THE RELATION OF THE SEXES TO GOVERNMENT. 729 



the state, than the wife, because more independent. The number 

 of men and women who woukl adopt some system of marriage 

 without obligation, would greatly increase. Confidence and sym- 

 pathy between married people would be in many instances im- 

 paired ; in fact, the first and many other steps would be taken in 

 the process of weakening home affection, and there would follow a 

 corresponding loss of its civilizing influences and a turning back- 

 ward of the current of moral progress. The intervention of 

 women into public affairs is to be dreaded also by those who de- 

 sire peace among men. Both women and their male friends resent 

 treatment for them which men would quite disregard as applied 

 to themselves ; and woman suffrage would see the introduction of 

 more or less numerous women into public life. The extreme and 

 irresponsible language used by Mrs. Stanton and Mrs. Lathrop at 

 the last woman's congress in Washington effectively illustrate this 

 aspect of the question. 



The devotional nature of women must not be left out of the 

 account in considering this question. While this element is of 

 immense value to that sex and to society when expended upon 

 ethical themes, when it is allied to theological issues it becomes 

 an obstruction to progress of the most serious nature. Were 

 ■ woman suffrage granted, theological questions would at once as- 

 sume a new political importance, and religious liberty and tolera- 

 tion would have to pass through new perils and endure the test 

 of new strains. What the effect would be we can not foresee, but 

 it could not be good. The priest would acquire a new political 

 importance, and the availability of candidates would be greatly 

 influenced by the question of their church afiiliations. 



Many objections would be nullified if women should vote un- 

 der the immediate direction of their responsible male associates, 

 exceiDt the one based on their exemption from the execution of the 

 laws ; but, should they so vote, woman suffrage becomes a farce, 

 as it is to that extent where it now prevails. The very essential 

 support given by women voters to polygamy in Utah is an illus- 

 tration of this. In Wyoming men load up wagons with their 

 women to drive them to the polls to vote their oivn ticket, as I 

 have had the opportunity of seeing in that Territory ; and so they 

 would do everywhere. If they wished to vote otherwise, they 

 might stay at home ; and it is to be expected that women would 

 sometimes wish to vote " otherwise." 



What I have written does not include any reference to sup- 

 posed inherent right to the suffrage or to any principles of repre- 

 sentative government. This is because the view that suffrage is 

 not a right but a privilege appears to the writer to be the most 

 rational one, and because any system of government which tends 

 to disturb the natural relations of the sexes I believe to be most 



