Year: 1873




wants of society at large.


Does the proposed measure of woman
suffrage serve as a remedial action :? |
Years before, the question had been
brought forward, Why should not wo-
men vote When the question was open
ed in this practical form l said to myself,
Il can't tell why women cannot aid men
in this work. We can never conquer in
temperance unless we give woman the
ballot, and allow her the undisputed &C
ton of her purifying will. Since that
time-now more than a quarter of a CEN
tury ago-I have not only not seen any
thing to shake my conviction formed
twenty years ago. but what / have gain
ed from experience has only confirmed
me in my opinion of the necessity of wo-
man suffrage. The train of thought in
duced then has led to the conclusion
that there is a medium of influence which,
SO far, has never been ghtly appreciated.
If we give to women this practical right
to enter into the affairs of society at
large we shall surely diminish crime.
When we reflect that more than four
fifths of the murders and crimes that dis
grace our social system are the result OF
intemperanee, what surer guarantees for
repression are there than the right thus
claimed for the women of our land 2


/ viii put the case stronger still. We
have tried the present system, and have
failed. Since we have done so, will 1T not
be wise for US, though with faint hope
of success, to try another system2 Bet
ter try the experiment, and see whether
it might not succeed than leave the prob
lem to the already defeated medium of
reform. have presented the case only
alphabetically. Let us see what are the
objections made to the proposed plan.


The speaker then took up the various
objections made to woman suffrage. He
thought that there was nothing in the
physical condition of women to prevent
the exercise of the right of suffrage, CIV
ing illustrations thereof. Referring to
the plea that women, intellectually, were
not so strong and positive as men, the
speaker thought that women took great
interest in public and political matters
that they had more than their share, as
it was said by some, of that curiosity
which leads one to seize the secrets OF
current events. But it is said that men
are better fitted to govern. have known
men, he said, with wives more talented,
brighter, more able to judge than them
selves; better able, therefore, to decide
upon public business, as well as all the
| other business that falls to the house
hold. Why should not these have the
| right their husbands have2 To the spec
iaI plea that woman, SO filed with graces
and beauty, delicacy and refinement,
! suOu1O uOL uaOD1S ia POiAClCSi lAS SPSarASA
asked how the mere fact of dropping a
piece of paper in the ballot-box could
| corrupt her.


! Bishop Simpsons analysis of the vari-
Gus objections to woman exercise of this
right and her claims to the right was
marked by strong and original illustra-
| tions. He referred to the higher posi-
ton in the regard of men which woman
occupied to-day, than when he had first
\ 0iSoH his uniaa IN hohaif of her RIGHTS
He believed that the comforts and the
advantages of our school system would
be vastly improved vastly purified, if
woman could only be made a school di-
rector. He asserted that if the right of
suffrage was given, woman's refinement
| would refine her husband and her broth
er; that the polls would no longer be, as
they are now, foul and disgusting places
| of obscenity and political debauchery,
but would through her, be exalted into
something better. He did not see the
necessity of her going to the polls with
men; other places more retired, might
be found and would be found for her.
He drew from the Bible illustrations to
| show the fallacy of the objections of THOSE
who base their opposition on the Divine
law


Upon the political question he did not
think that either the Democratic or Re-
publican party will be specially advan-
tagged by this right of suffrage. He did
not believe that there would be much
difference between the opinions of the
husband and wife, but he thought that
the man would be refined and his polit-
ical action purified by the influence of
woman working in practical direction.
Man needs the supplement of woman to
himself in society, and in our modern
| system, as of old, the voice of God comes
sounding to US, ut is not good for man
to be alone"


1t has come to the simple proposition
Society must go down or women must
vote. say, better that women should
vote than that society should perish
| Wyoming and Utah have adopted wo-
mems suffrage. Strange to say, the sun
still rises and sets there The men are
men STILL and the women are women
still, and it is noticeable thing that in
the latter territory, twenty-four hours af-
ter women had the right of action, the
gamblers had taken to flight. / have
waited long for the time to come when
women shall vote, and l think l now see
the dawn breaking. Surely it is at hand !!