Social Science and Woman Suffrage. 77 



Two years of dismissal of it from the mind in tliese days is to 

 take a Eip Van Winkle sleep upon it. It may be said tliat 

 men neglect politics when they please ; and it may be asked 

 why women may not do so also. The answer is, men do neg- 

 lect it ; mothers ought to. 



The appearance of woman in politics then means her constant 

 agency in it. It must take that form or our politics will be 

 swept by the lower stratum of society with majorities such as 

 we never heard of before. The mothers there will be govern- 

 ed by neither reason nor delicacy. They will appear at the 

 polls let what will of maternity betide. And then must come 

 our appeals to the mothers of culture and refinement not to 

 allow our system to be swamped by the votes of the stolid and 

 ignorant. Now remember that woman is particularly im- 

 pressible to duty. Remember that motherhood from its pecul- 

 iar physiological conditions is especially sensitive to excite- 

 ment ; then think of a presidential campaign and ask if the 

 considerations from physiology alone are not sufficient to war- 

 rant shutting the gate against the possibility of bringing the 

 sense of duty to bear on the mothers of our land, in such times 

 of passion and agitation ? The Independent^ a firm and reason- 

 able advocate of woman suffrage, says with respect to suffrage 

 as it now exists : " Not to vote is an offence against society as 

 stealing is an offence." That is right. And that is bringing 

 the sense of duty home to men as it ought to be brought. 

 But will you lash motherhood to political action with any such 

 scorpion ? Yet it must be done if she is to step into the polit- 

 ical arena to take equal responsibilities with man. Voting is 

 not all of the matter. Behind the vote must be planning and 

 care and anxiety and effort that the election go rightly. 



The physiology of this matter must somehow be brought to 

 the front in the public consideration, unless we are willing to 

 take a Niagara plunge on folded oar. 



To ask woman to take up the department of politics ought 

 to be considered an imposition upon her. 



