Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-10-19
AD} AN Z OF WOMAN
4aIT58 links THERE Is LIT.
TIE MATERIAL GAIN.

~ a1is'pal suffr2qo" in Massachusetts
Qe@fafza to SO Good Deal CT a
Ffaaa=-Votes for Women Who Fay
Taxes.
he statement made recently that
instead ot AL having been gained
aY women, they are still struggling
Tor toothold has just received
hfaetIeal illustration in WASHINGTON
eHy. During the last two years for
The first time woman has been per-
United to enter the law department
Of COLUMBIAN university in that city
3ad prepare for it's degrees.
paragraph has been going the
rounds setting forth the small mum.
Der of women who voted in the re.
&c. municipal elections in Massa.
Qsetts and asserting that the mum
=ael IS constantly growing smaller.
II Boston. it is said only Il 800
women cast their ballots.
fie ia9t IS tndl women have no
municipal suffrage in Massachu.
setts. In 1879. in a burst of gener-
oolty, law which never has been re-.
Peased was passed by the legislature
providing that a woman 81 years OF
age who could stand the educational
*est and who should give notice i,
"flllh2 that she wished to be as
sessed poll tax ($2), and who should
give, under oath, a statement of her
taxable property and be thereupon
assessed, and who should go at an
appointed time and register. and re-
peat this performance every wear.
sLolliu 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.
yIsors or any other officials. nor for
appropriations for new schoolhouses,
nor in the selection of teachers, nor
on any question connected with the
public schools, bat simply could make
choice OF trustees from ballot pre-
pared without her sanction.
nder these conditions men pretend
20 be shocked and greved that the
women of Massachusetts 10 not rush
en- masse to the polls. To compare
the size of the Woman's vote with
that OF the men under such widely
different conditions, is more than un-
fair i is dishonest The only legiti-
mate comparison mnst be made in
lie 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
recent editorial 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-
lieyes that if all women were allowed
to vote at city elections the tendency
to political corruption would be
checked: nevertheless, this idea is
gainine ground also"
The important interview with PROT
". r. Fl Hart of HOWand university
On the race problem, which was pub
iished recently, contained this strong
assertion:
in 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
70 guard, protect and help the SUBJ
iect classes, but in a democracy such
as ours the ballot is absolutely the
only protection Of the citizen, and 1t
is as necessary in the long run to the
man whose skin is dark as to hlm
whose skin is light, and when the
race question is settled properly 1t
can only be on the theory that the
perpetuity of the nation depends upon
the equality before the law or all It's
citizens. s."-Chicago Tribune.