Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-30
WOMEN AND LICENSE,

| AS we remarked yesterday Tn stating
 our objections to the grant of suffrage to
 women in relation to school elections this partial gift was but an entering
 wedge for the work of fanatics and
 cranks in other directions. A verifica-
 tion of our view came more quickly than we had expected in the vote which was | passed yesterday afternoon by the house conferring on women the right to vote on the license question. This we regard as vicious legislation, and especially ill
 timed coming as it does on the very heels
 of the vote submitting the question of
 prohibition to the people. It places the republican house in the position of
 Haunting the credentials of it's own in sincerity as regards prohibition.
 When a similar movement was sprung recently in Massachusetts it was killed off, and one of the most potent argu- ments used by those who opposed it was that it assumed in advance that the voting population acted unwisely in rejecting constitutional prohibition
 In this state, however, it seems to as sume, before the people have had the op- portunity to pass judgment on the ques- | tion of prohibition, that they will de- clare in favor of the established system l of local option. Such an assumption is certainly not compatible with any hope or intention on the part of the repub licans to permit the endorsement of pro- hibition at the polls. Certainly it would have been more honest and decent to permit the people first to pass on the matter of prohibition before enacting legislation that proposes to appeal to sentiment rather than reason in the reg ulation of the license question. We be- lieve 1t to be entirely undesirable to largely regulate public questions, and particularly one that stands in such close economic relation to the state as the license question, by sentiment tai considerations. Sentiment is a useful and somewhat potent factor in affairs of government, but one great and recognized defect of government carried on under such conditions Is that scant justice is done to those whose interests ruu counter to pre- vaiiing sentiment, and in the enforce ment of sentimental legislation all com promise or concession is looked upon as treason. When women take to voting on tue license question, under the in- splratlon of the teachings of those fana- tics and cranks who believe that in the suppression of the saloon lies the eradi- cation of intemperance, we are very likely to see less of reason and good judgment than of sentiment and theory enter into the contest. Such an uneoral struggle cannot last Men will not long consent to permit womanly sentiment inf1amed as it is sure to be by species of argument that is popular with them, to regulate affairs that have an econo mic as well as social importance. Nor will they be willing we believe to consent to free rum. which would be very likely to result from the settlement by women of the license question. They will hasten, we think, after brief experience with the elephant of female suffrage on license, to elect legislature that will take back from women privilege which they are unequal to exercising on other than a sentimental basis.
 The action of the house yesterday we believe to have been a serious mistake There Is neither justice nor consistency in such legislation, and the sooner it is recalled and rejected the better for the interests of the state and people. The men of Connecticut have not yet shown themselves unable to grapple with this license question, and we do not think they will look with equanimity on legis lation that assumes otherwise. It would at least be we'll to defer putting this weapon of sentiment and theory in the