The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04


Gated. tax paying, law abiding women;
but we can't discriminate. and we can't
open the food gates" To-.
There la nothing for the suf ragists at
the present moment but to bow their heads
and let the storm pass over. 1t 10 the ebb
OF the tide, but no more surely does the
ocean send back its flowing waters upon
the land. than will roll back, with volume
larger than ever before, the demand that
the women of this great country shall have
voice in its government. In all its history
there was never such registration Of
women An the colleges as at the beginning
OF this school year. Already statistics
show the illiteracy Of its women to be much
smaller than that Of its men, and this dis
crepancy cannot fail to increase. The
teaching OF it's youth is passing into the
hands OF women.
Anew years ago the immigration Of wom-
en- was not more than one-flfth that Of
men. and at present it is probably not more
than one-third. There are in the United
States to-day more American-born women
than there are foreign-born men and women
together. There are more white women
in the South than there are colored men and
women together. Aside from all religious
questions the churches stand for decency
and order; and from two-thirds to three
fourths Of their members are women. Not
one-tenth OF the inmates Of the jails and
penitentiaries are women. Outside the
very large cities the number Of women who
make necessary the police courts and all
their costly accessories is almost inflnitesi-
mal;and this is true also Of all those who are
Incorporate or immoral.
1t must necessarily be admitted by those
who study this subject that II all women
were enfranchised the education and not
the ignorance Of the electorate would be
increased. American-born women would
extinguish the entire foreign-born vote.
The white women OF the South would more
than counteract the vote Of colored men and
women together. even II all were permitted
to exercise it, and any regulations pre-
scribed would apply to colored women
the same as to colored men.
The percentage Of intemperance. i'm
morality and vice in all forms which ID
now represented at the ballot box would
be very greatly lowered il women could
have access to it. When Il is proposed
to give women the suffrage, the average
individual thinks at once of New York
and Philadelphia and Chicago; but. so far
as women are concerned, these are the ex-
ceptions. and the general estimate should
be made on the effect OF woman's vote in
all the thousands OF villages and smaller
cities throughout the country, where 1t will
not be disputed that the immense majority
are temperate, moral. and anxious for the
best interests Of the community. But. even
in the worst quarters OF the large cities
the majority OF the women would not give
their vote to support the saloons and the
various resorts OF vice. They and their
children suffer too much because OF these
places. II is questioned by some whether
there would not be just as large purchase
able vote among women as among men.
The bitter and determined opposition to
who are in the habit of buying votes ought
to be a sufficient answer to this question.
In the above consideration Of this SUBJ
ject there has been no reference to the abb
stract Justice Of granting the franchise
to women This ia 20 generally conceded
ment; but, in view Of the chaotic conditions
regarding the suffrage which now exist
in the United States. 1t is unavoidable that
conscientious people should feel that they
have a right to consider the expectancy OF
increasing the electorate. 1t will be OBJ
franchise during the past thirty-five years.
with the exception Of that to women, have
the voters had a voice; but they have been
made by the Congress and Legislatures.
A thorough and judicial tigation
cannot fail to convince him who makes it
that the evils from which the country Is now
suffering are the result not OF universal"
suffrage, but of enfranchising all of the
worst elements and barring out q very
large proportion Of tine best.
That there is just now a reaction against
40 called universal suffrage is too apparent
to be disregarded. and naturally the move
ment to secure the franchise for women
is the chief sufferer, as all other classes
already possess it, and the discussion "a
it relates to them Is merely abstract. Be-
sides the causes mentioned above. which
are retarding 1t at the present moment,
and perhaps more potent than all Of them
combined, is the apathy OF women them
selves. With 40 many issues fighting for
recognition. and backed in most instances
by a solid phalanx Of supporters each armed
with ballot, there are heavy odds against
one which has no weapons Of defence and
whose benefciaries are largely Indifferent
TO it's success. Those who are outspoken
in favor Of the franchise are the leaders
among women, in the professions. the
industries, the fields Of education, OF philan-
thropy, OF progressive thought; but they
have behind them an inert mass. These
may be divided into three great bodies:
1. Those who are earning comfortable
salaries, managing their own business.
organizing clubs, speaking In public, en-
joying all the privileges OF the modern
woman, which have been gained for her
by the labor and sacrifice OF the pioneer
workers, and feeling no obligation to secure
greater opportunities for the next genera
ton. g. The women Of wealth, with every
want supplied, and even the future pro-
yided for by the laws which those early
martyrs toiled to obtain. 3. The miser-
ably DOOR, who are satisfied with the pittance
which keeps body and soul together, and
who cannot be expected to study economic
questions.
Women do not know the power OF the
ballot, and men. who do know it, are not
anxious to invest them with this power:
for the average man, although he may not
admit it even to himself. is growing some
what apprehensive at the Increasing in
dependence OF women. In general women
do not want to add to their burdens,
and they cannot understand that many
of these could be much more easily lifted
with the lever OF the suffrage. They have
always dealt only with effects, land do not
realize the value Of getting control Of the
causes. Life IL 30 much easier for women
now than it used to be that they are will
ing to let we'll enough alone. II requires
vast amount Of courage to advocate an