Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
It is said, again, "Woman is a creature of such an excitable
nature that, if she were to mingle with men in public affairs, it
would introduce a kind of vindictive acrimony, and politics would
become intolerable." Oh, if I really thought so; if I thought
that the purity of politics would be sullied, I would not say
another word! (Laughter). I do not want to take anything from the
celestial graces of politics! (Renewed laughter). I will admit
that woman is an excitable creature, and I will admit that
politics needs no more excitement; but sometimes, you know,
things are homoeopathic. A woman's excitement is apt to put out a
man's; and if she should bring her excitability into politics, it
is likely that it would neutralize the excitement that is already
there, and that there would be a grand peace! (Laughter). But,
not to trifle with it, woman is excitable. Woman is yet to be
educated. Woman is yet to experience the reactionary influence of
being a public legislator and thinker. And let her sphere be
extended beyond the family and the school, so that she should be
interested in, and actively engaged in, promoting the welfare of
the whole community, and in the course of three generations the
reaction on her would be such that the excitement that she would
bring into public affairs would be almost purely moral
inspiration. It would be the excitement of purity and
disinterested benevolence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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