The Colorado statesman., 1905-09-30
FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE
GOVERNOR MeDoNALD's LETTER
Colorado Executive Expresses His
Views to Colorado Federation
of Woman's Clubs.

Denver, Sept. 27.-The feature of the
morning session of the Colorado Fed
Grafton of Womans Club yesterday
was the reading of the following letter
from Governor Mcdonald:
Mrs. H. e. Churchill, Woman's Club
Building, Denver, Colorado.
Dear Madam regret very much
my inability to greet the members of
the Colorado Federation of Woman's
Clubs. l differ very decidedly from the
views of even SO distinguished citizen
as former President Grover Cleveland,
both as to the question of woman's suf-
frage or equal suffrage.
Organizations of women, formed for
the multifarious purposes of benign ad-
vancement, as SO fittingly exemplified
in the work of the Colorado women's
association of the day, accomplish un-
doubtedly much good for the members
themselves; and elevate the tone of
civil government while they, with
equal certainty, achieve noteworthy
success in the fields of practical civic
Improvement and wisely guided philan-
thropy.
The views of our former President
should be considered without bitter
ness and with due regard to the fact
that while his opportunities to secure
information first hand have been linn
tied, there may be sufficient worth in
at least some of his comments to aid in
constant efforts toward improvement.
Mems clubs and mems sins of omission
and commission in the exercise of the
rights of voting are apparently exempt
from criticism from the same sources
which are only too willing to question
on1 ooh .Nf
women. We should all work for the
same ends-improvement in the home,
in the city and in the state, and the
woman can, and in my opinion, does,
aid in these lines of effort fully as
much as does the man.
The suggestion of our present chief
executive that we guard against race
suicide is commendable and demands
earnest consideration. We all realize
the excellence of his judgment on this
and other matters. But the child so
reared as to be fit for the battles of
lhe is far more precious gift to So
ciety than the child cast ignorant and
helpless upon the world. The lot of
the latter is being made happier by
the constant efforts of many noble men
and women, but the womap's club is
the ounce of prevention which is worth
more than the pound of cure. To the
woman's club this country will in the
future look, fully as much as to the
home, to see that the mother is fit,
that the aunt is competent, that the
friend is able, to prepare the child to
become useful citizens from choice
''Women's clubs do treble duty. They
make better citizens of the women,
who, in turn, make it possible for the
children to become better citizens.
They also make letter citizens of the
men because the standard of the home
is regulated by the standing of its in
dividual members. The woman who
spends her life by the freside amid
scenes of undisturbed domesticity per
forms noble and holy duty; but the
woman who judiciously avails herself
of the modern woman's club in its va
rious branches can. in my opinion,
perform these same duIIes, or equally
valuable ones, more intelligently
Because 1 feel SO clearly that nv
opinions are right on these matters, |
regret the more my unavoidable alb.
sence. Sincerely,
JESSE F. MCDONALD,
Governor"