Woman Suffrage—Cui Bono? [pp. 156-165]

8WOMA1fN SUFFRAGE-CUI BONO?
starward for guidance; man trusts more doers of it. Mothers must beget and
implicitly to the chart and compass: the inculcate in their children the principles
one is the heavenly outlook, the other of truth and virtue. The more time they
the earthly. Both are needed; but, in can secure to themselves for these dispoint of steadfastness and reliability, the ciplinary activities, and the more conformer takes precedence. The moral scientious fidelity they bring to the work,
power which woman is capable of exert- the more surely and rapidly will approach
ing might dominate the world, and in this the millennial day of social and nationlies her supreme potency. Man's polit- al purity and peace. Careful training
ical sovereignty could be made to dance will bridle evil propensities. Amid the
attendance upon the behests of an up- shifting experiences of fugacious centulifted, pure, exalted, and consecrated ries, the old - fashioned promises of the
womanhood; but just in proportion as old-fashioned Bible have a marvelously
woman affects masculine accomplish- emphatic way of verifying themselves to
ments and becomes a quasi man, will all who take the pains to test them; and
the sentiments of respect, love, and rev- none is more luminous with proof or irerence diminish, until they will eventu- radiated with evidence than that hinging
ally be reckoned among the lost arts; upon the training of children. Let mothaad, in the eager pursuit of coveted ers enfold their children in the mantle of
rights, woman should be wisely cau- an uplifting, prayerful affection, and the
tious to avoid the assumption and arro- ghosts of hateful memories will never
gance which she so sharply reprobates haunt the twilight evening of life. In
in man. the matter of social regeneration, the
The social evil is another national dashing coupi de main of the ballot will
crime of such fearful prevalence as to never accomplish what the patient, sethreaten to provoke a judgment from vere, well-disciplined strength of the
heaven, like that which visited the doom- guiding maternal arm may do, directed
ed cities of the plain. Could female suf- and energized by a God-given faith and
frage deal the death-blow to this hydra- love. Prudent, well-advised motherly
headed monster, which infests not only diplomacy, need not fear to cope with
the Lernaean marshes of society, but, the keenest political Machiavelian aswith subtile, intrusive power, creeps tuteness. The social evil has its root
stealthily forth, seeking to poison, also, in the feebleness and inefficiency of pathe sparkling fountains of domestic bliss, rental authority and training. As in the
and too often, alas, succeeds? The club State, so in the family, the law to be reof a Hercules would barely avail to cope spected must be obeyed, and its execuwith such a dragon. As in the matter tors must command reverence and esof intemperance, so in this: legal enact- teem by enforcing obedience. There
ments can do but little, even in the way are more obedient parents than children
of repression; still less in the way of in this progressive age, and just here
moral elevation. It is the old story over lies the sequel to so much of this moral
again: making clean the outside of the tergiversation and unblushing crime.
cup and platter; the whited sepulchre, The generation just at hand will be the
full of dead men's bones and all manner logical sequence of the generation of toof uncleanness. It is the moral and re- day. The ballot can not overthrow the
ligious potency of woman that must be despotism of Nature's laws and penalbrought into requisition to insure gen- ties. Education, not legislation, is the
uine reformatory results. The root of safest security against inebriety or carthe evil lies far back back even of the nality. Diamonds are best ground by
I872.]
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