female suffrage-第6章

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unfrequently　command　the　elections；　as　three　colored　women　are
said　once　to　have　done　in　New　Jersey。　A　hundred　honest　and
intelligent　women　can　have　but　one　vote　each；　and　at　least　fifty　of
these　will　generally　stay　at　home。　If；　which　God　forbid；　it　actually
comes　to　female　voting；　a　very　small　proportion　of　the　sex　will；　at
common　elections；　appear　at　the　polls。　Avocations　more　urgent；
more　natural　to　them；　and　in　which　they　are　more　deeply　interested；
will　keep　them　away。　The　degraded　women　will　be　there　by　the
scores；　as　tools　of　men；　enjoying　both　the　importance　of　the　hour；
the　fun；　and　THE　PAY。　Fifty　women；　known　to　be　thieves　and
prostitutes；　will　hold；　at　a　moderate　calculation；　say　two　hundred
votes。　And；　as　women　form　the　majority　of　the　resident　population　in
some　States；　that　wretched　element　of　society　will；　in　fact；　govern
those　States；　or　those　who　bribe　them　will　do　so。　Massachusetts；
very　favorable　to　female　suffrage　now；　will　probably　come　round　to
the　opinion　of　New　Jersey　in　former　days。　Great　will　be　the
consumption　of　cheap　ribbons；　and　laces；　and　artificial　flowers；　and
feathers；　and　tinsel　jewelry；　in　every　town　and　village　about　election
time；　after　emancipation　is　achieved。　We　are　compelled　to　believe
so；　judging　from　our　knowledge　of　human　nature；　and　of　the　use
already　made　of　bribery　at　many　elections。　The　demagogues　will　be
more　powerful　than　ever。　Their　work　will　be　made　easy　for　them。　It
seems；　indeed；　probable　that　under　the　new　era　our　great　elections
shall　become　a　sort　of　grand　national　gift　concerns；　of　which　the
most　active　demagogues　of　all　parties　will　be　the　managers。　Not
that　women　are　more　mercenary；　or　more　unprincipled　than　men。　God
forbid！　That　would　be　saying　too　much。　We　entirely　believe　the
reverse　to　be　true。　But　the　great　mass　of　women　can　never　be　made
to　take　a　deep；　a　sincere；　a　discriminating；　a　lasting　interest　in　the
thousand　political　questions　ever　arising　to　be　settled　by　the　vote。
They　very　soon　weary　of　such　questions。　On　great　occasions　they　can
work　themselves　up　to　a　state　of　frenzied　excitement　over　some　one
political　question。　At　such　times　they　can　parade　a　degree　of
unreasoning　prejudice；　of　passionate　hatred；　of　blind　fury；　even
beyond　what　man　can　boast　of。　But；　in　their　natural　condition；　in
everyday　life；　they　do　not　take　instinctively　to　politics　as　men　do。
Men　are　born　politicians；　just　as　they　are　born　masons；　and
carpenters；　and　soldiers；　and　sailors。　Not　so　women。　Their　thoughts
and　feelings　are　given　to　other　matters。　The　current　of　their　chosen
avocations　runs　in　another　channel　than　that　of　politicsa　channel
generally　quite　out　of　sight　of　politics；　it　is　an　effort　for　them　to　turn
from　one　to　the　other。　With　men；　on　the　contrary；　politics；　either
directly　or　indirectly；　are　closely；　palpably；　inevitably　blended　with
their　regular　work　in　life。　They　give　their　attention　unconsciously；
spontaneously；　to　politics。　Look　at　a　family　of　children；　half　boys；
half　girls；　the　boys　take　instinctively　to　whips　and　guns　and　balls
and　bats　and　horses；　to　fighting　and　wrestling　and　riding；　the　girls
fondle　their　dolls；　beg　for　a　needle　and　thread；　play　at　housekeeping；
at　giving　tea…parties；　at　nursing　the　sick　baby；　at　teaching　school。
That　difference　lasts　through　life。　Give　your　son；　as　he　grows　up；　a
gun　and　a　vote；　he　will　delight　in　both。　Give　your　daughter；　as　she
grows　up；　a　gun　and　a　vote；　and；　unless　she　be　an　exceptional
woman；　she　will　make　a　really　good　use　of　neither。　Your　son　may　be
dull；　but　he　will　make　a　good　soldier；　and　a　very　tolerable　voter。
Your　daughter　may　be　very　clever；　but　she　would　certainly　run　away
on　the　battle…held；　and　very　probably　draw　a　caricature　on　the
election　ticket。　There　is　the　making　of　an　admirable　wife　and　mother；
and　a　valuable　member　of　society；　in　that　clever　young　woman。　She
is　highly　intelligent；　thoroughly　well　educated；　reads　Greek　and
Latin；　and　has　a　wider　range　of　knowledge　and　thought　than　ninety…
nine　in　a　hundred　of　the　voters　in　the　same　district；　but　there　is
nothing　of　the
politician　in　her　nature。　She　would　rather　any　day　read　a　fine　poem
than　the　best　political　speech　of　the　hour。　What　she　does　know　of
politics　reaches　her　through　that　dull　but　worthy　brother　of　hers。　It　is
only　occasionally　that　we　meet　women　with　an　inherent　bias　for
politics；　and　those　are　not；　as　a　rule；　the　highest　type　of　the　sexit
is　only　occasionally　that　they　are　so。　The　interest　most　women　feel
in　politics　is　secondary；　factitious；　engrafted　on　them　by　the　men
nearest　to　them。　Women　are　not　abortive　men；　they　are　a　distinct
creation。　The　eye　and　the　ear；　though　both　belonging　to　the　same
body；　are　each；　in　a　certain　sense；　a　distinct　creation。　A　body
endowed　with　four　ears　might　hear　remarkably　well；　but　without　eyes
it　would　be　of　little　use　in　the　world。　A　body　with　four　eyes　would
have　a　fourfold　power　of　vision；　and　would　consequently　become
nearly　as　sharp…sighted　as　a　spider；　but　without　hearing　its　powers
of　sight　would　avail　little。　In　both　cases；　half　the　functions　of　the
human　being；　whether　physical　or　mental；　would　be　very　imperfectly
performed。　Thus　it　is　with　men　and　women；　each　has　a　distinct
position　to　fill　in　the　great　social　body；　and　is　especially　qualified　for
it。　These　distinct　positions　are　each　highly　important。　And　it　is
reasonable　to　believe　that；　by　filling　their　own　peculiar　position
thoroughly　well；　women　can　best　serve　their　Creator；　their　fellow…
creatures；　and　themselves。　No　doubt　you　may；　if　you　choose；　by
especial　education　from　childhood　upward；　make　your　girls　very
respectable　politicians；　as　much　so　as　the　majority　of　your　sons。　But
in　that　case　you　must　give　up　your　womanly　daughtersyou　must　be
content　with　manly　daughters。　This　essential　difference　between　the
sexes　is　a　very　striking　fact；　yet　the　advocates　of　female　suffrage
constantly　lose　sight　of　it；　they　talk　and　write　as　if　it　had　no
existence。　It　is　not　lack　of　intellect　on　the　part　of　women；　but
difference　of　intellect；　or　rather　a　difference　of　organization　and
affinities　giving　a　different　bias　to　the　intellect；　which　is　the　cause　of
their　distinct　mental　character　as　a　sex。　And；　owing　to　this　essential
difference；　the　great　majority　of　women　are　naturally　disinclined　to
politics；　and　partially　unfitted　for　action　in　that　field。




