Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
It is urged that woman does not desire the privilege. If the
right exist at all it is an individual right, and not one which
belongs to a class or to the sex as such. Yet men tell us that
they will vote to give the suffrage to women whenever the
majority of women desire it. What would we say if it were
seriously proposed to recall the suffrage from all colored or
from all white men because a majority of either class should
decline or for any cause fail to vote? If one or many choose not
to claim their right it is no argument for depriving me of mine
or one woman of hers. There are many reasons why some women
declare themselves opposed to the extension of suffrage to their
sex. Some well-fed and pampered, without serious experiences in
life, are incapable of comprehending the subject at all. Vast
numbers, who secretly and earnestly desire it, from the long
habit of deference to the wishes of the other sex upon whom they
are so entirely dependent, and knowing the hostility of their
"protectors" to it, conceal their real sentiments. The "lord" of
the family referring this question to his wife, who has heard him
sneer or worse than sneer at suffragists for half a lifetime,
ought not expect an answer which she knows will subject her to
his censure and ridicule. It is like the old appeal of the master
to his slave to know if he would like to be free. Full well did
the wise and wary slave know that happiness depended upon
declaring contentment with his lot....
We are told that husband and wife will disagree and thus the
suffrage will destroy the family and ruin society. If a married
couple will quarrel at all, they will find the occasion, and it
would be fortunate indeed if their contention might concern
important affairs. There is no peace in the family save where
love is, and the same spirit which enables husband and wife to
enforce the toleration act between themselves in religious
matters will keep the peace between them in political
discussions. At all events this argument is unworthy of notice
unless we are to push it to its logical conclusion, and, for the
sake of peace in the family, to prohibit woman absolutely the
exercise of free speech and action. Men live with their
countrymen and yet disagree with them in politics, religion and
ten thousand of the affairs of life, as often the trifling as the
important. What harm, then, if woman be allowed her thought and
vote upon the tariff, education, temperance, peace, war, and
whatsoever else the suffrage decides.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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