The Press., 1897-09-16
M. C. T. U.
Law and the Ballot

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 This law passed by the recent legislature requiring women to register as do male voters, in order to vote upon school quest ions, has been interpreted by some of the newspapers of the state as being retroac- tive and so compelling the re-registering of all women whose names are already on the voting lists in their respective towns. So unjust and entirely unprecedent an inter- pretation of the law would doubtless never have occurred to any one, if the citizens in question had been of the masculine gender and a number of prominent lawyers in Connecticut, one of them a member of the judiciary committee of the legislature, have expressed themselves as confident that no such construction of the law would be sustained by the supreme court. Never theless 1t is most earnestly to be desired that every woman who has the good of our public schools at heart (and upon tue work of our schools the well-being of our state must largely depend), will be willing to hand in her name for the list of voters to be made" and then, after registration, will conscientiously perform her duty at the ballot box, and thus speak where 1t most counts for good, clean public schools for her children and for all our children.
 If it Is true that i've learn by doing," 1t Is equally true that we show what we can do by doing 1t. Women have some form of school suffrage in more than half the states. This gives an opportunity to ad- vance the cause of education as well as that of woman suffrage. Let women use their ballots to secure better schools, and they will not only increase their own self respect but win that of all good citizens.
 In republic the state has no more im- portant duty than the education of It's citi- zen-sovereigns and as women are the God ordained instructors of youth they should have large share in the management of our schools. School officers and teachers should be watched, not only to see they do no wrong, but to encourage them when they do well. Many 8 good teacher has degenerated from the lack of this stimulant.
 When the children were chiefly taught at home 1t might have been well to tell mothers to "stay at home and take care of their children" But now when they all go out to school, the mothers care should surely follow them. Think of the influ- ence teacher may have on our little ones
 She has them under her authority five and six hours day, five days in the week, for ten months year, for nearly dozen years Should she not be the very salt of the earth to be so trusted And when such a teacher is secured should she not be honored and paid in way that is very seldom done2
 Rev. Joseph Cook, upon being introduced at a certain convention, said in part: I have always occupied a conservative posi- tion on the subject of woman's ballot. I venture in this rather radical company to suggest a watch-word for the twentieth century. I should like across the walls of this hall to write these words: "No simple tons, no shirks, no Sex in Suffage" By ''no simpletons' l mean the reading test for both male and female By ''no shirks'' l mean compulsory voting Give me those two strategic safeguards, the reading test and compulsory votes, and then and not until then will say mo sex In suffrage" " My impression is that most of this audi ence don't know that the leading advance suffragists of this country are ready to have the reading test applied to both male and female voters. Of course 1 would not take the ballot from any man who has 1t now, but so help me Heaven. I would fol low the advice of Gen. Grant, and many another of our great statesmen, and pro- claim by law that all who come into this country by birth or immigration after a certain date, say 1900 or 1925, and have the privileges of our common schools and do not learn to read and write shall never vote until they do learn. am sure the time is coming in the history of our civi. lization when we shall have to call upon the women to lift us out of the Slough oi Despond. 1 think we shall be doing il within twenty-five or thirty years, and am so sure we shall need that help that want to be sure that we raise up the safe. guards absolutely necessary to make this help effective, to make 1t permanently valuable to our civilization. When I ob. tain those two safeguards, the reading test and compulsory voting, I will vote fol unlimited suffrage for women.
 At this same convention Rev Anna H Shaw, M. D.. was the next and last speak. CT. Her closing remarks were, "I believe that the vermilion cord which shall drive voters to the ballot box will be given wher mothers are teachers of their boys in theil political duties and political service, and the mothers and wives will drag recreant husbands and sons to the polls when the whole family go together to the polls
 II believe that the school has come tc stay, the family has come to stay, the church has come to stay, but If the church has come to stay 1t will only be when ir the church women stand equally with the school will come to stay only when woman stands equal with the man in the school ol the school will go back. The family has come to stay when the woman stands equal with the man in the family or the family will go back This republic has come tc stay when the woman stands by the side of the man or the republic will go back and we will have the dark ages over again Then will justice, truth and righteousness reign; we will grow and prosper together men and women as God put them"
 From Sire to on.
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