The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-12
The CAUSE OF WOMAN.
,uy ONLY ARGUMENT LEFT TO
THE ANTI-SUFFRAGISTS.
n is That the Women Themselves Do Not
want the BaiIOt-It Ii Not Based on
Facts-Comments Of the Press on tho
New Hampshire Constitutional Eiec.
,iop-A Woman Lawyer In Court.

Haut the BailOt-It IL Not Based on
Facts-Comments Of the Press on the
New Hampshire Constitutional Eiec-
tion-A Woman Lawyer In Court.
II there is one newspaper in the United
States which has not said that the woman
outrage amendment was defeated In New
;Iampshire because the women did not
xant it, II would be a pleasure to hand
down its name to posterity. This is practi-
callv the one and only reason offered for It's
failure to receive the necessary two-thirds
majority. and IL Is a conspicuous illustra-
ton OF the fact that 1t is the only argument
lcft to the opposition. All OF the others
have been so thoroughly refuted that they
only provoke smile Of derision. But when
The papers go further and say that 10 the
women had wanted II the men would have
been willing and anxious to grant II, they
make a statement which In very wide OF the
mark The vote stood l4.162 ayes, n, 7ss
noes that is, In about a proportion OF
two 10 three. which Is not a bad showing
for the first time the question ever was
voted on In the State. But suppose that
every man did vote exactly as the women
of his family desired, Is 1t fair that over
1900 women in this small State who do
want the suffrage should be deprived OF 1t
because 81 900 do not happen to desire It
for themselves? On this very amendment
and also the other nine amendments. less
than one-third OF the qualified electors
expressed themselves, but should this
one-third have been deprived Of their bal
lots because the other two-thirds did not
wish TO cast theirs? Yet this would be
Just as logical as to refuse considerably
over one-third OF the women the voting
privilege because less than two-thirds do
not want IT,
It is really ridiculous. however, to assume
that II the women wished the franchise
the men would rise up as one body to give
Il 10 them. The voters in the mass exist
for the purpcs sc Of carrying ut the will Of
the party machine. Their individ ual
preferences play a very small part The
political 'be sses and the elements which
maintain them are determined that women
shall not be enfranchised. Pe ssibly IL
there should be general uprising of women
such as there never yet has been for any
purpo Sc, their scnal influence might
he strong enough to carry the measure,
but IL is extremely doubtful. The ma
jority Of men are still oppc sed to woman
suffrage. Tho Sc OF foreign birth and in
heritance are almost universally against
IL. Cok red men very largely are ad verse.
Cathc lies as rule are not In favor, nor are
the conservative and prejudiced In the
Pre- testant churches The Incorporate
and the lawbreakers are bitterly hostile.
II not a woman expressed herself. pro or
con, it is probable that the question still
would be voted down In a great ma ority
of the States.
Woman suffrage never has gained and
never will gain any victories except by
permission of the party leaders. The
women may conduct their campaigns,
spend their money. send out their speakers.
distribute their literature-but the fat
of the political 'bo sses" will determine
the result. Sometimes this must be en-
forced through the various ward workers,
as in New Hampshire. Usually 1t is the
Legislature which is manipulated. as hap
pens In Iowa, for instance. every session.
Occasionally 1t is Governor who must be
managed, as In Arizona. But politics Is
the absolute dictator. and there will be no
general gain-indeed, It Is doubtful II there
will be any further specific gain-except
It become a matter OF party expectancy.
During all the years. however the suffrage
or ganizaticn has kept entirely free fro m
political affiliation, and has refused to
make any deals even In State campaigns
where it would promise a victory. Under
It's present leaders 1t will continue this
policy.
The organization must be maintained as
a working force, but the women Of the
various States will be enfranchised in the
future, as they have been In the past, only
by permission OF one or more OF the political
parties. All this talk about women's get
ting the ballot when a majority want IL
is only 20 much dust to cover up the track
Of the enemy. There Is but one way OF
proving whether they want to vote or not,
and that is by the statistics In places where
they have the right. These show that at
every election they vote In fully as large
a proportion as do the men. In these four
Western States whenever 1t Is proposed
TO take away the suffrage from women 1t
Is not because they do not use It, but be-
dictates, and that is the principal reason
why they cannot get 1t In other States.
The various comments OF the press are
sne Kes, and Old Ths Hdn
shire, tied to the past. dares not launch
out into the deeps OF truth and progress
The Baltimore Sun closes an editorial by
saying: Perhaps New England, In CEN
turtles to come. may condesoend to take
a lesson in political wisdom from the West.
Then womin's four-starred flag will be
enlarged to meet new conditions and the
lair sex will march to victory under ban
ner as big as that which floats over the sons
Of Uncle SAM
The Buffalo Eeps comments: woman
suffrage is one Of the questions on which |
The argument is nearly all one way and the |
sentiment equally strong the other way. !
L often requi. es long time TO get sense and |
'entinent together
The Minneapolis Times thus ends q long
Yet let not woman suhragists |
ose heart. They can count their gains and |
wait the next move. Every argument |
advanced by the sufYragists is theore tically
The only trouble Is that |
women will still be women. even though |
new women. There Is at least secret Joy In ,
mans heart to reflect that Ephraim IN still |
welded TO his old idols. Let him alone In |
his matter and try what can be done in
he improvement Of the IDOLS
Even no. The idols women now worship |
Ire those to which for ages they have been !
aught to bend the knee. They have been
'eligiously trained to believe that to change /
heir gods would bring down upon them not |
only the condemnation Of their principal
goldman himself-but Of society In gen.
'ral. Fetch idolatry cannot be abolished
n one generation.