The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-14
THE BALLOT.
Do the Women or Majority of Them
Want The Opport unity To Vote?

Do the Women Majority of Them
Want the Opportunity To Vote?
Editor UOBtdn'S Column, Morning Cal:
The General Government is corporation
created TO deal with certain phases of the
general welfare. Women are as much in
terestcd in the general welfare as men. and
therefore as much entitled to hand in the
management of the general Government as
men. 70 this question there does seem
to me to be but one side. The fact that
women differ somewhat from men, and per-
hals see some sides aid interests of life
more plainly than men, to my mind proves
their value in the body polite, and seems to
me above all others the reason why they
should be admitted TO direct and equal par
tcpatiOn in the affairs which concern them.
But the question of abstract right is not
the only one to be considered in the matter
of the extension OF the ballot to women.
There is also the question OF How shall it
be done ?"-the matter oil procedure. Every
pu bile question has two elements" What
is it right we should do?" and "How shall
we do itY' for there are always various
ways Of attempting. aud sometimes of ac-
c omplishng, anything. and some one way
IS always the easiest, most direct and best.
The many earnest women who advocate
md have advocated the extension of the
suffrage to women in their anxiety to
answer the former have, in their work, al
most entirely ignored the latter.
LOOK AT THE FACTS.
Let US look at facts just as they are. The
suffrage is now in the hands of men only.
The question of its extension is in their con-
troll. Whatever responsibility may ac
company the settlement of the question;
whatever responsibility there may be for the
effect OF any decision upon the general wei
fare of society is upon them. At the same
time the proposition is one that affects
primarily the position and happiness of
women, and the Interests of home, which
are generally regarded as being especially
d. ar to them personally. Therefore, ac-
cording to the general argument of those
who advocate woman suffrage most
earnestly, women should be heard and
needed in the settlement of this question,
which so vitality affects them. But who
should be heard? Only those women who
advocate woman suffrage? Or all women?
Now, what the advocates of such extern
sion-most of them-are asking, is that men,
in whose keeping the ballet now is, should
extend it to women, without knowing
whether the majority Of women want it or
snOt; and what men, as rule, are asking of
the women who advocate the extension OF
the suffrage is that they shall show that the
majority of women want it. We living in a
land whose spirit as a whole, ii not whose
entire population, is AnglO-SaX0n, bow read
lily to the honest and definitely expressed
will OF the majority; and ii we-both men
and women-could know that the majority
of women thought it best for the good in
teresls OF all society that they should eXer
else the right of the ballot, both men and
women would then feel sure that there could
not be much danger, and probably much
good would come from the extension of the
ballot right, and the majority of men would
be quite willing to extend it. A large ee-
ment of uncertainty would have been re-
moved, ana the way made straight and
plain.
QUESTION OF EXTENSION.
But the question of extension is one which
primarily affects women and the interests of
home. with which they are supposed to he
best acquainted, and men feel, in an iDdefi-
mite way, perhaps, but nevertheless really,
that the opinion of women is the first thing
TO be found out in the matter. so long as
majority OF women, by their silence or voice,
say that they consider an extension of the
ballot would be unwise and possibly dis
astrous what right. in all courtesy and kind
ness, have men TO override their opinion and
deny their voice and vote in the matter? 1t
is to women and not men that the advocates
of woman suffrage should direct their efforts:
1t is women who stand most in the way OF
the extension OF the ballot to women and