Are The Women Of America Slaves ?

It has buen asserted in the Congress of the United States that the vromen of this prreat, freo, and prosperóos country are held is slaves ; and ït is said that those woiueu do not wish to have female Éttffrage and its train of evils thrust upon them, but only wish to havo thoir chains riveted tlie olosur. Sueh are tho wild declarations and assumptions ot' the hour. But it is easy to assert, and equally so to mako a donial. WLat are tho faots of the caso Y In what manucr of bond ig, then, are the W0XU6D of América lieid, that this insult is thus openly cast upon them 'i Inasmucb. as tho domertio and social lite is that which most nearly concerns u.s, and wlierein we ure placed, as society is at present orga:iizud, l(_t us bogiii hero. A look into tho homes of tho country, where wc find the proudest piineiples of our Lree institutioiis, shows us the wife and mot her, so honored and beloved that she is called the mistross of the household. Nor is this au empty title, for her influence is vast over buth husband and children. Wnere i'. is othorwiso the exceptional cases only prove the rule ; and these exceptions are but too ofton the regu}t of a wouian's piyn DiiaOQnduct, by whioh she wilfully dopriyeb herïelf of uil intlitenoe. 13ut where homes are cursed by drunkon, brutal or vieious husbunds and fathnrs not hing but the grueo of God, as applicd to sueh sinuers, will chango their lives and make them a blessing to thcir families ; and this saaie nili; may beonually applied to homes where the wife or mother is dranken or vioious. Legislatu.n muy and 'loes proleet t.iis aggneved, but itoannot enforce liuppincss. Among our masgee almostas ïniiny homes ure desolated by the uiisconduot of the woman us of the man ; yet in neither case may legislatiou be held reSDOQSÍblo, Where our lawa act at uil in donu'stic feuds, the woman is protestad rather than the man, and it is wise and well that this more ready redrew sliould be at hand, on account of the physical weakness of woman. In the same spirit of protiction are laws which punisb men withdonth - laws fiamcd cx)iessly to guard the physical woaknese of woman. Are womi'u Buch slavcs und;r the aotion of these laws as to noed eniranchise ínenfí Alas! uur slaverj and degradation will tvuly coiumence wlton, guided by the illusive name of freedom, we are bid to stand forth on the platform of equal rights. We claim to have preserved for us - just what wu have now - protccti: 11. Are tho women of America slavcs so cially '( We coianionoe with what is called fasbiottable lite. Ask our "qu 'ena of society." Lut them respond, or bid thcir subjeets to do so for them. And amongst all claesae, whatnation was ever so chivalrous, so courteous to its wonion 'i Our men have made us as Bpoiled children. Is not that our trouble now - overindulgt'iK.'e 'i It hus üftcn been a gouroo of pain to us to witnuss the slavor)' uf the men, who toi! lo support their wives and diiughters in evtry costiy folly. During the lonT, weary, hetted ilays of siiraiBBr, ouv Btttes ave iill - viih s.il: men, who never coaso to labor, that the vromen of the households muy indulge in pleasuro to s.itiely. And the rural Lomes of the land - are unoqual burdens here put upon women? Have thcy hure uo voiee, no iufloence V Have our wouiou, In the city and in the country, worn the fetffcrs ot slavery in all the glorious past, and these fetters been so gilded that they knew it notV Muy we uot rathor suspect that man, indignant at this long servitude, has invented this cruel artífice by which, under the name of uqual rights, we are to be ruthlesply stripped of evcry chcrishcd privilege ' Ciearly, the brand of slave may nevor bu applied to us in domestio or in social lift;. ' So, after ali, this buo and cry is only a political suarü - some unworthy act of a dusparation to subserve a political game. And shall the wife who rules her husband, or is at least bis peer, the mother who sends the sous that she has moulded to the ballot-box, be told that he has no representation theie ? She kuows butter; sbe knows'that just so far as sho chooses to influence she has the oppoituuity to cast, nút one, but several votes. Only when, under tho new status, tho State becomps the tyrant and takes awuy her children to edúcate them, may sbo huve i' ui to complain that her voiee i not heard. And unmarricd women - what do they uiot need 'i Protection. How are they to be enabled to meet the requiroments of life without aid and support 'Í We answer by a better system of educational and industrial adv.r.ici.mi-ut. A vote to them would bu a mero dcJusion. Behold the host of wretched inen now appealing for work, for bread in uil our cities. 'J'hey ory out to us "bread." 'W e answer them "vote." Has this vote giveu to every man work and power and place!' lío, )io ; the ballot cnables the few to pull the wires ; enablcs the politician to manipúlate a larger power. Aud shall the mon who havo ridden into power over tho necks of men voters, plant this iron heel on the necks of the women as well f Thank God, as yet, wc are fi.e !