FEMALE　SUFFRAGE。
A　LETTER　TO　THE　CHRISTIAN　WOMEN　OF　AMERICA。
Part　II。

LET　us　now　look　for　a　moment　at　the　actual　condition　of　women　in
America；　in　connection　with　the　predicted　elevation。　We　are　told　they
are　to　be　elevated　by　the　suffrageand　that　by　hanging　on　to　the
election　tickets　in　the　hands　of　their　wives；　the　men　are　to　be
elevated　with　them。　What；　therefore；　is　the　ground　women　now
occupy；　and　from　whence　they　are　to　soar　upward　on　the　paper　wings
of　the　ballot？　The　principal　facts　connected　with　that　position　are
self…evident；　there　is　nothing　vague　or　uncertain　here；　we　have　but
to　look　about　us　and　the　question　is　answered。　We　already　know；　for
instance；　from　daily　observation　and　actual　experience；　that；　as　a
general　rule；　the　kindness　and　consideration　of　American　men　have
been　great；　both　in　public　and　in　private　life。　We　know　that　in
American　society　women　have　been　respected；　they　have　been
favored；　they　have　been　protected；　they　have　been　beloved。　There
has　been　a　readiness　to　listen　to　their　requests；　to　redress
grievances；　to　make　changes　whenever　these　have　become　necessary
or　advisable。　Such；　until　very　recently；　has　been　the　general　current
of　public　feeling；　the　general　tendency　of　public　action；　in　America。　If
there　appear　to…day　occasional　symptoms　of　a　change　in　the　tone　of
men　on　this　point；　it　is　to　be　attributed　to　the　agitation　of　the　very
question　we　are　now　discussing。　Whenever　women　make　ill…judged；
unnatural；　extravagant　demands；　they　must　prepare　to　lose　ground。
Yes；　even　where　the　particular　points　in　dispute　are　conceded　to
their　reiterated　importunity；　they　must　still　eventually　lower　their
general　standing　and　consideration　by　every　false　step。　There　are
occasions　where　victory　is　more　really　perilous　than　a　timely　defeat；
a　temporar