The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15
The CAUSE OF WOMAN.
LYMAN ABBOTTS RIGHT TO OP-
POSE WOMAN SUFFRAGE.


back In New Hampshire-The supine
women OF That State. and the Lawn That
Govern Then-The Mems "National
Religious Educational Association"
An edifying spectacle was that OF. the
venerable Lyman Abbott, aged IS, braving
the rleors Of New Hampshire March TO
oppose the pending suffrage amendment
on the ground that women cannot render
military servcei During all the crucial
wears Of the Civil War, when Lyman Abbott
va, in the full vigor Of young manhood.
his country received no military service
whatever from him-not even In the capac-
NV Of chaplain. During the recent Span
ish-Amercan War he was too feeble to
fight except with his goose Quill. By what
rlga,. then. has this reverend gentleman
beea vJting all these years? He has not a
fgl,ng ancestry behind him. and he has
iu,nl,lei no soldiers in his progeny. What
special service, then, has he rendered the
LltIon, beyond that given by thousands OF
women, which entities him TO the ballot
that he is using all his influence to keep
from tnem? livery mother who has lad
wife wac mas gwen her husband to be
sacrificed in its defence. is more justly
entitled to vote on the ground OF military
service than is D.. Lyman ABBOTT.
Another feature Of the campaign which
was so humiliating that one cannot even
smlle at the humor OF it, was the appearance
OF two women, one from Massachusetts
and one from Delaware, pleading with the
m n Of New Hampshire, In Representatives
Hall at Concord, not to grant the women
Of the State the right OF represent alton
Was it to produce such as these that the
seven years war of the Revolution was
fought? Mrs. A. J. George OF Massa-
cnlsstts declared that the women OF that
he. NM nrl
world has yet seen and they have been made
so by the masculine sense OF justice. And
v,t az this very time the avera &c monthly
salary of the women schoolteachers IN
30. Ton is $50. 49, and OF the men, S2l3 81
and in the entire State the average paid to
women teachers Is only about one-third
that paid to men. The average weekly
salary OF other wage-earning women 10
considerably less than s., and on this point
Carroll d. Wright. most Trustworthy OF
etatisticians, Gays: The lack OF political
influence constitutes a powerful reason
Why women's wages have been kept at
minimum
Cntll last year the women were practi-
cally under the old common law go far as
their property rights were concerned. and
fathers were the absolute guardians OF the
children. The suffragists had been petit
Unhs 0 yeefs TO hsus snsss
ciety, since its organization, had declared
them just and satisfactory and had issued
pamphlet against giving mothers equal
guardianship, But with the beginning q
finally mustered the decency to wipe them
out. At the present time no tax-paying
woman In the State has any voice IN the
levying or spending OF her taxes. There
who pay annually 100000 into the city
treasury. No woman has voice In the
regulation OF the liquor traffic. or in single
law which she must obey. None can hold
the smallest office without q special ect
the right has been extended to women 10
cit on various boards. and Mrs George
herself has joyfully taken advanta &c OF it,
Miss Emily p. Bssell. who came from
Delaware-that abode Of pure politics. that
State which has but one high school within
its borders, but one college and this en-
rolling only iIt students and excluding
ShGs sysds Of Te s rea 0 esa,e
ons-third Of the personal property: which
until 1889 kept the age Of protection forgirls
at years, then raised the age and deciared
sell representing this great and glorious
State, based her argument on the GROUND
that 'equal suffrage would be Of no benefit
to women, but would harm the State.
Could a keener satire be imagined thar
was presented by these two women. travel
ling hundreds OF miles from their homes fol
the purpose Of standing upon a public plat
form in q State House, surrounded by mer
who were strangers. and pleading with ar
immense audience not TO grant any mors
rights 10 women Mrs. George and Mis-
y ssell doubtless were already born wher
Mrs. Stanton. Miss Anthony and Luc,
Stone were being scorned and scourged FOL
demanding for women the right TO speal
IA public. While the Bissells and Georges o
that day did not dare stand upon the stag,
and beg that they should not be allowed
a. stand upon the stage and beg. they fought
against this privilege Of public speech. anc
whn
possible 10 the women OF that generation
Had women been compelled to wait FOL
this right till the majority OF men voted e
grant u, they would be waiting yet; but u
required only few brave souls 10 blaze thu
path, and when the Georges and the Bis
sells saw tho Immense advantages to b.
gained they made q great highway OF thu
lonely trail which had been marked out b,
llee Hing feet. And even so they have
entered eagerly every other avenue n
progress which q courageous few have
opened for them, and than have procee.i~c
a. put up the barriers against any fur'hei
extension
These thing. mako one almost ashamed
o. be- q woman They cut deep with tbs
painful truth that this IL indeot the IN
f-ror' ssx. for. with all his follies Anc
',ns. man l. never ~ weak 90 - wicked a.
:" pray that lil-ry may bs withheld from
hili-ef and his bfOthsrs lie IL never -
iguuiant OF ~ ablect a. not Ia re,sosnlks
III" blessings ~ frs- dom II !, we're noI
td the light - experience which show
o. clearly that every oIasDruiiiy s<~',if"f
~ son,en has dss.loIsd ti..if chAfartsl
sud frfnoy-d "a large measure tbs stigma
81 iufsuonly, ths disoo,f es.n,sh' over th'
AItli 40. ~ many shO lslong % the csin
I.afauteiy privileged clssse- so,iid " -
tIduiu.d A. 90 Jf~ssiil any furiinF sn"i'
Nuu,sn aIs lhdas-d "a ssn's I.si-o,s lh.
ssfff -nsiny - eoiuiai, Jui se inl-l i,sl
tYfksI taai N 10 anu-pi lao hillls Nrfsioii
tlfslsl euinan kHosl..iHu oaiiss g. ti,'
Nufid 10 meai.s q suuiAn ilss i.sls-
80 uoiiI and. tllsfsfafsi ~ 70 b1i ifiaa
g. lr.hkf thaf suitian eili - tho Afsts''
~ shlrt rtuiiis ally uli,an liss ssh siisi
II irfri.ffsirN
IL -4ffasr 49, itsiiiuHi, q tasllas, ~
arinsitui ~ Ars Hsis,l i-liir ihsi tii.'
i..4H 80 Hss,lslsls tho suafasisis isii
tttiiHI iiIuusl,,sui ii,r tAialeisn u %
tH 40 h1sstsf a. az sl-sAsfs vis,,i'
ia 3D. sts "a 90. il,si. us iiotesiia,ii 80
ilssrai - a. H,i,.ss sad ,alssi hiei'
NH sH ttssasH u tfusaaff a. iiait.s
o. .ir iHlilfa.f a isla iif esaii,gi 80
lf.r# hIIh atsitAl .sif Ats nsiiiln.fAi
.f "a Aslll q ,,in Az gisii tltel s,tiss'