The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-21
PEOPLES FORUM
A. r. C, "a A. q, G,

A. r. G. to A. q. 6.
Editor Richmond virginian:
sir,-will you kindly allow . mother to say .
few words In reply to A. b. C.'s idea that TO
give woman the ballot would unfit her for the
children?
since the State has taken the education. and
thereby large part OF the training OF the
children herself. and since the mother L. "
should be, a part Of the State. Is II not just
that she should be given voice In the choosing
Of tho officials who govern the State. and con-
leu ~ uoI1Sonps pug SUIuIeIl su3 AIsSisI Iol4
children?
In olden times when the mother did all the
training OF her children. or 1t was done at least
under her direct supervision. then she couid
plant the principles OF integrity and personal
honor In their minds along with their knowl-
edge of books etc. aud she could well be con-
tent with her part In shaping the destinies OF
the country, by sending out men who were
rooted and grounded In honor and truth; but
her opportunity to so instruct is taken
from her, yet she Is given more leisure than
before. Would 1t not be better for her to fill
tons Of the day. with study of the country's
needs. than to spend 1t in silly gossip or
reading wishy-washy novels. combing and
washing her pet poodle and attending the
various place of ADJUSTMENTS of the day?
Is not the mother who reads, thinks and
understands fully as capable of casting vote,
as the senaeless dudes, who stand around the
corners frequent the billiard halls and the
gaming table whose only occupation Is spend
ing money earned by their fathers, and some
times by mothers or sisters. smoking, drinking
and ogling the ladies as they pass along the
streets? Yet they vote and have their say
about who shall control our city. State and
nation while the hardworking, self -sacrlhcing
mother, who has labored and IL laboring to pro-
vide home, food and shelter for her children.
and who is we'll enough educated to read and
understand the needs of the times, must not be
allowed the ballot, for fear 1t would make her
less womanly. unfit her for the training OF her
children.
The besotted bum can vote and his vote may
be bought for drink of whiskey. to be cast
against the very best interest Of the home. the
State and the nation, but the mother. even
though she be property owner and tax
payer. can have no voice in the law-making
| of a country whose slogan in the morning OF
| Its birth was taxation without representation
| Is tyranny"
God has nowhere said that woman should not
be given a~yoice in the governing OF the nation.
Instead In the beginning God placed them on
I equal footing in the garden. and evidently in
tended their equality, as He intended them TO
be pure and happy; but because Of their dis
obedience. which Adam tried to shit alto
gether on to poor Eve. and which man has
/ been doing since, curse was put upon
them Man who claims to be the stronger
vessel. yielded with n very slight temptation.
! The woman gave me. and ! did eat" while
the woman. although first in the disobedience
had the greater temptation. To her the tempter
| appealed personally, tempting her through her
desire for knowledge, and with the assurance
| that that they should mot surely die" Christ
Jesus came to redeem woman as we'll as man
from the curse, hence the curse put upon wo-
man has longer the force that 1t had then.
for as the mans curse Is modified through
the mediation of the Savior. till he can now
! have, IL he Will, communion with the rather.
so find womens curse Is modified too as We
read. There Is neither male female. for
ye all one in Christ Jesus"
Women often have to occupy positions that
are not supposed to be womanly, from the
stress OF poverty and from conditions forced
upon them by the result OF some of the man
made laws.
Many a drunkards wife. or widow, has been
forced to do Jantor work. and in many places
: work in glass mills and foundries, be-
the handmade laws have licensed that
which has destroyed their husbands body and
soul, and forced upon the mother the neces-
sity of doing anything to keep the children
together.
Is the woman less womanly for this? II
so. the is unsexed who does work tina
should be a womans, yet find them ir
the school room and even In the dressmakins
esa blishments, and doing clerical work tina
would be better fitted to their weaker CD sis
ter. Fully one-haf of the women OF votin,
age have children, and have plenty OF tins
to give to the study OF public questions. ant
few indeed Of those who have children, whs
could not spend little time in this study. ant
could not spare hour once year. to go Il
the polls and vote, taking much less time thar
= is often taken day after day In idle folly ant
dawdling useless fancy work. or readinl
worse than useless novels.
q Man has ruled over women SO long. that n
fears for his personal comfort, II hi
willing and obedient slave becomes his equal
But true Christianity will lift women from be
: meath mans feet. and place her by his side
a sharer in nil his interests God intende
o from the beginning. A. X. c.
. Richmond Va. Dec. 10, 1911.