The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-23

n KEN ~ Al.
Now and again the question of fe-
male suffrage comes up here, and the
fact that the President when Governor
of New York pronounced himself I'm
favor OF woman suffrage. may once
again make the issue live one. Where
woman suffrage has been tried 10 has
had a great measure or success. why
should IL not? Compare individual with
individual and you win find I'm many
women the intellectual superiors of the
self-styled Lords of Creation, The
vote OF intelligent cultured women, and
their example in voting would carry
influence far reaching i'm its effects
Because we have female suffrage
there is no need for the quiet and
motherly woman to rush to the poll
teal platform and rant alongside the
raucous sisterhood of the Carrie Nation
or Cougar type. But give woman her
vote and she will record it intelligently,
quietly and with unerring instinct as
10 what is right and pure and good.
Much Of the opposition to the introduce
ton of female suffrage comes from the
professional politician. True woman
hood dislikes the professional politician
and is ranged against him. Even now,
without a vote, womanhood is a power
which the professional politician has to
reckon with; and to take into consider
alton, but with a female vote the aver
age ward CRATER would find himself in
very deep waters indeed.
After all one can never fully under
stand the logic of excluding woman
from a political voice. Our remote an
Cestors of the Teutonic race called the
matrons of the tribe into their councils,
and when they followed their advice
they were generally successful. In
many of our modern homes it is the
wife who is the guiding star and the
adviser of the husband, whose brilliant
successes may be the theme of COM
ment.
Woman suffrage would be a good
campaign issue here. Years ago it was
very live issue and was strongly fav-
Ored by eler ents which are now i'm OPP
man suffrage was that though a large
number of highly intelligent voters
would be obtained, there would be a
still greater mass of ignorant ones
added. But this is no argument, as
any one can learn by going over the
list of male voters. Suffrage means
ignorance in the mass and brains and
determination to weld that mass in to a
valuable power.
The Woman's Journal of Boston,
Mass. has this to say upon the Presi-
dents attitude upon this question:
Roosevelt is the first President of
the United States since Abraham Lin
coin who had expressed himself public
ly in favor of woman-s suffrage before
attaining the Presidency Cleveland
proved himself favorable to it by ac-
lions rather than words, as he signed
bills giving women partial suffrage in
New York when he was governor of
that State. Hayes favored it in his
quiet way land helped the senior editor
of The Woman's Journal to get wo-
mans rights resolution through the
National Republican convention of
1872. Garfield recognized it's growing
importance. He said: Laugh as we
may, put it aside as a jest if we will,
keep it out of Congress or political
campaigns. still the woman question is
rising on our horizon larger than the
size of a mans hand; and some solu-
ton, ere long, that question must find.
Some other Presidents were believed to
be more or, less friendly to it, but
Roosevelt and Lincoln have been the
only ones to put themselves conspicu-
ously on record.
1T is still fresh in memory what con-
sternation Roosevelt excited among
conservatives by his recommendation
of wOman-suffrage in his message to
the legislature when governor of New
York. And Lincoln said, in a letter to
the electors of Sangamon County, H.,
published in the Sangamon County
journal, June 10, 1886: I go for all
sharing the privileges of the Govern
ment who assist in bearing it's burdens
consequently ! go for admitting all
whites to the right of suffrage, who pay
taxes or bear arms, by no means ex-
GLIDING females"
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UnDnSTc