It is curious to see how
generally the physical power among these men is in inverse ratio to the
social and political prominence of the class they represent. Out of 1000
unskilled laborers, for instance, only 348 are physically disqualified;
among tanners, only 216; among iron-workers, 189. On the other hand, among
lawyers, 544 out of 1000 are disqualified; among journalists, 740; among
clergymen, 954. Grave divines are horrified at the thought of admitting
women to vote, since they cannot fight; though not one in twenty of their
own number is fit for military duty, if he volunteered. Of the editors who
denounce woman suffrage, only about one in four could himself carry a
musket; while of the lawyers who fill Congress, the majority could not be
defenders of their country, but could only be defended. If we were to
distribute political power with reference to the "physical basis" which the
"Saturday Review" talks about, it would be a wholly new distribution, and
would put things more hopelessly upside down than did the worst phase of
the French Commune. If, then, a political theory so utterly breaks down
when applied to men, why should we insist on resuscitating it in order to
apply it to women? The truth is that as civilization advances the world is
governed more and more unequivocally by brains; and whether those brains
are deposited in a strong body or a weak one becomes a matter of less and
less importance.
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