.
No one who listens TO the reasons given
w the superior class for the continuance of
any system Of subj oction can fail to b" i'm
pressed with the noble Observation-Disclosures of
mlnkind When tho subsection OF persons
OF African de@cnnt wa to b. mlnt,inei
the good OF those persons was always the
main object. When II was the fashion TO
boat children. to regard them ~ little ami
rlals who had no rights. 1t wa@ always for
their good that they were treated with So
verify, and never on account OF the bad
'emper OF their parents Hence. when it is
proposed 70 give 10 the women Of this coun-
try an opportunity to present their case to
che various State Legislatures to demand
Of the people OF the country equality OF po-
ltical rights, II i not surpri.lnc to md that
tho reasons on which tho continuance OF the
inferiority OF women l. urged. are drawn
almost entirely from n tender consideration
OF their own good The anxiety felt lest
they should thereby deter ornte. would be
an honor to humtn nature were II not a his
torical fact that the same sweet sole
has been put No a. a barrier against every
progress which women have made since
civilization began
There i. 10 doubt that If in Turkey or Al
giprs, countries where woman's sphere l.
most thoroughly confined TO the home circle.
Il was proposed to admit them to social life,
20 remove tho veil from their faces, and permit
them 10 convers" In open day with the friends
OF their husbands and brothers, the conserve
tive and judicious Turk or Agerine OF the
period. II he could be- brought to even con-
slider such horrible proposition, would point
out that the sphere OF woman WAS to max
lone hap ply by those gentle insipidities witch
education would destroy: that by participa :
ton In con versition with men they would
debase their natures, and men would
thereby lose that ameliorating influence
which still leaves them unfit to associIte
with women lie would point out That
mature" had determined that women should
be secluded: that their sphere was to raise
and educate the man-cuild, and TINT any
change would be II violation OF the Divine
law which in the oTiuion OF all cons.rvttiv"
men. ordains the present but never the future
Thirty years aro hardly any political as
sembla &c oil tn" people was Grscsd by Tue
presence OF women Had 1t needed law
nient could have been made against il! iiow
easily IL could have been shown that the
coarscness. the dubious expressions. the
general yul9arity of TIE scene, could have
had no other effect than to break down that
purity OF word and thought which women
.,.I t.rl a.sl NHftk nd TtItf Il
are alike scdnlous to preserve And yet the
actual presence Of women az poli'ical meetings.
has not dehas" them. but has raised the other
sex, ,oarseness las not bccom. cihused
through both sexes but has fed from both.
To put the whole matter IN short phrase:
The association Of the sexes In th" family
circle in soCioly, and in business, having M
proved bot, ere is neithct Lt-tory, reason
ton in polite. " III lower the on" or demoraiile
tne other - Hence. We would do better 10
approt Oh th. uIi' :, ion Wit out trepiiation We
c1n better leu W. t.. sphere" Of woman TO the
future than conhne 1t in IT," chains OF the
past Words cnanss nHoI1ins , prrjnd'res
vaguely call them mature. and prat. about
what nature has forbidden, when We only
~ t1@ one We nTbs "i "o
stcams. 10 to cross tie Atlantic the very
moment II was crossing. and ygt IT arrived
Just the SAM. What the majority call ma
tur- has stood In the way OF every progress
Of tho past and present. and will stand In tue
wry Of all fntur" progress II mas also stood
only auotHar nam, for con sorvptism.
our Government IL founded. not on he
rule of the wi>c-t and hest, but upon the
rule OF all The ignorant, the learned, the
wise and the unwise the judiclous and the
injuiiCious are all invited To assist in gov
erning. upon the broad principle that the
best government for mankind /. not tn" GOV;
eminent which tho wiseSt and best would
select but that which the average Of man
kind would select Upon what prin-
cipal in 4 government like ours can one-half
the minds be- denied expression at the polls'
II Is sometimes asserted that women
now have great influence in politics through
their husbands and brothers This i un-
doubtedly true. But that i just the kind OF
influence winch l. not wholesome for the
community, for II is influence unfccompnn,d
by responsibility People are always ready
20 recommend TO Others what they would
not do themselves II II b" true that women
cannot be prevented from exercising po-
litical influence. i not that only another
reason why they should be -teadisd in their
political action by that proper sense OF
responsibility which comes from acting them
selves?
I'VE conclude then that every reason which
in this country beStow> the ballot upon man
IL equally M ilc,bl" to the proposition to
bestow the ballot upon woman
these oppoalng aud favorable reports
will be published IN iull in the forthcoming
History Of Woman Suffrage, and they will
be found interesting road Nc Miss
Anthony often used TO urge Mr., Reed to m ke
6Uht for WOMAN suffrage TN. floor t,I