Year: 1870

III dlnOSG every namlel, village, CITY
and town in the nation, and yet, but
comparatively few have had the eour-
age to raise their voices and cry, 81
forbid" Men seem to shrink from
opposing those principles which ladies
advocate and uphold. But the time
has come when we must lay aside all
these little prejudiees, all these foolish
notions of impropriety, and look at
this question of Woman Suffrage as
we would look at any other great ques-
ton of national Importance. As it
must soon engage the attention of the
masses, let us briefly examine very
few of its points and see whether, as
a nation, we ought to aecede to the
demand of these Feminine Solons.


1t has been pretty firmly fixed, if
not by the DEGREES Of an All-wise
Providence at least by the common
consent and practice of all mankind,
that wOman's sphere is, practically,
domestic one. Taking that as self
evident truth, will not the comforting
upon her of the elective franchise have
a tendency to draw her from the dut-
les of this. sphere, and place her in
one for which, by nature, she is total
ly untitled? None can deny, but that
to become acquainted with the politi-
cal condition of the country, without
the knowledge of which no one can
constitute a good voter, much time
must be spent. Editorials must be
read, Congressional proceedings pc
rused, newspapers devoured, mass
meetings attended and Conventions
waited upon. TOdo this, women must
neglect the duties of their firesides.
Men can attend to all these political
duties without any serious embarrass-
ment to their labors; but the peculiar
condition in which women have been
placed renders it impossible for them
to do so. They cannot stump the
country, deliver political harangues,
and attend mass meetings, without do
ing great injustice to their families.


Again, if elected to office, what must
necessarily be the condition of their
homes? 1t needs no artists hand to
paint home with the absence of the
mother. The imagination can too well
conceive of the horrors of such de-
plOrable scene. The education, NOR
al, mental and physical, of the chill
dren is neglected. They are allowed
to grow up into maturity without the
governing and directing care of a kind
mother. No watchfvl eye directs their
course; no kind hand guides their
youthful footsteps. They are led into
the fascinating paths of the god of
pleasure. Unable to Withstand his
terrible influence, they are soon thrown
into the whirlpool of destruction and
"lost! lostw is written upon their
fOreheads.


Yes the influence of a mother over
the character of a child, is too great to
allow her to be taken from the dOmes-
tic circle topreside over the destinies Of
the state or nation. It's to her benign
influence that we are indebted for our
best statesmen, our best lawyers, our
best editors and our best men in every
other department in life. To her,
more than any one else, is intrusted
the future welfare and prosperity of
the nation, and if we take from her
hands the education of the youth of
the land by clothing her with the
weighty responsibilities of the voter,
God forbid that the future history of
America should ever be chronicled.
We might, it is true, annually, set
aside aside vast relay of old maids
for the purpose of holding public Of
fees, but Heaven pity the nation un-
der their regimeI


Married men would find it worse
than a Despotism, and old bachelors
would declare it absolutely intolera-
ble." Woman's place is no more at
the polls than it is at the anvil or at
the workbench. When she can hew
down forests, build an iron girdle
around the earth, or bind the cOnti-
nents together by wire cable, she
can claim, with some degree of fair
ness, that the elective franchise should
be conferred upon her. But such are
not her duties, herplace is at the fam
ily fireside, around the home circle,
and any and all attempts TO draw her
from the duties of this sphere, if sue
cessful, cannot but result in disastrous
consequences to the country.


She may be capable of exercising
the rights and privileges of a voter,
but would she make a good ruler p
The advocates Of Woman Suffrage
herald with considerable flourish the
startlingannouncementth that thereigns
Of females have, as a rule, been more
successful and prosperous than those
of males. Have they? VIII history
hold them out i'll the assertion? Let
US see. Take, for instance, the reign
of that woman who is held up by the
Woman Suffiagists as a model Queen,
Elizabeth of England. Will they pre-
tend to place her reign by the side of
that of Alfred the Great? Look at
their acts. Compare tie two. While
the one discouraged literature, science
and art, the other did everything in
his power for their advancement
While the one delighted in cruelty,
blOOdshed and debauchery, the other