The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-10-19
ABOUT WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Ex-President Cleveland Does
Not Approve WomenlVoting.
A MENACING CONDITION
Votes Of thoughtful Would Be Out.
weighted by Those Of Disreputa-
Bile and gnorant-Trias Have
Shown No Uplifting Of Politics.

weighted by Those of Disreputa-
BILE and Ignorant-TriaIs Have
Shown No Uplifting of Politics.
Thoughtful and right-minded men
base their homage and consideration
for woman upon an instructive con-
seriousness that her unmasculne quail
tiles, whether called weaknesses, frail-
ties or what we will, are the sources of
her characteristic and especial strength
within the area of her legitimate en-
deavor," says ex-President Cleveland.
They know that if she Is not gifted
with the power of clear and logical
reasoning she has faculty of intuition
which by a shorter route leads her to
abstract moral truth; that if she deals
mistakenly with practical problems 1t
Is because sympathy or sentiment
! clouds her perception of the relative
value OF the factors involved.
They know she is loving, long suf-
fering. sef-sacrifcing and tender be-
cause God has made her so, and with It
all they realize that whatever she has
or lacks the influence and ministra-
tions of woman give firm roofing and
sure growth to mans best efforts
None of US can deny that we have
| unhappily fallen upon a time when
doctrines are taught by women and to
women, which tend with more or less
directness to the subversion of sane
and wholesome ideas OF the work and
mission of womanhood, and lead to a
fanciful insistenCe upon sharing in the
stern, rugged and unwomanly duties
and responsibilities allotted to man.
AS is usually the case when a radi-
cal and unnatural change is the object
OF effort, those most extreme and pro-
nounced In opinion have forged to the
front and assumed leadership.
I'm outspoken discomfort with the
station and opportunity American
women now enjoy, these clamorous
leaders openly demand their equal par
ticipation with men in the right of
suffrage and in every other political
right and privilege.
Many other women, more consider
ate and conservative, who refuse to in
dorse these demands, nevertheless, by
amiably tolerating them or by advocat-
ing other less direct attempts to en-
large the character of women's endeav-
or, encourage and aid, perhaps uncon-
sciously and unintentionally, female
suffrage radicalism.
Il am willing to admit that it was
only after more thorough apprecia-
tion of what female suffrage really
means that if | became fully convinced
that its Inauguration would vastly in
crease the unhappy imperfections and
shortcomings of our present man-vot-
ing suffrage, and that it was only after
a better knowledge of the spirit and
disposition that stand behind it, gained
from recent experience and observa-
ton, that was entirely persuaded that
its especial susceptibility to bad lead
ership and hurtful influences would
constitute IL another menacing condi.
tion to those which already vex and
disturb the deliberate and intelligent
! expression Of popular will
The most active in pushing the de-
mand for woman suffrage point In It's
! yindicatiCn to what they deem whole
! some legislation accomplished in the
| few states where such suffrage has
! been granted. | am afraid. however
that in dealing with this feature of the
! question these advocates occasionally
take mistaken view of the relation
! ship between cause and effect.
Il believe ii will be found that If the
wise and progressive legislation in
these woman suffrage states is weighed
against such legislation in states
where woman suffrage is withheld. the
balance will certainly not be found
| against the latter.
"As bearing upon the credit due tc
woman voters for legislation, where
full female suffrage has been adopted
1t is worth nothing that the male vot.
ers exceptionally outnumber the fe.
male voters in all these localities.
1T is sometimes claimed that woman
suffrage would have the effect of ele-
waiting and refining politics, Neither
Its short trial in four states, contain.
ing in the aggregate population very
slightly In excess of one-third the pop.
ulation of the city of New York. nor
our political experience or observation
supports this claim.
"The states in which full female suf-
frage prevails are Colorado, Utah, Ida
no and Wyoming. In the first two OF
these states the proportion of female
voters is considerably greater than in !
the Others and yet, the voters of Utah |
have lately elected through their legis- |
lature TO the United States senate O |
man whose fitness is now the subject |
of pending senatorial investigation,
and not long ago they elected to con-
gress another man whom that body |
rejected st Louis Republican.