The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-09
VOTING MOTHER
The Views OF a Crank Woman Suf,
fragisL

The right OF suffrage for women has
been claimed with unanSwerable aigu-
ments. and Is being slowly granted The
benefit OF oma suffrage 10 the COM
munity has been enlarged upon these
many years. and Is in many respects I'M
questionable.
The right OF the mother TO vote for
the protection OF her child Is also a
point strongly made. and one difficult 10
combat. but that the woman herself.
and especially the mother. will Ne the
most benefited, is not often claimed. II
is however. one OF the strongest grounds
that can be taken.
Government by universal suffrage Is
most valuable, no; for the pre-eminent
excellence OF its official forms, but be-
cause Il makes better nen. The governed
a h volceless, voJeless, powerless
man. Is less valuable a a citizen than
he who forms his mind and uses II in
the free atmosphere OF a fully repre-
sentative government. Suffrage as a
social function Is educational and ele-
waiting TO those who exercise it. A non
voting class, living with a voting class.
Is at a perpetual disadvantage. and,
where half the community vote and the
other half do not, the vastness Of their
numbers in no way alters their relation,
which is that OF governor and governed.
A class which is governed has not the
same knowledge OF. interest in, or sense
Of responsibility to the countr they live
in, or the wise and just administration
OF its affairs; II is politically inferior.
not only in the expression OF Judgment
and will. but in the possession OF judg-
ment and will which comes only by such
freedom OF expression. When this vote
~ "a
Inferior class are persons OF such i'm
mense racial Importance as the mothers
Of the community, 1t becomes a serious
matter.
So long as the inferiority OF the non
voting class can be confined to a certain
proportion OF the community, End per-
haps exploited by the voting portion to
some common service. II is not 30 hope
lessly bad: but. when the inferiority OF
the non-voting class is transmitted by
heredity. driven in by education and
steadily supplied by association in the
daily living of all the inhabitants, IL
means a racial drawback.
The growth of true democracy with
all that IL means in mental and moral
POWER and clarity. is necessarily thwart-
ed by the political condition OF our
mothers. They do lot live in a democ-
raoy At all. but in a ~despotism.
We do not live in our government, but
under archaic forms long since passed
away from the mans world. Our sons,
our voting citizens, are all born Of and
reared by non-voung citizens who cam
not possibly be capable of transmitting
the enlightened ideas, the breadth OF
vision. the power Of calm judging which
come with the exercise OF this social
fuprffnr in a free O0va-u mani
The government by women in the fam
lily itself. Is too often but a d~espo-ism.
mild, affectionate. full OF privilege and
'~maternalism, " but moi free and not just.
Thus We have a constant succession
Of young citizens growing up to assume
the duties of representative government.
entering upon the large social RESPONSE
bility where the good Of the whole n
the rights OF each must always be held
in mind; yet each with his own mind
inherited from a million subject mothers,
retained carefully by the loving domi-
nance Of her who rules all the more
despotically in the little world of home
because she has no range in the larger
one. and full to- the brim Of the inordi-
nate pressure Of close personal interest.
Thus it is that our politics lack so
much Of the large craftsmanship which
can leBlStdlF WIN IhT-SttlHB Nl5uOfn LOT
all men and all time and remains so
largely a grab-bag, where each man tries
continually to turn things his way that
he may better provide for his own local,
personal and family interest.
When all our women vote hat will
mean hat all our mothers will be fun
praticing citizens. When they nave prac-
ticed citizenship awhile. they will learn
TO be more patient with large, SLOW
national evils, and not hope 10 do them
up like a weeks wash. They will be
more patient with the mighty criminals
of our time, who are often as helpless
a product OF circumstances as any pau
per, and will not imagine hat such
criminals can be SPANKED and forgiven
like a baby.
They will learn to understand social
and its processes as they DO not now;
also to understand men and their pro-
cesses and be more intelligent friends
with them: also to understand home life
In relation to the worlds life-and hat
much. When we are voting
mothers, we shall have wiser sons, bet
ter government and happier homes.
CHARLOTTE PERKINS STETSON.