Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-12-15

Taxes.
The stM 90 .e.e recently uaat
tustea. 81 800. =tta1fGa been gained
by Womse, lHp. are still struggling
for tootoul4 ha- just received
practical illustration in Washinston
city. DurUg the last two years for
the first time woman has hern rer.
mitted to enter the law department
of Colum6.2H university in that city
and prepare Ter its degrees.
A paragraa1 frs bonn e45s& tho
rounds setting f9HU J-r .MU Qu
ber of women vho yataa jr# the 70
cent "mu#5=i5 r @fac5f=9az in Af4esl.
cfuSetts and ee#estine THAT the niia-
Der IS constants &rowH2 smaller.
In Boston, ii i mid. only ff,S00
women cast tAeir ~ !ats
The fact IS that women have no
municipal suffrage in Massaehu.
sets II 1S71#i1 a burst of &euer-
osity, taW ~isie! II Yer has ben re.
pealed was passed=by the legislature
providing that a @oman 91 years of
age who could stand the educational
test and who should give notice ia
writing that she wished To be as.
sessed a poll tax ($2). and who should
give, under 0ath. Z statement of hpt
taxable property and be thereupon
assessed. and who should go at an
appointed time and register and re-
peat This performance every year,
Should be allowed to vote for school
trustees. She could not attend the
primaries and help select the candi.
dates; she could not vote for super
Vlsors or any other officials, nor for
appropriations for new schoolhonses.
nor III the selection of teachers, nor
on any question connected with the
public schools, bat simply could make
a choice of trustees from a ballot pre-
pared without her sanction
| Under these conditions men pretend
TO be shocked and grieved that the
women of Massachusetts do not rush
en- masse to the polls. To compare
| the size of the woman's vote with
that OF the men under such widely
1ifferent conditions, is more than un-
fair, it is dishonest. The only legiti-
mate comparison must be made in
the four states where conditions are
precisely the same, and here the
women come out Of the test with fly.
| ing colors
| The indianapolis Journal said in a
recent editoria! referring TO the grow
! ing sentiment in favor of tax-paying
women having municipal suffrage:
"The conviction undoubtedly has
become widespread that they should
be allowed to assist in choosing the
officers who are to administer busi-
ness OF such direct Importance to
them. A lesser number. probably, be.
lieves that Il all women were allowed
to vote Ct city elections the tendency
to political corrur son would be
checked; nevertheless, this idea is
gaining ground aIso."
The important interview with Prot
W. H. H Hart of Howand university
on the race problem. which was pub
lished recently, contained this strong
/ assertion:
'ln the end, whatever may be the
condition now, the right of suffrage
must be the sword and shield of all
the people of a democracy In a
monarchy it is the duty of the mobiles
to guard, protect and help the sub
ject classes, but in a democracy such
as ours the ballot is absolutely tho
only protection of the citizen and It
Is as necessary in the long rul to the
man whose skin is dark as to him
whose skin is light, and wAen the
race question is settled pro perly it
can only be on the theory that the
perpetuity of the nation depends upon
the equality before the law of all it's
citizens. s.'-Chicago Tribune.