for himself? It does not admit of an argument. If the
grandmother, the mother, the wife, and the eldest daughter, are
to be voted for by the father, the husband, and the eldest
brother, then why are not the children to be voted for in
complete family relation by the patriarchal head? Why not go back
to the tribal custom of the desert, and let the patriarch do all
the voting? To be sure, it would change the whole form of our
government; but, if it is good for the family, it is just as good
for classes.

In a frontier settlement is a log-cabin, and it is in a region
which is infested by wolves. There are in the family a
broken-down patient of a man, a mother, and three daughters. The
house is surrounded by a pack of these voracious animals, and the
inmates feel that their safety requires that the intruders should
be driven away. There are three or four rifles in the house. The
man creeps to one of the windows, and to the mother and daughters
it is said, "You load the rifles, and hand them to me, and let me
fire them." But they can load all the four rifles, and he can not
fire half as fast as they can load; and I say to the mother, "Can
you shoot?" She says, "Let me try;" and she takes a gun, and
points it at the wolves, and pulls the trigger, and I see one of
them throw his feet up in the air. "Ah!" I say, "I see you can
shoot! You keep the rifle, and fire it yourself." And I say to
the oldest daughter, "Can you shoot?" "I guess I can," she says.
"Well, dare you?" "I dare do anything to save father and the
family." And she takes one of the rifles, and pops over another
of the pack. And I tell you, if the wolves knew that all the
women were firing, they would flee from that cabin instanter.
(Laughter). I do not object to a woman loading a man's rifle and
letting him shoot; but I say that, if there are two rifles, she
ought to load one of them, and shoot herself. And I do not see
any use of a woman's influencing a man and loading him with a
vote, and letting him go and fire it off at the ballot-box.
(Laughter and applause).

It is said, again, "Woman is a creature of such an excitable
nature that, if she were to mingle with men in public affairs, it
would introduce a kind of vindictive acrimony, and politics would
become intolerable." Oh,