Woman suffrage: letter from Mrs. Clara T. Leonard. January 29, 1884

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Title

Woman suffrage: letter from Mrs. Clara T. Leonard. January 29, 1884

Description

The letter from Mrs. Leonard was read by Thornton K. Lothrop, Esq. at the hearing before the Legislative Committee on Woman Suffrage. Clara Leonard was well known in her community as an opponent to woman's suffrage and was asked to write a letter to be read at the hearing given by the Legislative Committee to the opposition. The letter was used
several years later to counter a petition for woman suffrage.

She argued that women did not need the right to vote because they would exercise more power by staying out of politics, and influencing men with their understanding of the communities in which they live.

Date

1884-01-29

Subject

Anti-suffrage
Massachusetts. General Court. Committee on Woman Suffrage.
Women --Suffrage --Massachusetts

Creator

Leonard, Clara T. (Clara Temple), 1828-1904
Lothrop, Thornton Kirkland, 1830-1913
Massachusetts. General Court. Committee on Woman Suffrage.

Publisher

Boston : s.n.

Format

4 p.

Language

English

Identifier

ALMS.1884.01

Coverage

Massachusetts

Text

"The best work that a woman can do for the purifying of politics is by her influence over men, by the wise training of her children, by her intelligent, unselfish counsel to husband, brother, or friend, by a thorough knowledge and discussion of the needs of her community."

"Here is the stronghold of the sex, weakest in body, powerful for good or evil over the stronger one, whom women sway and govern; not by the ballot and by greater numbers, but by those gentle influences designed by the Creator to soften and subdue man's ruder nature."

Original Format

Circular letters

Physical Dimensions

22 cm.

Comments