to claim the
suffrage." "Does this mean that women are to be coerced in this
matter? that our mothers, wives, and sisters are to be punished for
staying away from the polls? We have never supposed it the imperative
duty of every man to vote. And we know that many of the most
intelligent and upright do not vote. Such is the inexpressible
nastiness of our elections, especially in the larger cities, that men
of the cleanest morals think it right to keep away from them. The
foulest portions of the men go first, stay longest, and stand thickest
at the places of voting. How then will it be when the foulest portion
of the women get packed into the same crowd, and drive modesty away by
the foulness of their speech and presence? When the aggregate filth of
both sexes shall have met together at the polling stations, as it will
be sure to do, we hardly think any chaste or modest home-loving woman
will go near this stench unless compelled to do so."

It is because this scheme lifts the gate to the increasing wave
of corruption and pollution, that we are surprised that so-called
statesmen give their countenance to it. Give to woman the ballot, and
this country is hopelessly given up to Romanism. The priest loses the
man, but he keeps the woman. Give to the priests the control of the
votes of the thousands of servants in the great cities, and there is
an end to legislation in behalf of the Sabbath, the Bible, and the
school system, temperance, or morality.

The right to vote implies the right to rule, to legislate, to go to
Congress, and to take the Presidential chair. On this point hear Miss
Muloch. "Who that ever listened for two hours to the verbose confused
inanities of a ladies' committee, would immediately go and give his
vote for a Female House of Congress, or of Commons? or who, on
the receipt of a lady's letter of business,--I speak of the
average,--would henceforth desire to have our courts of justice
stocked with matronly lawyers, or thronged by

"'Sweet girl graduates, with their golden hair?'"

Well has Gail Hamilton said, "How will the possession of the ballot
affect in any way the vexed question of work and wages? One orator
says, 'Shall Senators tell me in their places that I have no need of
the ballot, when forty thousand women in the city of New York alone
are earning their daily bread at starving prices with the needle?' But
what will the ballot do for those forty thousand women when they get
it? It will no