The San Francisco call., 1905-02-20
.6UFFRAG|6T6 BRAVE
UNDER LATE DEFEAT
BETTERLUChT
Senators Who DeCldimed About "WOnGn'S s
Sphere on List of Doomed
BY LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

Alas Alas That California must
keep on going to smash for another
two years.
And all because Senator Sanford and
Senator Wolfe and few other mental
relics of ye olden day got UP in meet
in and declared that "women's spere"
was inside the house-not out; that
the male population was quite capable
of handling the ballots without the as
sistance of women, and that women
wouldn't know how to vote if they
were enfranchiSed.
Unhappy Senators Sanford and
Wolfe, where have you been these
last many years, that women have
been accomplishing SO many intel
ligent things? Likewise many things
wherein self-interest was not a fac
tor. You are mistaken about wo-
men not knowing how to vote-you
surely are That intricate art has been
acquired in the clubs, good friends.
Are you gentlemen aware that the
Australian ballot system is IN vogue
in many clubs? And if it is the per-
sonnel of the vote you are grouchy
about, why, my dear fellows, it is not
of record that men always vote right
Recent developments In your own
little set look somewhat to the con-
trary.
Come now, be honest. You will ad-
NIT, If you're minded enough to
admit the truth that it's not the spirit
of a free nation to exclude intelligent
native-born citizens from the right to
participate in the government OF that
nation, simply because, by decree of
nature, a portion of its citizens hap
pens to be born females.
True. there are lot of fool females
even as are there a lot of fool males.
Recent history proves that. Therefore
the right to vote-to say what shall or
shall not be-should not be governed
by sex, but by intelligence and respon-
sibility.
This separation of rights and duties
according to sex is a heritage from the
days when women were the toys of
men, the mediums whereby to perpet-
uate the race; when they were thought
to possess no souls; when they were
.'unclean things" unfit to enter the
temples to worship. But Christianity
wrought the change. Women gradually
became mans companion-not only his
physical mate, but his mental and
moral comrade. And while the growth
has been slow, owing to the lack or
opportunity, though the lack of educa-
ton and the broadening influence of
responsibility, women are growing.
We are not such foolS as we look!
And if legislators are not big enough
to recognize in the women of to-day at
least as much intelligence as in the
bulk of the foreigners who vote, then
they prove the statement that men
make some mighty queer choices Tor
the Legislature. Women couldn't do
worse, silly as they are.
This antediluvian talk about sex in
matters relating to personal worth as
manifested in ability, integrity or gen
eral fitness is absurd.
The whole subject centers on per-
sonal worth, NOT upon sex, and the
day is not far when even legislators
(even those not picked for their per-
spicacity) will see the absurdity of
putting up barrier of sex against the
right of American citizens to
have a voice in the government, to
the support of which she pays an equal
share of the tax.
To be sure, it takes son1r>men long
time to change the style of their hat.
the cut of their coat, the shape of their
tile but it takes infinitely longer to
change the cut of their ideas. Inas-
much as their grandmothers had no
voice in the government. nor their
sainted mothers, why should their
wives or sisters or sweetheartS desire
it? And herein is the logic of right
ana Justice lOSt SlS III NOl-lO5iS, thoS
boasted possession Of man. Person
ality again, as opposed to sex.
The veto of the constitutional
amendment eliminating female from
the constitution happened upon the
auspicious day of St Valentine. And
some clever coterie of wags-could it
have been the suffragists ?-sent ap-
propriate valentines to each opposing
Senator They were mighty funny,
1a6 -iy,1r
sketches.
But after all is said and done, equal
rights will come some day, with the
gradual dawning of justice upon the
general masculine mind. And not un-
til men outgrow the idea of natural
mental and moral supremacy will the
change come. And they do hate so to
share honors!
But it will come, in it's own good
time, as a natural result of education,
Senators Wolfe, Sanford, Curtin and
the rest of the fellows who said nay
Notwithstanding. Meanwhile let the
suffrage clubs get busy.
No! L wouldn't advise assassination.
Russia seems to have a monopoly Of
that. But / would suggest, if the suf-
frage clubs are in earnest about secur-
ing Suffrage for California, that they
quietly assert their activities before
the next primaries. And California
must keep on a-going to smash for two
years more!
Meanwhile, why not set out to OBJ
tain an educational and property quail
ification for acknowledgements? If in
telligent women, many of whom are
large taxpayers, cannot have a voice
in the government, why should Hitter
ate and INDECENT foreigners? Will the
gentlemen at Sacramento who glibly
discoursed upon "womans sphere ex-
plain?
The Papyrus Club is immensely in
terested in the farewell concert of
Nine. Caro- Roma, one Of the cleverest
members. The affair is set for March
and promises to be one of the most
brilliant concerts offered during the
winter.