female suffrage-第5节

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of　positive　proof　ere　we　can　yield　to　it　our　implicit　belief。　The　citadel
we　are　urged　to　storm　was　built　by　the　hand　of　God。　The　flag　waving
over　that　citadel　is　the　flag　of　the　Cross。　When　the　Creator　made
one　entire　sex　so　much　more　feeble　in　physical　powers　than　the
other；　a　degree　of　subordination　on　the　part　of　the　weaker　sex
became　inevitable；　unless　it　were　counteracted　by　increase　of　mental
ability；　strengthened　by　special　precept。　But　the　mental　ability；　so
far　as　there　is　a　difference；　and　the　precept；　are　both　on　the　side　of
the　stronger　sex。　The　whole　past　history　of　the　race　coincides　so
clearly　with　these　facts　that　we　should　suppose　that　even　those　who
are　little　under　the　influence　of　Christian　faith　might　pause　era　they
attacked　that　citadel。　Common…sense　might　teach　them　something　of
caution；　something　of　humility；　when　running　counter　to　the　whole
past　experience　of　the　race。　As　for　those　who　have　a　living　belief　in
the　doctrines　of　Christianity；　when　they　find　that　revealed　religion；
from　the　first　of　the　Prophets　to　the　last　of　the　Apostles；　allots　a
subordinate　position　to　the　wife；　they　are　compelled　to　believe
Moses　and　St。　Paul　in　the　right；　and　the　philosophers　of　the　present
day；　whether　male　or　female；　in　the　wrong。　To　speak　frankly；　the
excessive　boldness　of　these　new　theories；　the　incalculable　and
inconceivable　benefits　promised　us　from　this　revolution　from　the
natural　condition　of　things　in　Christendomand　throughout　the　world
indeedwould　lead　us　to　suspicion。　Guides　who　appeal　to　the
imagination　when　discussing　practical　questions　are　not　generally
considered　the　safest。　And　the　champions　of　female　suffrage　are
necessarily　compelled　to　take　this　course。　They　have　no　positive
foundation　to　rest　on。　Mr。　Stuart　Mill　has　said　in　Parliament；　in
connection　with　this　subject；　that　〃the　tyranny　of　established　custom
has　entirely　passed　away。〃　Nothing　can　be　more　true　than　this
assertion。　As　a　rule；　the　past　is　now　looked　upon　with　doubt；
with　suspicion；　often　with　a　certain　sort　of　contempt；　very　far　from
being　always　consistent　with　sound　reason。　The　tyranny　of　the
present　dayand　it　may　be　just　as　much　a　tyranny　as　the　otheris
radically　opposite　in　character。　It　is　the　tyranny　of　novelty　to　which
we　are　most　exposed　at　present。　The　dangers　lie　chiefly　in　that
direction。　There　will　be　little　to　fear　from　the　old　until　the　hour　of
reaction　arrives；　as　it　inevitably　must；　if　the　human　mind　be　strained
too　far　in　a　new　direction。　At　present　the　more　startling　an　assertion；
the　farther　it　wanders　from　all　past　experience；　the　greater　are　its
chances　of　attracting　attention；　of　gaining　adherents；　of　achieving　at
least　a　partial　and　temporary　success。　In　the　age　and　in　the　country
which　has　seen　the　development　of　Mormonism　as　a　successful
religious；　social；　and　political　system；　nothing　should　surprise　us。
Such　is　the　restlessness　of　human　nature　that　it　will　often；　from
mere　weak　hankering　after　change；　hug　to　its　bosom　the　wildest
theories；　and　yield　them　a　temporary　allegiance。

Let　us　suppose　that　to…day　the　proposed　revolution　were　effected；
all　women；　without　restriction；　even　the　most　vile；　would　be
summoned　to　vote　in　accordance　with　their　favorite　theory　of
inalienable　right。　That　class　of　women；　and　other　degraded　classes
of　the　ignorant　and　unprincipled；　will　always　be　ready　to　sell　their
votes　many　times　overto　either　party；　to　both　parties；　to　the
highest　bidder；　in　short。　They　will　sell　their　vote　much　more　readily
than　the　lowest　classes　of　men　now　do。　They　will　hold　it　with　greater
levity。　They　will　trifle　with　it。　They　will　sell　their　vote　any　day　for　a
yard　of　ribbon　or　a　tinsel　broochunless　they　are　offered　two　yards
of　ribbon　or　two　brooches。　They　will　vote　over　again　every　hour　of
every　election　day；　by　cunning　disguises　and　trickery。　And　thus；　so
far　as　women　are　concerned；　the　most　degraded　element　in　society
will；　in　fact；　represent　the　whole　sex。　Nay；　they　will　probably　not
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　wo