Page:Electoral Disabilities of Women.pdf/4

 others. It is, however, better to mention them all, as I am anxious not to omit anything which has been urged in objection to women’s suffrage. The objections are:—

1. Women are sufficiently represented already by men, and their interests have always been jealously protected by the legislature.

2. A woman is so easily inﬂuenced that if she had a vote it would practically have the same effect as giving two votes to her nearest male relation, or to her favourite clergyman.

3. Women are so obstinate that if they had votes endless family discord would ensue.

4. The ideal of domestic life is a miniature despotism—one supreme head, to whom all the other members of the family are subject. This ideal would be destroyed if the equality of women with men were recognised by extending the suffrage to women.

5. Women are intellectually inferior to men.

6. The family is woman's proper sphere, and if she entered into politics, she would be withdrawn from domestic duties.

7. The line must be drawn somewhere, and if women had votes they would soon be wanting to enter the House of Commons.

8. Women do not want the franchise.

9. Most women are Conservatives, and therefore their enfranchisement would have a reactionary inﬂuence on politics.

10. The indulgence and courtesy with which women are now treated by men would cease, if women exercised all the rights and privileges of citizenship. Women would, therefore, on the whole, be losers. if they obtained the franchise.

11. The keen and intense excitement, kindled by political strife, would, if shared by women, deteriorate their physical powers, and would probably lead to the insanity of considerable numbers of them.

12. The exercise of political power by women is repugnant to the feelings and quite at variance with a due sense of propriety.

13. The notion that women have any claim to representation is so monstrous and absurd, that no reasonable being would ever give the subject a moment’s serious consideration.