New-York tribune., 1900-04-25
ESSAY ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE
MISS SPRAGUE RECEIVES THE PRIZE
FROM THE BROOKLYN ASSOCIATION.

Miss Lorie c. Sprague who lives at No 476 Sec
ond-st. Brooklyn, is the fortunate winner of the
first prize. offered py the Brooklyn Woman suf
frage Association, for the best essay on suffrage
prepared by student in the public schools. Miss
Sprague is schoolgirl of seventeen years, and the
subject of her essay was. Should the Franchise
Be Extended to Women7' She read this paper be-
fore the association at its meeting. held last week
The prize was presented by Miss COrnelia II. Cary.
and Miss Spragues essay is follows:
The question of woman suffrage is Justly agitat-
ing the world. 1t is ensting the attention OF the
claim to the highest civilization. Here in our own
feeling that the Nation is only one degree nearer
10 being free than it was in slavery times wnen
to say how they shall be governed.
Women are amenahle to the same laws as men; men
Of which even an expression from woman is not
ish for crimes against the state but for the fan-
cal control of the affairs of business even to the
vested In the woman well the man. There
tore 10 unless man IN his egotisn reegates won woman
upon himself. without her. to make laws by which
punished?
FoREMoTHERs TO BLAME.
Perhaps it was great lack of thought in our
foremothers not to have re6elled against unequal
bel against taxation without representa- ton but un-
They not only had the condions of anew new coun-
try to contend with; but they had to put up with
much on the shortcomings OF our foremothers, let
to he of en so R not IN be
toward u.s. and that the women at the beginning Of
with the afars 81 life ana commpandng m position
Until woman votes she cannot command equal
opportunity for obtaining work Some claim
that women vote by proxy. If that is such salts.
factory way, let them take a turn at trying IT. But
such sophistical reasoning is unworthy of sens
Ie man there Is great cry mat the net pGS are
Gus for some men? The absurdity of this argument
the voting places, as she purines all other places,
Why are the muititudes of uneducated, murder,
Gus foreigners who besides reducing the standard
love for its institutions no sense Of loyalty allowed
to vote. when women with property rights; love or
country, and natural instinct to further the prog,
ress OF al that is moral and good are, are dePrved pr yea
@ hy are Hng Gr g
or republic. nor have they sense of the mean
Voumnons ballots. requiring the alert eye Of the
well informed citizen to cast an intelligent vote
frage for any person TO be permitted to deposit one
that individual be sufficiently quaied by education
TO read and understand every word impressed
wOMEN's MENTALITY.
Statistics show greater percentage of female
attendance than male attendance at the educational
ward higher mental development in woman. and
with this tendency must come better results in
exercise her better judgment Political methods
abuse of liquor would be abolished. and beginning
at the very initial the right OF suffrage would be
given only to such entitled to II educa-
uonaly and by the proof of their being self-sus-
tanning individuals.
What greater indignity could be visited upon
intelligent woman than to be deprived of the very
liberty OF her being. and the manner in which her
estates left not only in the hands of ignorance
but with those having realty rights nor invest
ments In the business of the country and often
times in the very hands OF men incapable OF work
ing decent living for themselves?
The great injustice of thus debarring women from
realizing to the fullest extent the glorious gift OF
liberty cries aloud for its undoing, and until
woman Is admitted to the foremost ranks of the
human army will the march for the betterment OF
the world be rapid.
The tendency OF the times seems to be toward
swifter approach to the complete unfolding of the
general plan of the Great Designer of Creation, and
people come fuller rea liza tion of this fact
selfShness and egotSm will be eliminated from
their natures and no longer will 1t be thought that
because she is woman she is qualified
operate with man in the furherng of human
progress. but the man will seek her cooperation
In all questions scientific political commercial and
moral.