| Show THE SOLDIER ARGUMENT ONE of the stock arguments l against woman suffrage is ia that women cannot be soldiers soldier they cannot fight therefore they must not vote the fallacy of this reasoning Is ia seen in a moment when it is applied to male citizens if only those who are fit for sod soldiers aers are fit to be voters a great deal of labor in the comi counting ting of ballots could be avoided there are many thousands of male citizens who are not qualified for military service iee but they are not on that account excluded from the right of suffrage therefore military service is not a qualification for voting or other political privileges but the french officers who have had to meet the amazons of dahomey are not bibly to endorse th the women cannot fight at the battle of Atcho upa these warriors of the weaker sex proved to be worthy of the steel of their foes the trained soldiers of the french army it is stated that though destitute ot of the improved weapons of the french the movements of these women were of the most scientific fl c military Inifi tary order and athe the french troops were only saved by timely and overwhelming reinforcements their courage too can not be questioned when the smoke of battle cleared away sixty women who had charged upon the french re doubts lay stretched within a guns gunis length of the fortifications As a qualification for voting brute strength or military skill cannot cut any figure it is behind the civilization of the age but measured by that standard the dahomey women as defenders of their country are better qualified for the suffrage than some of the brightest men in christendom the soldier argument will not do but it is as strong and brilliant and truthful as other arguments against woman suffrage and very little sillier than the most of them |
