DIY History | Transcribe | Iowa Women’s Lives: Letters and Diaries | Jesse Macy essay on women's suffrage, 1890s

Transcribe
Translate

Jesse Macy essay on women's suffrage, 1890s

Page 3

by the astounding statement that "you are not a woman and therefore your experience is irrelevant:  we have looked at the crystal pages of revelation and a vail is droped over our eyes, that we cannot discern.  We are compelled therefor to fall back onto this fundamental proposition, that the God has given to every free moral agent the power of desiding, what shall be their own legitimate sphere.  Thus we contend the queston must be settled.  Remove every otward restraint from the mind of woman and then we shall have a decission upon this and every similar question which will harmonize with both nature and revelation, and it will redound to the lasting good of man and the salvation of the race.  But it may be objected that there is conflict of judgment here as elsewhere, but we answer that this conflict is a result of this outward prejudice and influence which we labor to remove.  Our whole nation has, as it were, enthroned female conscience on every other moral question, and we accep her fiat as law, then shall we deny her the right of deside what shall be her own spher?  The position then of the Journal is as follow:  1 Freedom of conscience always, 2d Wherever in the exercise of this freedom we believe that women have desided upon a certain measure of female reform, we stand ready to call to our aid every possible argument for its support.  3d We vow neutrality on all measures not thus desided.

Saving...

by the astounding statement that "you are not a woman and therefore your experience is irrelevant: we have looked at the crystal pages of revelation and a vail is droped over our eyes, that we cannot discern. We are compelled therefor to fall back onto this fundamental proposition, that the God has given to every free moral agent the power of desiding, what shall be their own legitimate sphere. Thus we contend the queston must be settled. Remove every otward restraint from the mind of woman and then we shall have a decission upon this and every similar question which will harmonize with both nature and revelation, and it will redound to the lasting good of man and the salvation of the race. But it may be objected that there is conflict of judgment here as elsewhere, but we answer that this conflict is a result of this outward prejudice and influence which we labor to remove. Our whole nation has, as it were, enthroned female conscience on every other moral question, and we accep her fiat as law, then shall we deny her the right of deside what shall be her own spher? The position then of the Journal is as follow: 1 Freedom of conscience always, 2d Wherever in the exercise of this freedom we believe that women have desided upon a certain measure of female reform, we stand ready to call to our aid every possible argument for its support. 3d We vow neutrality on all measures not thus desided.