But let a woman allured by such an oration ask a right, and how soon the strain is changed!  Let her ask to be placed on an equality with man in regard to the holding of property, or to civil or ecclesiastical rights, or authority or position; let the daughters ask equal rights and privileges with sons; let them request admission into the same colleges and universities with their brothers, so that they may compete with them for the honors and degrees conferred in such institutions,—­and what then?  The flowery oratory is all gone.  The “angels,” the “heroic, brave, and virtuous women,” have suddenly become agitators whose conduct is unseemly.  They “are ambitious, indelicate, not to say immodest, bold-faced females”—­whether of the human or some other race we are not told.

Forgetting, apparently, that the Creator’s universal law is liberty of thought and freedom of action, coupled with a strict responsibility for the use of both, those who are opposed to women exercising or enjoying equal rights with men, contend, as an excuse for their opposition, that some of the women engaged in the present reform movement are extravagant in their demands, and abuse the privileges they already possess.  Precisely the same thing was said of the slaves in the South.  Indeed, the same argument, variously worded, has been used by oppressors in all ages.  “Ye are idle, ye are idle,” is a very old cry.

But, admitting that some women are injudicious and occasionally one is irreverent, are not men, in advocating their peculiar views on politics, the same, only in much larger proportion?  Are they, therefore, deprived of the franchise or other privileges?  If men were obliged to come to such a standard as they lay down for women, they would consider the measure meted out to them a very hard one.  Still, if it is a just and fair way of dealing with woman’s suffrage and other questions of importance, it is an equally just and fair way to deal with men concerning their right to exercise the franchise.

But, though deprived of the civil and ecclesiastical privileges accorded to their sons and brothers, women are yet held equally accountable with them for any infraction of these same civil and ecclesiastical laws.  Not supposed to have sufficient mental capacity to understand what a law really means, she is yet, if she violates that law, punished for such violation.  And, in the face of all this, it is sneeringly asked, “What can reasonable women want more than they already have?” The answer is simple:  Equal rights and privileges with men.

And it is to be hoped, for the honor of Christianity and civilization, that these will soon be accorded.

Very much has been accomplished in several of the States of the Republic, in regard to giving women a proper position in civil and educational matters, but much still remains to be done; and just now it would seem doubtful which country will first accord the suffrage to them—­England or the United States.  Eminent statesmen in both of these countries are moving in the matter.