The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-17

MANHOOD SUFFRAGE hac
oeen SO slowly won and after snch
long intervals, the friends of enuaI
suHrage have cause to congratulate
themselves and not to be depressed
ecause even so fair a proposition as
equai suffrage, without di. tinctiop of
seA' IS not yet fully won. While man
nooo suffrage has not been entirely
won after the lapse of more than q
century and a quarter of Republican
government the women have made
greater progress. The first State to
aoopt 1t was Wyoming in 1869 The
J mex was Colorado in 1893. Then in
reso Otah and Idaho. The the
State of Washington in 1910. Cali
lorna IN 1911. In 1912 Oregon,
Arizona, Kansas and the Territorx of
Alaska. In 1913 Illinois and last
tuesday Nevada and Montana. Be
Sloes this the Legislatures of New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and
Massachusetts passed the measure
iaSt year but under their constitution
IL is TO come up for a vote in their
legislatures again next year.
MoVcmen Gaining Ground.
You VIII see therefore that 13
States and one Territory in this
country nave representation at the
polls as an act of justice t it's women.
Besides this, full suffrage has been
granted in the six States of Australia,
and In the Commonwealth or Union
of that great Island as we'll as in
New ZealandsTNorway, Sweden, Fin
land, n Denmark. Also school
suffrage has been granted in some
~ other States of this Union, and in
many foreign countries and munich
pal suffrage has been granted
throughout Canada, Ireland, Scotland.
England, Belgium and the right to
vote on tax questions has been grant
ed in many towns and cities in New
y y nn6 - 49,
Mlchlgan, and a restricted suffrage
5 has been granted in France and many
other countries.
1t will be seen from this that
, suffrage is coming more easily and
I far more rapidly for the women that
manhood suffrage was won for the
men. This also is to be considered
that in winning suffrage the women
nave to get 1t from a majority vote OF
those who now exclusively exercise il
+ the men-but that after it is grant
a ed, as they themselves will be one hall
r of the voters, 1T can never be taker
away from them.
There are those who consider, OF
affect to consider, suffrage for womer
as a fad or a passing sentiment. Ii
@ truth 1t is one of the greatest evolu.
A tiOns of the ages. 1t has its roots faI
Q back in the past and in grea
economic causes.
r. II ClNlllLdtlOI VI dly people, IS Oc
q termined always by the status of it
women. In barbarous countries the.
are slaves and drudgeS. In Semi-civi
!, lized countries they are secluded. II
civilized countries they are the socia
. equals of men. But until recent,
- they were far inferior in legal an,
political rights.
Up to about 121 years ago tn
women were comparatively uneducat
ed. 1t vas then that Miss Emm
:, Willard founded the first college TO
= girls. When the doctrine was start
= ed that women had an equal right t
- education with men there was ia
IS more denunciation and more prophe
-, cies of evil than the equal suffrag
=. movement has ever had to face. Bu
y steadily he movement has won it
- way until now many intelligent me
IL believe not only that women Shout
~ be educated but that of the two thei
re education is more important than tha
y of the men, as an educated mOthe
~ will never be content for her chi
dren to grow up without education
CO The same can not be always said {
the fathers.
n Acquire Property Rights.
a. After the women acquired educs
ton, they naturally began a move
ment to acquire property lights. U
ri til about SO or so years ago, ver
generally the common law prevalle
in England and in this country tn;
no matter how much property a 81
OF possessed Immediately upon. ma
TO riage it became the sole property
dc her husband, except hat as TO NJ
he land he acquired only a life estate.
or woman possessed millions befol
q. marriage a moment thereafter ala n
at have five cents except by permisslc
;1I Of her husband. When the NOV
&c ment was started to change this II
a. superior sex, as they thought then
- selves. became very much exercise
They were certain that society wou
P dissolve and divorces would De l.
u rule if women owned their proper
after marriage.
60 But the movement proceeded, III
NJ til now this is almost universally u
vi case though there are sui son
&c gross determinations against Won1'
~ as to their legal rights in Nortf "a