New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-12
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
TAKES ISSUE WITH DR.. ABBOTT.
Alice Stone Blackwell Replies to His objec-
tons to Women's Suffrage.

70 the Editor Of The Tribune
e.. Dr. Lyman Abbott, IN his recent article in
The Atlantic against equal rights for women.
,,,s great stress upon the family. He says: In
~ family VIC may discover written legibly the
,.rs which should determine tho structure OF So
,setv. and should regulate its action He does
not IN this article state his view OF the proper
,.sis q government the family-pcrhaps because
y, realizes that his view on that subject is TN
,or,lar and that emphasize it here might hinder
be acceptance OF the anti-suffrage doctrines that
:, "a 6esirous 10 enforce. But in The Outlook"
n Abbott has e6itorially forth his opinion on
,-is polnt again and again. He has declared that
:, believes every husband is by divine right an
,,,o~-at-that he ought. OF course. 20 be benevo-
,-t despot and exercise his power kindly but
,r.t he possesses the absolute right OF autocratc
lie ovc- his WIFI and that she Is bound TO obey.
~ American men in general no longer believe
.,,s TIE despotic family has gone out and the
s.-,ocratic family has pretty generally come In.
n Abbott believing in the right OF every man
a. \. an autoc-at over his wife IN the home.
.-,,,,rsIv believes In the right OF all men to be
,,to--sts over all women In the State. But, II the
,.u that prevails in the family should prevail IN
re state the change that has already taken place
=. .be family substituting the relation OF two
.-sl friends ana companions for the old relation
- master and subject. ought TO be followed by a
,sr,fs- change IN tie State. and sooner or later
must be 50 Followed
n Absoft SAYS: The family, rightly under
,.,,s VIII answer our often perplexing questions
,-,e-rrc social NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IL is mill
,,rv political. industrial or religious. Again he
ss,-s thar the difference OF sex. which ne regards
:. fnvolving the subsection OF woman in the fam
n, snd IN the State lis 10 be taken account OF
a. Al eocial neutrality-suspicious. Of Industrial or
rization religious organization. political organ
izstion." -, 49,.
stockholders IN corporation ORGANIZED ior IN
s.,et-,,l purposes ought not 70 have n vote IN
tosr-, t,s Officers? Probably not even he would
escort that Thin. a the distinction OF sex does
-, hinder women from voting IN Industrial organ
,.stiops and religious organizations, why shoulu
:. htnse- them from voting in political organlza-
tons? -.
NJ Ahbott's main argument is that women must
-, ,,ote because they 90 not fight Oddly enough
ms particular objection is almost always brought
fo-wsrd By some aged clergyman. VINO Is oO"O's
.rsppt from military service by his PROFESSION ana
nv his years. yet who would feel hmseH oeepis
Troaged Il he were not PeTInitted % " 'sSeYo-lS
a corrupt ring gets inc coIluol ~ oirIis
No says Tho first duty Of the citizens Is 70 make
S val o. ana not improperly called. campsigns
Prom such encounter Of wills woman woman Hist
'ren1-,arv d number Of prominent anti-sltiT aglStS
- rs y-or1en bor. "A active part working side
Nv SIDE with the sUnragists and DIT ADpoIt az
other professed opponents OF women ., - -od
eheer . Them mon on. Wy ,5srS Goes ie '0"
These arguments are sophstres BUY P Pii Aop' IN
sben When he refers 10 the so-called referendum
IN Massachusetts. however. he Is GlsUhc!uy "
srrevuovs lIe mentions the small affirmative Nole
81 the woneu-about per ccnt-but oInts 70 mn
.foV that their negative vote was much si1alleT
Ices char oue-sirth OF per cent Of the women IN
she State. According 10 the official returns re
uonler'e stoOd-ycs. 22.3e; no eol- az AZ
hoff claims that his article represents the seiiu-
1rrnts Of the women who did not express 'nem-
selves either way But II the majority OF women
believed that half the disasters which Dr. Aboott
re5icfs would really follow equal suffrage. or II
- v-o~e belf as aVerSe having the ballot
.-h~rsf upon them" as he would have Us believe;
3. 81 certain that more than a pitiful one-slXth OF
! rer cent would have recorded themselves as oP-
''s'o ALICE STONE BLACKWELL.
BOSTON Sert Il. 1903.