The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-03-14
PROVO CITY. MARCH IA, 1895
THE sACREDNEss OF PLEDGES.


women. Last fall both the republicans
and the democrats, in the bitter strug-
gle for votes and thinking to win in
fiuence by the measure, adopted planks
pledging their several parties to advo-
cate the sacred cause" Of female suf-
frage. That paper now calls Justify
for the democrats to redeem the pledge
then made and also intimates that the
republicans had, better 60 and do like
wise. In the first place the demo-
cratic convention had no right to make
such pledge. 1t was, and is, alto
geUher against the whole history and
genius of the democracy. Several
states of this union haVe moved for
female suffrage and two at least have
accomplished it, but it is a notable fact
that all this sort OF progress" has been
as yet, confined to republican states.
The simple fact is that the whole thing
is anti democratic and foreign to all
history, precedent and policy Of de-
mocracY. Not single line of Jefferson
even suggests such principle. Nor
can such line be found in any work
by any one of the democratic fathers,
either ancient or modern. Then a
democratic minority in our constitu
tional convention may very well ignore
if it chooses, a hasLy and foolish pledge
made by convention, and still do no
great violence either to principle or
usage. If il foolish fellow in his cups
pledges himself to swallow an ounce Of
morphine, he must make good the
pledge when he is sober. There are
some pledges more honored in the
breech than the observance, and that
pledge last fall is one of this character.
AS this is the only argument the
Herald presents we naturally conclude
that it is having bit of darkly con-
cealed fun at somebody's expense. We
do not want to see the franchise
forced upon our fair sisters whether
or no, in any such way,
tor we feel sure that if submitted to a
vote of the women themselves the pre- :
position would be voted down by a
tremendous majority. The ardor OF
the thick and thin advocates Of the
measure is only simulated. 1t is not
real. It 1s not real gallantry and de-
votion to the sex which induces young
and enthusiastic men to rush into The
breech against all history, AL precedent
and all nature 10 force modest and
ek4inKing womsnhood into the full blare
and blaze of partisan politics. The
ladies read this as the callow and devil
maV-care ebullition of immature states
manship, seeking for that noto-
riety which is denied to its advocates
in the legitimate channels of political
ambition. The theory is that if this
''great boon" is conferred by the eff
forts of this tender and crisp sort of
craftsmanship, the newly enfranchised
can do nothing less than vote for their
benefactors to the end of the chapter,
Take the women who have as yet
taken hold Of this matter, and who can
say how much ambition to hold Office
has been implanted in their own tender
bosoms, and this sort of assumed obi
CATION to refrain themselves and vote
for the champions instead would be
found to have very bitter taste and
the women would Indignantly refuse to
carry out that assumed or implied
pledge, if she meyer did another purely
political act in her life. "The en-
thusiasm evoked last fall'' by the adop-
tion of the plank will be found to be
very limp and unseawolthy this fall.
The franchise enjoyed by the dear
ladies in Utah several years since,
when the government of the territory
was theocracy was very different
proposition to political enfranchise-
ment such as is proposed now, or such
as Colorado is blessed" with. The
only excuse for the suffrage offered, is
the necessity for reform. Yet after
nearly two years experience with it,
our neighbor state finds herself with
just as many saloons open, just as many
gambling houses shall we say it,
with just as much of the social evil as
she ever contended with. Two years
is good long time and much can be
done in two years. when people try.
The trouble with our Colorado sisters
ie, they have spent more effort
and far more thought in the scramble
for mere Office than they have for either
political, social or drinn reform. Now
we rate the women of Utah as among
the very cream of American woman
hood, but are they so much better than
the Colorado women that in two years
they will solve the problem of the
ages and stamp out vice in all of its
hideous forms? If so, then we are for
the suffrage, but if not, we prefer to
see the ladies in their old time-honored |
sphere, blessing our lives and shedding |
their old accustomed effulgence upon
a world. none too bright for all OF it,
at best.
We sadly fear that the gallant up-to-
day editor of the Herald is talking
into his No. hat when he saws
that the opponents of female suffrage
will be found to be comparatively few,
and their opposition can safely be ig-
nored. Would the women of Utah.
even if they were enfranchlsed, refuse i