Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
It is said, furthermore, "Woman might vote for herself, and take
office." Why not? A woman makes as good a postmistress as a man
does a postmaster. Woman has been tried in every office from the
throne to the position of the humblest servant; and where has she
been found remiss? I believe that multitudes of the offices that
are held by men are mere excuses for leading an effeminate life;
and that with their superior physical strength it behooves them
better to be actors out of doors, where the severity of climate
and the elements is to be encountered, and leave indoor offices
to women, to whom they more properly belong. But, women, you are
not educated for these offices. I hear bad reports of you. It is
told me that the trouble in giving places to women is that they
will not do their work well; that they do not feel the sense of
conscience. They have been flattered so long, they have been
called "women" so long, they have had compliments instead of
rights so long, that they are spoiled; but when a generation of
young women shall have been educated to a stern sense of right
and duty, and shall take no compliments at the expense of right,
we shall have no such complaints as these. And when a generation
of women, working with the love of God and true patriotism in
their souls, shall have begun to hold office, meriting it, and
being elected to it by those that would rather have a woman than
a man in office, then you may depend upon it that education has
qualified them for the trusts which are committed to them. We
have tried "old women" in office, and I am convinced that it
would be better to have _real_ women than virile old women in
public stations. (Laughter and applause). For my own sake, give
me a just, considerate, true, straight-forward, honest-minded,
noble-hearted woman, who has been able, in the fear of God, to
bring up six boys in the way they should go, and settle them in
life. If there is anything harder in this nation than that, tell
me what it is. A woman that can bring up a family of
strong-brained children, and make good citizens of them, can be
President without any difficulty. (Applause).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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