Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-02-12

minors, idiots, lunatics and criminals.
one understands that minors should
not vote, because they have not ac-
ouired sense; idiots also, for they
never had any senses lunatics too, for
they unfortunately lost their sense;
criminals, for they.have made q wrong
use of the scnse God gave them: and
women-so far, research has found no
satisfactory reason. Upon reflection,
end a study of present day conditions
it requires but little daring to pro-
,phesy that within a decade equal SUI
frage will be nationwide.
Woman's happiest and most uSeful
sphere is unquestionably the home,
but economic pressure has driven
many women from the purpose of
home making Into competitive toll un-
der regulations and laws which she
las no voice in controlling.
DR.. William Rainsford says, "Wheth-
er we greet it with dismay CT hopeful
ness, one of the results of our civili-
zation is that legislation is entering
spheres which are peculiarly woman's.
Once upon q time legislation had chief
" to do with property. Now points
that we cannot dream of legislating
about are 60 dealt with IS a matter of
course. We Iegislate about homes
sanitary questions, education, rela-
lions of labor to capital, licensing
questions-al moral questions these,
questions that in the most intimate
ways affect the home as well as the
outside interests of life, and questions
on which woman is not only a judge,
but decidedly the best judge. 1t is
MOST unreasonable and unfair that in
these questions where experience is
vital and all her tenderest interests
are Immediately affected and her in
fuence should be confined to an indi-
1ect influence, and her vote if record
ed at all only recorded through pres
sure on her husband or her sons"
1t is claimed that the women of this
country do ninety per cent of the buyr
ing. This being true they are GER
tainly interested in the laws which
are supposed to regulate the cost of
giving. Those opposed to the ballot
for women never cease to harp upon
the neglected husband and children.
and the uncared for home. Would il
bot be absurd to say that the man
who studies the political question of
the day, and casts his vote for what he
believes to be right and best musS
necessarily neglect his business as
lawyer, farmer, merchant, physician,
or whatever his calling may be? Why
is it less absurd when applied to wo-
men?
In one state alone more than 2O0.-
600 married women are working in
mills. We hear nothing of their neg
lected homes and families. To M
knowledge not even a protest has ever
been raised against their thus support
ing themselves and their households.
One able writer argues that owing to
Woman's physical organization there
are times when she is unfit for any
thing like severe mental or physical
work. Thousands of school tachers
are doing the %severest mental labor
quite as successfully as men, and
thousands are doing the hardest phys
ical work in addition to attending to
the mental and moral welfare of thei
children. This they do. NJ at stated
intervals, but every day, year in and
year out. We hear nothing of their
physical or mental u~n1itness for it.
IN relation to the government her sex
compels her to remain a minor. Yet
she has a right to ownership, may buy
and sell, sue and be sued, inherit and
transfer estates, she may be indicted,
imprisoned, and punished with death.
Surely this proves her profound inter
est in state affairs equally with man,
and to deprive her of all authority is,
not only a grave injustice, but de-
stroys her individual rights, which her
natural relation to society confers
upon her.
Governments drive their just pow
ers of governing from the consent of
the governed"
So declares the Constitution Of the
United States, and yet a large mum.
Der of its Industrious, law-abiding. tax
paying, home-making citizens are de-
MED any representation i nthe MAX
ing of laws under which they must
live.
Think of the injustice of our inherit
ance laws.
If a wife who owns property fails to