University of Virginia Library

Women and Office-Holding.

When we say that women would be eligible to hold office, what do
we mean? Simply that if a majority in any place would rather have
a woman to hold a certain position than any one else, and if she is
willing to serve, they shall be allowed to elect her. Women are serving
as officials already; some of the women most prominent in opposing
equal suffrage have been holders of public office. The late president
of the "Massachusetts Association Opposed to the Further Extension
of Suffrage to Women" (Mrs. J. Elliott Cabot) was for years
a member of the school board of Brookline, and also Overseer of the
Poor. Yet that Association, in its published documents, objects to
equal suffrage on the ground that "suffrage involves the holding of
office, and office-holding is incompatible with the duties of most
women." Suffrage does not involve office-holding by the majority
of women, but only by a few; and there are always some women of
character and ability who could give the necessary time. Women
as a class have more leisure than men.

In the enfranchised states there has been no rush of women into
office, and the offices that women do hold are mainly educational and
charitable.