Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-13
WOMAN SUFFRAGE A FAILURE.

Rev. w. .. Ryan, pastor of St.
Leo's church, of Denver, Colo, has
the following remarks to make at
this time about woman suffrage:
TO say that female suffrage in
Colorado has proved a failure is to
express a half truth, and failure,
after all, is but negative term. Fail
ures are often times respectable; we
can tolerate failures in things and
persons.
But the exercise of suffrage by
women in Colorado is no longer toler-
able; it is an unmixed evil; horrible
travesty on the hopes and expecta-
tions of many of us; a Frankenstein
monster we have raised which we
must Stay or it slavs us. 1t is injur-
ing our homes; it is ruinous to all
that is becoming and admirable in
many of our women.
Il was one of the theorizers who
voted for woman suffrage. l imag-
ined her entrance into the political
arena would soften the combat and
civilize the com batants.
"All these hopes are with the
things that were. Politics is the
same dirty old game; the candidates
are of the same mixed calibre; the
ward heller flourishes: the barkeeper
with pull is not extinguished; the
repeater has still his innings.
What good has woman suffrage
done? Absolutely none. And from
experience we find that it is incapable
of good. 1t never can change the re-
suit of any election, for the daughter,
mother or sister votes as her father,
husband or brother votes. This is
the rule to which the exception is
rare.
Il see no good result from our eight
years of woman suffrage. Ne have q
Sunday closing and midnight closing
law for the saloons. Surely here the
woman vote should tell. Yet the fact
is that most of our saloons are open
on Sunday; many are open all night.
And that abomination, the ladies'
entrance greets one everywhere in
Denver. Women suffer more than
from the gambling evil. Yet the
gambling is open and seemingly sup
ported, or at least protected by law
in Denver.
There is in Denver, as in all large
cities. a red light district. If the
so much the better for m oralitv. She
roams wide, however, and everywhere
is herded to the polls; the semi
drunken harlot votes beside the
mother and sister.
And the evil of woman suffrage.
For a month past hundreds of women
have neglected their homes because
of their interest in politics. Woman's
clubs under the name of Bryan, or
McKinley--andd doubtless both these
gentlemen would be far from desiring
their names to appear as an aegis for
the woman in politics-female poll
tics-female political orators, female
political canvassers-Godp pity us, we
have known the burden and woe of
them all.
Think OF it, woman buying other
women to personate voters who had
moved Two such authentic cases
came under my observation, and these
women were otherwise reputed de-
cent.
With many, believe our women
should vote at school elections, that
the charities and correctional institu-
tions of the state should be divorced
iloLl PoIi'4o9' "uI "Ohn0n De gwen u
guiding voice and hand over them.
1T is not improbable that women
suffrSge will be again submitted to
the electors of Colorado. Fully go
per cent of our men and at least
three-fourths of our women will re-
joice in the opportunity and will kill
the foolish and regretable experiment
OF woman suffrage. While it exists
with us its only possible use is to
serve as a horrible example and warn
ing TO states uncursed as We