Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
Only then can be realized the full import of God's words when He
said, "It is not well for man to be alone."
Mrs. Douglas analyzed without mercy the pronouncements of Paul
regarding women and said: "The pulpits may insist that Paul was
infallible but I prefer to believe that he was human and liable to
err." When she had finished Dr. Shaw remarked dryly: "I have often
thought that Paul was never equalled in his advice to wife, mother and
maiden aunt except by the present occupant of the Presidential chair"
[Roosevelt].
To Mrs. Blatch was given the privilege of speaking to the resolution
so strenuously insisted upon by her mother: "It is the duty of the
women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to
the elective franchise." In the course of an animated speech she said:
Mrs. Stanton was quick to see and, what is greater, quick to
seize the psychological moment, and in that July of 1848 she had
not only the inspiration but the determination to grasp the
opportunity to set forth a resolution asking "votes for women."
How clear was her vision, how perfect her sense of balance!
Property rights might be gained, rights of person protected,
guardianship of children achieved, but without the ballot she saw
all would be insecure. What was given today might be taken away
tomorrow unless women themselves possessed the power to make or
remake laws. Women are getting the sense of solidarity by being
crowded together in the workshop; they are learning the lesson of
fellowship. Brought side by side in the college and in the
business world, they are beginning to learn that they have a
common interest. They know now that they form a class. The
anti-suffragist is the isolated woman, she is the belated product
of the 18th century. She is not intentionally, viciously selfish,
she has merely not developed into 20th century fellowship. She is
unrelated to our democratic society of today.... How shallow, in
the face of that idea of duty in fulfilling our obligations of
citizenship, sound the words of Governor Hughes that "when women
want the vote they will get it!" Want it? That is no measure of
social need. It was death to the nation to have slavery within
its bounds but no one advised waiting until the enslaved negroes
wanted to be free before this dire disease should be cured. The
State needs the attention of women, their thought, their service,
and so it becomes the duty of all who have the best interests of
the State at heart to seek to bind women to it in closest bonds
of citizenship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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