New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-10

unutterably opposed to It. yet shall never.
never must never shirk t. And not only does the
vote imply the holding and running for Office, but
IN the face Of the crying need to-day OF voters
taking intelligent. a more active interest
In the political questions before the country, Is it
not disingenuOus, TO say the least. claim,
Secretary Long has done. that the whole thing
takes little tme'?'
Mrs Noye and Mrs. Bergen both made strong
pleas against any extension Of the suffrage 70
women. and Mrs. James Meade Belden asked
70 read the following letter addressed to Mrs
Arthur NJ. Dodge by Mrs. Schuyler Van Reusse-
aeF In which Mrs. Van Rensselaer, said that after
spending winter in Colorado some years ago and
voting there on my return home I studied the ques-
ton OF woman suffrage carefully. and have since
found no cause to change the convictions which
then forced themselves on me There seems to me
no reason why women should vote for school Off
cials more than for any others. The only logical
question IS whether they should vote on the same
terms as men at all; and. Of course all eff
forts to gain for them limited voting power mean
a first step toward the demand for the general
Ing power. To grant this power seems to me unds-
sirable for two main reasons which might be sup
plemented by many minor ones.
wOMEN's WORK IN THE WORLD.
'First--ls civilization advances and the work OF
the world becomes more complicated the necessity
grows that II this work is be well done it must
be subdivided- The same facts which in every
profession and sphere Of private activity fore
ing progressive subdivision Of labor ought 20 be
recognized when the general duties OF and
women toward society are co 1sidered.
1T has thus far been recognized that for physIo-
logical as well as for sociological reasons, the
porting fousehods shoud be- assumed ana bT Tf 9
while the work OF conducting the households upon
women. In certain instances il may be needsu Tor
q woman TO do a share Of what IS specifically a
invalidate the fact that the general division is ss
deliberately BY law 70 impose upon women half of
NE aTduous task Of government while relieving
them from none Of their own high Responsibilities
would be to inhict upon them whole great
HJusuce' ana dangerously 10 interfere with their
proper performance OF their inesca pabIe tasks
T., secona-lt cannot be questioned that some very
table, philanthrOpical and educational enterprises
picion that they are affected by poIitcai-that is
necessarily. by northumberland. That this be-
on the one hand by the readiness OF our people 10
establish and to conduct costly enterprises with
the other BY the desire OF State and municipal
for which they are responsible supervfs.d or in
spected by non-polucal persons bodies. Year
hy year women are assuming greater share IN
labors OF this Sort and not more through their
own desire than through the desire OF men to have
fitted for phlanthropical work by nature. and also
by the present circumstance Of their lives. and
among these circumstances there stands out very
conspicuously their freedom from political duties
and consequently from personal political aims and
1T is not because 7 think women unfit for public
unhampered by the need to share IN the Political
life OF tho country. 1t is because believe that
much public work may be disassociated far al
women being the orTanizeTs and consgcteEs Of the
households OF the nation. thereby best fitted TO
engage IN this kind OF public work; and because
! believe that by putting them politically the
same footing men their special servtceablenesS
20 the community (which yet we have only be-
gun 10 understand would be fatally impaired.
while no corresponding good would be secured.
- Not because I want TO see womsn's activity
limited 20 the household but because want 20
SEQ It, with the household its basis and inspra
ton. extended wide and rich fields, which. I
believe. men in general. not competent 70
cover; because 7 want to them active and be-
nehcent citizens I'm ways with which political
duties and affiliations would conhict-for these rea-
Sons Do not wish 10 the voting power con-
ferred upon them IN a limited or in general
manner