The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-05-25

1Hc QucStIOu VI tdAdtiOu ID duOtucI
reason for giving the franchise to
women. The great ante-revOlutien-
airy rebel cry was that ''Taxation
without representation IS tyranny"
Yet the property of women bears the
same burden of taxation that mans
does, without her interests having any
representation in legislative halls.
The principal of Taxation without
representation so CALLED our FORE
fathers that they rebelled and over
threw an established form of govern
ment for the sake of that principle,
and yet now that the power is in their
hands they are selfish enough to deny
to women the nights for which their
forefathers fought.
As to the restriction of the ballot
we agree with MI. Smith that there
should be an educational test for
women and also for men. Then, per-
haps the educated women voters could
persuade enough educated men voters
to combine with them for the suppress
sion of the ignorant vote, and then
eliminate the thousands of vicious for
eigners in politics, many of whom can
not speak word of English. For we
must remember that these same DagOs
and Scandanavians and Poles all have
Il voice in making the laws under
which we live. Mr.. Smith closes with
this grandiloquent assertion: 1.-The
casting of an Intelligent ballot requires
knowledge and but few women at
present are fitted with that knowledge
we suppOse) which makes the ballot
worth anything" If the editor of the
Mercury thinks women are more ignor-
ant than men as rule we will give
HIM few facts that may enlighten
him: In our public schools to-day
three girls are graduating to one boy.
The number of girl students enrolled
in our colleges and seminaries to-day.
aggregates more than the number of
boy students, Take, for example. two
educational institutions in the state of
Kansas-Bethany college and the Sal
ina school for boys. There are three
times rs many students in attendance
at Bethany college us there is at st.
Johns at Salina.
The librarian OF any public library
in the United States Will tell you that
three women take out books to one
man. Now we may ask what is the
knowledge to which he refers as
belonging only TO men.
Women have not, and we hope never
will have. knowledge of the wire
pulling political tricks of men, but
they are as broadly and intelligently
informed on all economic questions as
men are, and can cast as intelIi gent a
ballot. Men are mistaken as to where
all these rights are vested. Because
they have assumed to regulate all goy-
ernmental affairs for ages, is no reason
for their continuing to do so. For
instance, Mr.. Smith says: 1--WE are
now asked to grant them the privilege
of voting. WE suggest that it Is a
poor time to ask for unrestricted suf-
frage for women. WE see the mis-
takes WE have made and WE are IN
no mood to repeat it, and various
other YVES"
Now WE suggest to Mr.. Smith that
he discuss the cause of equal suffrage
from a fin de s,ecle standpoint, for the
arguments used against it one hundred
years ago are not legitimate now.
Women have been looking forward
to, and fitting themselves for, the bal
lot for fifty years. We believe the
men of this generation to be too sensi.
BILE to be unjust in the matter of suf-
frage much longer. C. G. l..