Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-12
A New Old Question.

- ''OH' Viz SQSSuOT.
Recently the ancient discussion of
universal suffrage was half-opencd in
local lIpworth League devotional
meeting. The thing has come to the Old
dominion and raised its head, Ii not in
the very sanctuary, at least in the adj
Joining lecture room. One who knew
hau mildly stated OILY IL few facts re-
g"rdins the peculiar features now pre-
scented by the local saloon business. The
moderate statement provoked Il brother
10 tie expression OF wish that tho
women might vote, SO us to rid the city
OK saloons. Some of us are willing To
DeileVe That the whiskcy interest is
stronger in Norfolk than anything OK
cept the water interest. but the wish
OF the good brother is prophetic of a
danger hitherto unforeseen If the sa-
loon business can force our men To
cry out for woman's suffrage it is worse
than anybody has yet dreamed.
The discussion was but half opened.
Nothing was said in reply to the spcak
err 1t might justly have been said that
IL is not SO necessary Tor women to
vote as 1t Is for men TO vote right. For
several generations men have been vot-
ing in this city. The Saxon loves to
vote, whether by a show OF hands or by
show of secrecy. unsheltercd bv u
wind-blown. yard wide breadth Of un-
blcached muslin. When the women
made hulled corn and spun yarn. he
voted; now that they swim. golf ana
wheel, he still votes. What n mess he
has made of II in this dear old town,
The servants" he chooses build nu
round stone houses on fashionohle
streets and look as If they Jared sump
tuously several times every day. with
no apparent financial support cyceps
the wages of their-well. service and
their master may not see their ac-
counts The voter has horne and for
borne with the costly experiments OF
the servants" he allowed their bcttcrs
to choose for him in bar-room caucuses
until they have shown him not merely
now house may be built upon the
SAND, but how Il mansion may be built
upon water. He has voted for ser
wants of the hcelers' choosing, until
the city is honey-combed with vice.
WIN winch the proper officials are ac-
luainted. and over which they saw the
law gives them no control Nobodv in
the city knows existing lawlcss condi-
ions better than the officials sworn to
execute It's laws; nobody is so ready as
lhey 10 make excuses: nobody else so
much afraid of an honest Investigation
and the higher their rank the more
they know, the more fruitful they aro
In excuses, the more afraid they orn of
truth seekers
rms is the slough the voting sex has
gotten us into. How can the voter OK
poet help to come from the incxne-
ricnced? Because man so often fails
we nave no reason to suppose woman
couid succeed. If men will be eulliblc
and allowed themselves TO he humhIr-
scd out of primaries, and will 90 10
their business when they ought 10 he
learning something OF the city affairs
or sitting on jures 10 convict rascals
ana 10 the end OF the chaDter they
promise to be and do all these things
ana more. there is no reason to supnose
that women would do even ms VOL
Women are folks, that's all. If they
were every one of them rs far superior
to mundane things as the most san
Suihc FEMININE preachers OF suffrage
deem themselves to be, they could mt
at once and to a certainty, bring The
average of voting Intelligence above
the danger line. They are not
SUPERIOR they are not cxnc
rlenced in the machine-worlz
of suffrage and they are quite rs M
trained In the principles of government
as men are College men are MS one 10
thousand; college women n sma Her
proportion. AS it is not the college
man the practical politician rcckons
"i'''' ~ u Nouiu nOl ne the college
woman or the moderately cultured wo-
man, but the cook and the house girl
and the less intelligent sort of factory
-aparaiiNes-Et-isitist ---e.t,-prett5 * .f,-s1v
this as to talk about liberty and eel
evation," but it's much closer TO tho
truth.
We are in n middle. 1t is true that
men who work faithfully and love
righteousness and truth. have allowed
INSCRIPTIONS politicians TO befool them
out of their birthright. and have taken
in exchange bonds upon which they
pay interest. 1t is also true that the
ease with which the trick could be
done, unduly tempted into corrupt pol-
tiles men who are in other rexs.eo$R
most exemplary. The votes of wSanan
would not help Norfolk city. Mar
must learn what the good housekceper
learns when she sets the rolls over
night. that the leavcn must be nut in
ut the proper time and kept warm while
it works. They must be willing to give
hours to preparing the way for n clean
government or they will spend wears
suffering from civic unclealiness. They
must love civic righteousness better
than pull or party. In downright
manly fashion they should go to work
to devlop in themselves and in their
womankind the civic conscience. Each
man or woman should ask, not "how
much can l get out of Norfolk?" but
what can learn to do to hclp make
Norfolk better city?"