Life and writings of Amelia BloomerBloomer, D. C. (Dexter C.)
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Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer
Bloomer, D. C. (Dexter C.)
Bloomer, Amelia Jenks, 1818-1894; Women's rights -- United States
“4. ‘Because woman is superior to man, and she owes her superiority
to the fact that she has never waded in the dirty pool of
politics.’ Dear me! how worried this man is about the ‘dirty,’
‘miserable’ politics! And again how strange, knowing the pool to
be so muddy, that he has waded in so deep! and to think of his
going home to his family with all this filth upon him! Really, if
the place is so muddy it is high time that woman come in, with all
the purity and goodness he gives her credit for, and sweep out the
dirt that is befouling her husband and sons and make it a more fit
place for them. An atmosphere that is too impure for her to breathe
cannot but be dangerous to them, and it is her duty to rescue them
from the ‘muddy’ pool or so to cleanse it that it will be safe for
both.
“5. Senator Gaylord may call himself a wizard if he likes, and
we shall not object; but women prefer not to be angels while
sojourning here below, but rather good, sensible, practical wives
and mothers, prepared to discharge life’s duties in whatever
situation they may be placed—in the home, at the ballot-box or in
legislative halls, wherever duty, interest and inclination may lead
them.
“6. ‘Because a deference is now shown to women, which would be
denied,’ etc. Deference shown to women does not make up for
deprivation of rights, Mr. Gaylord. Besides, it is not a fact, but
on the contrary, that equality of rights, politically or otherwise,
leads men to disrespect woman. Give us rights and then, if you
must, withhold courtesy: I trust we should have strength to bear it.
“7. ‘Because, if married women should vote against their husbands,
there would be war.’ And who would make the war, Mr. Gaylord? No
man, except one who wishes to play the tyrant in his family and
enslave his wife’s thought and actions, could ever utter so silly
a reason for depriving her of rights to which she is as justly
entitled as himself. Does he question the right of a man to do his
own thinking and vote as he pleases? Why then a woman? The very
fact that he thus claims the right to make her action subservient
to his wishes, or to make war upon her if she does not submit to
his own dictation, is reason sufficient why her individuality and
right to self-government should be recognized and secured to her by
making her an enfranchised citizen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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