New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-05
SUFFRAGE AND CITICS.
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL SPEAKS WARMLY IN
BEHALF OF woMANs RIGHTS.

ALICE STONE BLACKWELL SPEAKS WARMLY IN
BEHALF OF woMAN's RIGHTS.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: A Mrs Smith. of Cripple Creek, In recent
interview In The Tribune. declared herself opposed
to equal suffrage. and says:
"A woman's first and highest duty Is to the child
of her love and he husband. These duties, wholly
fulfilled leave no time for the study of civics
In no locality the conscientious wife ana
mother find time for the mastering of these
wc!ghty subjects.
on the other hand, Mrs. Arthur H. Dodge. chalr-
man of the New-York State Association Opposed
to the Extension of Suffrage to Women. Is report
ed as saving. at a recent public meeting or the
Brooklyn Anti-Sun -agists that the need of the
dav was intelligence on general topics, including
notifies and women should become Informed. so
that the wives could bring up their boys In the
right way and be able to Discus political matters
iniegcntly
We are constantly told by the opponents OF equal
suffrage that a woman ought 10 influence her hus-
band and sons to the right way; but how
is she to do this unless she has informed herself
sufficiently to know which the right way Is? And
II she is take time to inform herself in any case
the small additional amount OF time needed to cast
her ballot would not be formidable, My friend,
Mrs Mary G. Bradford, Of Denver. says that the
first time she went 10 vote she was out or the
house Just nine minutes The second time she took
her little girl TO school, then stopped In and cast
her vote and finally did her marketing. and got
home I'm twenty minutes.
When any one SAYS that women ought not TO
vote because they have not time TO acquaint them
which is AT least Ineligible. though do not think
Il Is well founded. But what shall be said or those
who urge women TO study public questions and 10
Join societies fight Tammany. and to educate
men I'm their poca. duties and yet claim that
women cannot find time TO vote? The inconsistent
Is extreme.
IT Is evident that the majority OF Colorado men
and women do not agree with Mrs. smith IN
thinking that equal suffrage resembles the YER
min of the Egyptian plague" declaration that
IL had done good. and that none OF the predicted
evils had followed, was lately signed by the Gov;
the Judges Of the Supreme Court. the District
Court and the Court OF Appeals. by the president
of the State University. the president of Colorado
College a number OF doctors of divinity, and the
officers OF the principal wonens associations or
Denver. Mrs. Smith is the first and thus far the
ONLY Colorado woman. far as am aware, who
has said anything to the contrary over her own
name The preponderance of opinion in her state
The great majority Of women will always be
bla with home duties woman of good sense or
right feeling should advocate IT, But the plea OF
lack of time Is almost comic. I'm view of the vast
amount of unnecessary things for which women
contrive to find time and i'm the States where equal
suffrage prevails the men seem to like Il. which
inierfered with their domestic comfort They re-
gard the idea that woman could not take good
care Of her home and children II she were voter
much as we regard the Oriental idea that she
could not keep her modesty II she showed her face
unveiled And. In fact, the one notion has about
az much sense In It when analyzed as the other.
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL.
Dorchester, Mass.