t give them husbands, nor make their thriftless husbands
provident, nor their invalid husbands healthy. They cannot vote
themselves out of their dark, unwholesome sewing-rooms into
counting-rooms and insurance offices, nor have they generally the
qualifications which these places require. _The ballot will not enable
them to do anything for which their constitution or their education
has not fitted them, and I do not know of any law now which prevents
them from doing anything for which they are fitted, except the holding
of government offices._ ... What can the ballot do towards equalizing
wages, where work is already equalized without affecting wages, as is
not unfrequently the case? There are shops of the same sort, on the
same street, with male clerks in one and female clerks in another,
where the former work fewer hours and receive higher wages than the
latter.... Moreover, the question of female clerkship is not
yet settled. There are conscientious, intelligent, and obliging
shopkeepers, who say that female clerks are not satisfactory. Their
strength is not equal to the draughts made upon it. They are not able
to stand so long as clerks are required to stand. They have not the
patience, the civility, the tact that male clerks have.... All the
voting in the world can never add a cubit to a woman's stature."

Woman is not naturally a law-maker. Even in our homes she desires
the head of the house to lay down the law. Never shall I forget the
influence exerted by the utterance in a convention of Sabbath school
teachers. A paper was read, complaining that in a certain Sabbath
school there was a lady superintendent, because no man could be found
to take the place. In conclusion, the writer said, "We need a man in
our town. We have things that wear pantaloons, but we need a man, to
give direction to the school, and to attract the nobler and better
portion of community." It was an honest declaration, and voiced a
truth. Every town, every Sabbath school, every home, needs a man.
Women of talent have tried to figure in politics and in the pulpit,
but a sorry figure they have made of it.

Think of Miss Anthony and Mrs. Stanton in the train of George Francis
Train, perambulating the country in favor of the ballot in Kansas.
These are the leaders; but let it not be forgotten that they
sided against the ballot for the negro in hopes of getting it for
themselves, and proved their utter worthlessness and untrustworthiness
by trai