No greater method of public safety can be imagined than for the
American family to "size up" the American public man, and then have
the voters of that family sustain or reject him at the polls,
according to the verdict of the household. If such were the rule, only
those men who are of the people when they are first placed in public
office, and who keep close to the people ever after, would be elected
to anything.
Such a method, too, would insure a steadier current of national
policy, subject to fewer variations. There would not be so many fads
to deflect sound and sane statesmanship. So by all means, young man,
begin your career as a citizen by making your wife a partner in every
vote you cast.
Nobody denies that men and women should have equality of privilege and
equality of rights; but equality of duties and similarity of work is
absurd. The contrary idea was beautifully satirized in the now famous
toast:
"Here's to our women: God bless them! Once our superiors, now our
equals."
The truth is that it is impossible to compare men and women. They are
not the same beings. They have different characteristics, different
methods, different capacities, and different view-points of life.
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