Year: 1870

n


Issue Of the Woman Rights Question


From woodruff & Claims Weekly.l


Whatever may be said to the con-
trary by the advocates Of WOman's
rights the true tendency and ultimate
end OF that movement is to very ma
terially change, IL not entirely des-
troy, the present marriage system.--
Devotion to any one pursuit for any
considerable time implies an under
standing OF its principles and purpos-
es. This being as true OF reform as
any other occupation, such an aser-
tiOn as the above is unnecessary to
the leaders in the work OF to those ae-
lively engaged IN it. They kzoaD It
although many Of them choose for
polite reasons to deny the fact. But
that the most prominent and intelIi-
gent leaders know this fact and ignore
it I assert and intend TO prove. 81
Who ever heard any one connected
with any woman suffrage advocate.
make a speech on the hesubject-and ali
of them have made many-who did
not denOunce and deplore the unhap-
py condition Of married women /? In
deed, since the suffrage agitation frsf
began, what instance Of q husbands
tyranny or brutality ever became
known that Was not used as an addi-l
dOnal argument for woman s suffrage2
Is there no significance to be found in
such facts as these-no refutation Of
subsequent denials? When brought
to bay with these questions, the reply
Is that suffrage Is the remedy. When
women can legislate, they will 50
amend the laws that woman shall be
made mans equal and, being his
equal, she will be placed beyond his
control and beyond his oppression
Now, all that sounds very plausible to
the initiated. But how Is legislation
to remedy the wrongs growing cut Of
q certain condition, If the condition
itself is not TO be interfered with p
Answer that, oh ye servants!
Depend upon 1t, we have begun at the
wrong end Of the snsrl and it is Ia
Dor lost to work for Womanis rights
until she has the right to herself; and
she can never possess that right until
the marriage mummery, that gives
her to man, is abolished. When that
intrepid little pioneer sheet, named
the ReUottstiOH, was first launched
upon the journalistic wave Of this
city, 1t was earnest and firm in its
intention to help the work Of social
regeneration in the right way, the
right way being the honest, straight
forward one Of announcing the prin.
ciple end in view, and working always
on that principle and toward that
end. The ReUOltttiOn discussed mar
riage and kindred evil feaTlessly for a
time. Soon, however, it began to
grow conservative, and continued
growing in that direction until it be-
came a sort Of mongrel. Thence it
became an orthodox trucker Of the
weakest type, and then, at last, it
blazOned forth with this ridiculous
motto: Whom God hath Joined to-
gether let no man put asunder pi-
Thus were marked the three stages Of
its moral decline. AS was natural,
nothing could be expected fOrsuch an
apOstate to its prOfessed faith but GER
tain death. Just here, ] should like
to ask how it is known "whom God
hath joined tOgether2" l. the ab-
sence Of any direct communication
from God to the contrary, are not the
feelings Of the parties themselves to-
ward each other the best suggestions
for their actions? It seems to me
about time that these self-cOnstituted
deputies OF God Almighty were COM
PEELED by their victims to relinquish
their claims to divine authority, OF
else to prove beyond per adventure
that they are the '.eleCtn and "ehO-
sem for regulating the relation Of the
sexes, and prOnOuncing upon mar
rage by producing credentials from
headquarters to that effect.


Furthermore, I wish some lightning
calculator. or something, would find
out the. exact state civilization needed
to do away with that religious cant
that first binds two antagOnistie na-
lures together as man and wife, and
then eOmpels them to a lifelong fight,
in "the name Of GOdi"


How did the idea first become prev
alent that wOman's rights meant the
abolition Of marriage, unless embOdi-
ed in the question? Or, to be more
explicit; If q proposition did not in
vOlve certain results, would the re-
suits ever suggest themselves in con-
nection with the proposition That
such Is the prevailing opinion among
all classes, no intelligent person viii


attempt to deny; and it is because Of
this that the suffrage movement prop
er "hang fire" so to speak. 1t has
reached that point in its progress
where its tendencies are generally de-
vined, and nearly every one engaged
in the work becomes suddenly silent
or judiciOusly Conservative, for the
sole reason that everybody fears to be
first 70 touch the subject which lies
nearest everybOdyis heart.


No retrograde movement is possible
in the realm Of thought. That the
work is suspended, I sdmit, and for
this reason thewOrkers on that branch
Of social question have reached their
conservative line. There is nothing
more for them to do, and the whole
suffrage movement is in abayanee,
waiting to be taken up where they
have ended, and that is at exactly the
point where the suffrage question
ends, and the marriage question be-
gins. SARAH F. NORTON.