Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-19
LYMAN ABBOTT ON SUFFRAGE.
-, ~ His Notable Article Against Women Voting in
Atlantic Monthly,
,oornnnnnn OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES nrrru,rrnuIh

OPINION, IL ~ an act Oh tne VIII, anu
behind this act Of the viii must be
power to compel obedience.
Women do not wish authority to COM
pei the obedience OF their husbands,
sons and brothers to their Will
This fact that the ballot IL explicitly
an act of the Will, and implicitly an ex-
preston OF power or force. Is indicated
not only by the general function of
government, but also by special illus
tratlons. Politics IL pacific war.
A corrupt ring gets the control of
New York city. or Minneapolis, or St.
Louis, or Philadelphia, or perhaps Of
state. az Delaware, Rhode Island or
Montana.
The first duty of the citizens is to
make war on this corrupt ring. The
ballot Is not merely an expression of
opinion that this ring ought not to con-
troll; It is the resolve that It shall not
control.
A capitalistlc trust gets. or tries to
get, monopoly which Is perilous to
commercial freedom; or a labor trust
gets, or tries TO get, monopoly which
is perilous to industrial freedom.
A vote Is not protest against such
control--it is not mere opinion that
It ought not to be allowed. 1t is a de-
cree.
The voter says. 1--WE will not suffer
this monopoly to continue.
His vote means, In the one case, II
you do not dissolve this capitalistic
combination. In the other case, If you
do not cease this interference with the
freedom OF non-union labor, we will
compel you to do so.
II the vote does not mean this, It Is
nothing more than a resolution passed
In q parlor meeting. The great cleo
tons are called and not improperly
called. campaigns For they are more
than a great debate.
A debate Is clash Of opinions.
But an election Is a clash of wills.
One party says, 1--WE VIII have Mr..
Blaine PRESIDENT" the other says, 1--WE
Will have Mr.. Cleveland president"
VIII sets itself against will in what
Is essentially masculine encounter.
And II the defeated will refuses TO
accept the decision, as II did when Mr..
Lincoln was elected president, war is
the necessary result.
From such an encounter Of wills wo-
man instinotiyely shrinks. She shrlnks
from 1t exactly as she shrlnks from
the encounter of opposing wills on a
battlefield, and for the same reason.
She Is glad to counsel; she is loath
to command
She does not wish TO arm herself,
and, as police or soldier enforce her
Will on the community.
Nor does she wish TO register her will,
and leave her, son, her brother, or her
husband to enforce &C.
II she can persuade them by woman
ly influence she will but just in the
measure tyt which ohp iu all. oh
Is unwilling to say to her son, to her
brother or to her husband, II have de-
creed this: you must see that my de-
cree Is enforced on the reluctant or the
resisting"
3 She does not wish that he should act
on her judgment against his own in
obedience to her will; still less that ne
shall, In obedience TO her will, compel
others to act in violation both of their
judgment and OF his.
And yet this is just what suffrage
always may and sometimes must in
yolve.
Shall woman decide what are the
rights OF the citizen TO be prtected
and what are the duties of the citizen
TO be enforced, and then are her son
and her brother and her husband to go
forth. armed, II need be, Ia enforce her
decision
Is this where the functional line be.
tween the sexes Is to be drawn? Are
women TO make the laws, and men to
enforce them? Are women TO decree,
and men 70 execute
Is woman never to act as a private.
but only as commander-in -chief? Is
this right? IL II right that one sex
snail alone enforce authority, but the
other sex determine when and how 81
snail be exercised?
Is this expedlentY VIII It promote
peace. order, prosperity? Is It practi-
cable? VIII II In fact be done?
Suppose that in New York city the
women should vote for prohibition and
the men should vote against III Is it
TO be expected that the men would
arm themselves to enforce against
their fellowmen a law which they
themselves condemned as neither wise
nor just?
To ask these questions is to answer
them The functions OF government |
cannot be thus divided.
In democratic community the duty |
OF enforcing the law must devolve ON |
those who determine what the law |
shall be that IL 10 be enforced.
II cannot be decreed by one class and |
VHlolttu ny dHOtner III Is lncOnCelV-
able that It should be decreed by one |
sex and enforced by the other.
This Is the negative reason why vo-
man does not wish the ballot; she does |
not wish to engage In that conflict of |
Wills which is the essence OF politics; |
she does not wish to assume the re-
sponsibillty for protecting person and |
property which is the essence of gov
The affirmative reason Ia that she
has other. and in some sense, more
important work to do.
IL is more important than the work
" government because II Is the work
Tor the protection Of which govern
ments are organized among men.
Woman does not wish TO turn aside
from this higher work, which Is itself
the end Of life, TO devote herself TO
government, which exists only that
This higher work may be done. Nor
Toes she wish to divide her energies
between the two This higher work.
which Is itself the end Of life, Is Direct
to Life.