Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-07-30
ANENT WOMAN SUFFRAGE
HON. ABE JONES EXPRESSES OPINIONS
A Well Written Article Upon a Subject
Which is Always Open for Dis.
cuSsiOn.

The question of woman suffrage is
one that at the first glance would
seem to require no discussion, but
there are two sides to all questions.
A woman with more intelligence than
a hundred of some voters is not allow
ed to vote. A woman who owns pro-
perty and pays taxes is not allowed to
vote which brings up the principle of
taaxtion without representation,
question which by winning the great
est republic ever known in the world
was established. But it is claimed
that women are exempt from many
duties which men are compelled to
perform under orders from the govern
ment and which offsets the privilege
of voting. Women as a rule are not a
great success as leaders in great po-
litical, social or moral reform. Pro-
baby but few male speakers ever
mounted platform with more brains
and sincerity than Susan B. Anthony,
Mrs Stanton and Mrs. Livermore, yet
their followers are few. No female
advocate of temperance was ever so
strenuous" as Mrs. Nation and her
record is not single convert, but at
the close of one of John B. Coughs
lectures once saw at least hundred
crowd to the platform to sign the
pledge and he advocated nothing but
kindness to the unfortunate drunkard.
In dress reform the most noted charac-
ter is Dr. Mary Walker of Washington,
d. G. For more than a generation
she by preaching and practice has
worked hard for "lo these many years"
and she has but one solitary follower,
that is DR.. Mary herself. Women as
financiers are occasionally success.
One of the most noted is Lydia Pink
ham, but she never performed sur
gical operation, never prescribed any
thing for any disease but her pills and
compound and whether it is due to
the merits of her remedies or to adver-
tising the public can decide. Another
noted financier is a New York lady
who by strict economy and sharp prac-
tice has been able to keep the wolf
from the door and is reputed to be the
richest woman in the world, refer
to Mrs Hetty Green, 1t is strange how
some of these Greens roll in wealthy.
There are many kinds of work not
suitable for ladies, for instance they
would not make good jurors, for with
their large and tender hearts they
would be apt to decide a case through
sympathy and not by the law and
evidence. They would not make good
sheriffs for by the time they had their
toilets made the culprit might be in
another state. They would not make
good hands to run threshing ma
chine, especially in threshing barley
as it would be an endless job to get
the boards out Of their bangs. They
would not make good soldiers always
excepting the maid of Orleans-Joan
of Arc, but excellent nurses and first
class detectives proving that now and
then one can keep secret. If any one
believes that because women cannot
vote they have no influence, they are
laboring under q great mistake and
simple casting of q vote is but mite
compared with the influence of women.
In q body of SO much dignity and i'm
portance as the congress Of the Unit
ed States, female lobbyists have been
paid large sums for their influence in
passing certain measures. Without
doubt no paper and no speaker ever
had the influence or made so many
votes or accomplished such grand re-
suits as Harriet Seecher Stoves
"Uncle Tom Cabin" Stump speeches
and newspaper articles are soon for
gotten but her book will be read by
future generations yet unborn. When
it was thought that the life of this
nation was in peril and there was a
call for more men, the immortal re-
sponse came "We are coming father
Abraham, 800, 900 strong. How many
of the brave boys would have respond
ed so readily had not the patriotic
mothers, wives and sweethearts said,
Go and our prayers will accompany
you" Ask a majority of the great
men of the past and present where the
foundation of their greatness was laid
and they will answer from the exam
pie and teachings of my mother
Abe Jones.
The Nevada Journal says that a
young lady in that city has special