The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-16
.reos.. tho oapse of it would be

changed, that is all.
But If YOU want something to weep
over, dear friends, do not waste your
tears over the imaglnery evils 10 arise
fro,n woman's suffrage, but weep Tor
thos. women who are SO swallowed
mn i'm .'societyn that they hardly
know their own children by sight,
AMI we will not object if you drop
tear or two over the man who spends
his time yelling at ''sand lot" meet
ings while his wife takes in washing
in the one room where she has to
cook, sleep and eat, and struggles,
with logged patience, TO keep the
wolf from the door and provide food
and clothing for him and the children.
If you ask if I think this ignorant
woman who, by her gloomy environ
ment, has become only "beast or
burien,n is fit TO vote, L answer no,
no more fit than her lazy Ignorant
husband who labor5 to make her
beast OF burden, but quite as much
so.
But the reason of reasons given by
anti-suffraeists is that good women
will not vote, and the Star assumes
that so per cent. of the 3OOO voting
women of LeavenwOrth, han., were
'cranks" and the rest were uahger-
GUS classes" while the ''ladies" stay
ed at home. This chestnut" is so
stale that it is positively wormy, and
vet the anti-sufffagists feel when they |
have flung that out that nothing re- |
mains to be said. But can you tell |
most 'grave and reverend senior"
how many men stay away from the |
polls because "politics are $50 corrupt?'
Unfortunately, no record is Kept, but
it would surprise the nation II 1t were,
and be shame TO the delinquent
men. By what right does the Star or
anyone assume that those women
were 'cranks," dangerous" and, I'M
/ venture to say, and
with full as much reason as the Star
If not more, that at least 70 per cent.
Of those women went to the polls as
as they go to church;
that they felt it a duty not to be ,
that they owed to the state
and that they believed that the ne :
elect of that duty would be criminal.
Instead of sneering at them as +.
would be far more manly to honor
he m for their faithfulness in the face
If popular prejudice. A faithfulness
which was entirely woInanIy.
Every voter is not a ward politician
low, and women are less likely to /,
aspire to those heights than men.
But if women is elected to the office
If Mayor no one need lie awake nights
,ver it. When she drinks and steals,
md, in other manly ways, fails to
ulfill the trust reposed in her it will
reckless fashion.
The anti-suffragists of Honolulu
nave presented no arguments worthy ]
If the name; they are as unreason-
sble as the reasonless wOman's
81 think it so because L
think it So" so they are not enti-
led to very serious treatment.
All there is of sense in them applies
With equal force to universal suffrage. =
The larger proportion of women who
tand for suffrage would work for radi-
al reform in the suffrage laws, and it
nay be properly questioned if 1t is not
,ather the fear of these reforms than v
for the womanliness of woman .
hat actuates the rank and file of the
/ am not willing to j
believe that the genuine man prefers 7
he namby-pamby woman to the wo-
nan who can talk intelligently with a
him on topics of vital interest.
One genuine argument on the other
,ide have seen in late number of
he Outlook, but this letter was so
learly written before / saw it that
here is no time or space for its con-
dderat;on here. If no ADLER pen takes
t up, at some other time L may do SO,
because it Is manly enough to treat
as reasonable beings, and
lrop the "cheap John" arguments
which make up the wall of the aver
Ige anti-suffragist.
I have no grievance; :" men have
.lways treated me we'll and do not
hink I have treated them badly on :,
he whole. I feel entirely amiable Il
oward men as men. / do not care to | a
70 manly; but am very glad am a q
voman. I have written in this tone, .
ot from a desire to scold, but because
his is the tone that has been chosen
DR. me. Hereafter, trust, the subject
1ill be handled with the seriousness A
D which it is entitled; it is too much
subject to be relegated to the
Cocoaput" and "Wahine Clubs" or
.eated with sneers for want of logic.
Thanking you for the space granted 6
lie, / am,
Very respectfully yours,
MARTHA.