Then, there are many intelligent, industrious, and enterprising women
who never marry; and many more who do, are left widows early in life,
and remain so to its end. These women contribute quite as much to the
public good as do unmarried men in similar circumstances. Why, then,
should the one enjoy the privilege of the ballot-box or the polls, and
it be denied to the other? There is no just reason whatever. Nothing but
usage makes such an injustice tolerated; nothing but the love of
arbitrary power causes it to be advocated.
The assertion that the majority of women care nothing about politics or
the exercise of any right not now enjoyed by them, is about as true as
the asseverations of those who opposed the passage of the late "Reform
Bill" in England, that the majority of the middle and poorer classes
were satisfied with the privileges enjoyed, and would scarcely--the
poorer classes especially--be able to vote intelligently if the
privilege were allowed. It was roundly asserted, too, that all this
reform agitation was the work of demagogues and infidels. Time has
proved that the common people of England were able to record intelligent
votes, and that they did prize the privileges which were so reluctantly
granted; neither is infidelity any more rampant since liberty has been
given to the people to express their opinions than it was before.
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