Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-10-14

tiiut writer's In all cases express their view
and that publication does not necessarily i'm
ply endorsement of sentiments or opinions
expressed.-ED.
"Back.number" Opinions of Mis-
ter Co.'S.
YELM, Wash, Oct. 10, 1898.
ED. STANDARDS:
One OF the leading questions before
the people of the State OF Washington
at the coming election is woman suf-
frage. The question naturally arises ::
How shall cast my vote! If extends
ing the right of suffrage to woman is
going to elavate politics, make women
better, elevate the standard of moral
ity and tend to the general good of
mankind, by all means let us have it.
If not, let us vote it down as a very
dangerous experiment. What are the
facts i'll the case? There isn't nation
on earth that has ever adopted it..
Ills true three or four States have
tried it, but can it be shown that Wy
oming, Colorado or Utah have made
any greater strides in progress than
other States in the Union? Will it be
claimed for moment that the moral
tone of those States is any better; that
the women are more highly cultured
or that the moral propensitics of the
males are of u higher order than those
of other States? Is it not a fact that
there are more saloons in the city
of Cheyenne than in any other city
of the U. S.? Is an increased number
of saloons an indication of moral in
flation? They tell us that woman
suffrage will do away with intemper-
ance. Does any one honestly believe
this? What are the facts? In the
city OF Philadelphia there are 1904
persons engaged in the retail of liquor
and of that number 3,O96 are women
In LOO applications for liquor licenses
in Boston 49l women are named as
copartners. Statistics show that
while the population of the U. S. has
increased but 20 per cent. in the last
two decades, the number of female
drinkers and drug takers has increased
500 per cent. Don't you think their
argument is fallacious?
If women are going to do 80 much
in purifying politics, what is going to
be done in the way of purifying them
after they get through with the dirty
job of purifying" the primaries, the
caucuses and the conventions? As
one author says: at might save
some labor if the dresses of the ladies
were made long enough to sweep floors
and sidewalks; but what about the
dresses% l am quite sure that wo-
manhood would suffer more than po-
litical morality would gain. All wo.
manhood is not angelic. The multi
tude of ignorant and depraved women
would assuredly be brought to the polls
by machine politicians and dema-
gogues, while the cultured and better
class of women wonld be reluctant to
enter the political arena to out-vote
the ignorant and corrupt, and new
burthen OF responsibility would be
thrust upon respectable womanhood.
One of the strongest arguments against
imposing the burden of civil duties
upon woman that delicacy allows us
to hint at, is that the Creator "has
put an interdict on the participation
of a large number of our sister-sex in
public affairs through certain physical
disabilities which belong to wifehOod
and maternity. 1t is indisputably a
reform against nature and once incor-
porated in the constitution of our
State it will be greater menace tc
true government than African slavery
ever was. 1t is II fact that / voted at
the last session of the legislature to
submit the question to the vote of the
people, but did so because it was a
plank in our platform and / always
believe in the rule of the majority
that is pure democracy. have faith
enough in the good sense of the COM
munity to believe it will be rejected
by large majority. The majority OF
women do not want it. In the State
of New York there are 1900 women
against woman suffrage to one for it.
| have not seen one good argument in
favor of it, and l defy the most ardent
sutfragist to produce one that cannot
refute. l am aware OF the fact that
lay myself open to the tiercest denun'