The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27
THE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
THE QUESTION OF SUFFRAGE
AND DIR. LYMAN ABBOTT.
RepetItion Of the Arguments That Should
n, COMPUTE All OppOnents-The Views
OF Mrs. j. Ellen FOster-The Church
Gamers Of kOkOm0-WOmen Climbers.

0f MIS-. fSlIcu FOSttG~huC NusAA Oss
Gamers Of kOkOmo-WOmen Climbers.
The extensive editorial comment on the
article of DR.. Lyman Abbott discussing
woman suffrage, in the current number OF
the Atlantic Monthly, is somewhat sur
nrising in view Of the fact that 1t does not
contain one argument which has not been
made many times by that writer and which
has not been thoroughly threshed out
during the last fifty years. 1t is also sur
nr;sine that this periodical should devote
si1teen columns of its valuable space to
this question. when there is not bill or an
amendment for it under consideration at
present in any State in the Union. 1t is
equally surprising that, having deliberately
opened the discussion, the editors OF the
Atlantic should persistently refuse the
scores of requests which have been sent
from all parts OF the country to allow the
other side to be presented. This action
might be expected, perhaps, from partisan
daily newspaper, but it is not compatible
with the fairness and dignity OF great
modern magazine. The advocates OF
the measure, however. have no reason
10 regret the publication Of the article.
Coming from one who for many years has
eiyen this subject much thought. and who
from his position in the world OF letters
speaks with considerable authority. it is
guarantee to the public that it presents
the strongest objections which can be made
on the opposing side, and yet even the
most superficial reader cannot fail to rec
ognize their sophistry.
The friends OF woman suffrage can only
profit by having the weakness OF tneir
opponents exposed, for it is wholly I'M
possible to argue against the right OF women
to individual representation in republican
form of government without repudlating
the Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution of the United States and the
laws which ensure personal liberty. Those
who oppose it cannot base their arguments
on the ground of logic. reason, JUSTICE
experience or the principles of democracy
They are compelled to found them on
sentiment and emotion. the prejudices
and customs Of the past, emphasis on the
differences of sex and doleful forebodings
which the actual facts in the communities
where women have voted 1or years prove
to be utterly absurd
A vast ma jority of the newspapers which
have given editorial space to portions OF
DR.. Abbott's article have made no comment.
Perhaps they thought it Unnecessary 10
gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw
perfume on the violet The Hartford
Times, in a column Of review, says 1T is
difficult to see how the right to vote would
strengthen the position Of the wife and
!, mother" This il to say in effect that IT
would be of no advantage to be able TO de-
termine the number of saloons, gambling
houses and brothels which should oner
their temptations to her husband and sons;
of no advantage to have voice in the con-
diton of the streets and alleys that sur
round her home; Of no advantage 10 put
into or out of Office those who are resPon-
sible for the character Of the water which
her family must drink; of no advantage to
direct the management Of the public schools
y where her children spend most OF thelr
\ waking hours; Of no advantage to possess a
4 direct control over the officials who make
and administer every law under wn,o ah sne
sible idea Of duty to those of her house
hold a wife and mother must have II she
Ia satisfied with only those ministrations
which she can give under her own roof =,
PhsdsPhss inqu nTem asree1b but
cludes that when the time comes that
women as a whole want the ballot they Will
get it," and says: During many thousands
OF years of experience men nave hot
achieved complete success as ruiers-M
fact, have been often conspicuous failures,
i and II women can regenerate society ana
tho State we wish them joy of the task.
There is plenty of room for their labors
Well il after thousands of years OF ex-
perience in government men are still Often
conspicuous failures" it seems as II women
ought to be given chance for the saliva
ton OF the government, If for no other rea-
son. But il this must wait till women az
whole" want it, it will wait forever, as
neither women as a whole, nor men as
whole ever agreed in wanting any one
particular thing.
The Brooklyn Eagle, of course, takes the
opportunity to put in its talons. DIR. Alb
bot.'s article, the editor says, calls atten-
ton rather to the disappearance OF the
claim for woman suffrage than TO the aP-
pearance of it," Funny, isn't it., that a
busy man should take time to write SIX,
| teen columns against claim which had
already disappeared?
4The mannish women who strobe up and
down our platforms twenty years ago, and
In tinny, tenor voices demanded the ballol
in general elections. are apparently ~, IN
other business" declares the Eagle Inc
phrase 1in general elections shows clever
hedging, as women in over half the States
have already secured the ballot IN sPecla
elections. Ali of the women now living
who strobe up and down the platform
twenty years ago" are still demanding the
franchise, but the editors nowadays have
too much decency to call them "mannish. y
They are reinforced by thousands OF Other
women. who, IN the feucTillOH Vi tiuDo
the Daughters of the Revolution, the Con-
gress of Mothers and hundred other or
CARNATIONS, are "striding up and down
the platform" just as much as ever the
advocates of suffrage did, and the editor Of
the Eagle occasionally accepts with de-
light an invitation to join in their plat orn
cakewalk. A woman only STRIDES" Hnt
has a .tinny, tenor voice" Gt used to be,al
WAYS called "bass') when she is asking
for the franchise. How this language re-
calls the newspaper billingsgate OF half
century ago! One seldom hears 1t now
except in the remote backwoods press.
1t IL rather strange to see SO many Of
the papers accepting DR.. Abbotts opening
statement that women do not want e
vote" which he based entirely on the small
number in Massachusetts who expressed
themselves on sham referendum sub
mitted by the Massachusetts, Legislature
eight wears ago. There is only one fair anc
honest test Of the question whether
women want to vote, and that is founc
in the records Of those four States where
they possess exactly the same franchise
as men These show that after an eSpe
rience Of from seven to thirty-four year
the women still vote in fully as large pro
portion as the men, and they have done th
from the very time they we're enfranchised
No estimate based on any other figures
Ia entitled to consideration. Although
comparatively few women expressed them
,ob,,