The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-04-24
NO THANKS TO sUFFRAeIsTs
Laws That Better Weman's po.
sitlen Passed by Men -- They
Were Not Even Proposed
by the Women Who
AsK For votss.

When the advocates Of woman suf-
frage say that woman needs vote In
order TO right the wrongs under which
she suffers at the hands of man, they
usually answer vaguely when asked 10
state some Of those wrongs. Az mat.
tor OF fact the rights OF women are
looked after more carefully under the
laws Of most states than those OF men.
Most men-- American men. at least
are by nature chlvalrous; they recog-
nIze the fact that women as whole
are less able TO take care OF themselves
and their property than men are. II all
comes back 70 a question of physical
strength an the 6nal resort. Men can
and will, II necessary, figbt for their
lives aud property. Women cannot;
hence msn naturally protect them.
This situation IL extremely distastefui
to woman suifragists. but angry
Protests Cannot Alter Facts.
In the last nifty years there has been
o great advance ln the condition Of
women In this country as regards edu.
cation and opportunity OF employment
and opportunity OF enjoyment OF life.
But this has not been due TO the agi-
tation for woman suffrage. ~ its ad-
vocates would have you believe.
The states where woman has made
most progress are those In which won.
an suffrage bills have been most stead
lily aud decislyely defeated.
There has been slight improvement,
II any. III the laws Of the states where
women vote. due to the fact Of that
vote
II the suffrage movement were to
disband today aud no woman ever
vote. not n single great interest would
suffer None OF woman's wide philan.
thropIes would be harmed, women's
colleges would be unaffected. the pro-
fessIons would continue TO give diplo-
mas to qualified women. tradosmen
would stlll employ women. good laws
would not be repealed. and bad laws
| would be no more likely TO be framed.
literature would not suffer. homes
would be no less secure, woman's clva
work would not cease. nor would thers
he any more disposition than there 10
today to remove 10 state where wom-
an still had freedom"
The suffrage movement Is today al.
lied with coeddcatiun as aga inst wom.
ans higher education In colleges OF her
own, with
"isms" 40 Against Tried Principles.
with prohibition as against temper
nnce. with Mormonsm as against sep
hrati0n Of church aud state. with eco
nomlc Independence" and the co-opera.
tive household as against family life
and the home.
Higher education for woman has
been the special mark OF her progress
In this err. but the men and women
who founded her colleges received mel.
ther Inspiration nor aid from suffrage
workers who strove chiefly 10 break
down the sex barrier In education"
and directed their efforts 10 the ad.
vocacy OF coeducation rather than TO
the establishment of the higher edu.
cation.
Enlightened discussions OF great
questions OF public policy should be
called out by the suffrage idea, but
there are none on record.
Suffrage leaders claim that the
change In laws making them more IA
yorable TO women Is largely owing to
their demands, but this can be dis
tlnctly dlsproyed
In their published history the lead.
ers say that one OF the causes that led
to their movement was "the discus
sion In several of the state legisla-
lures Of property questions In regard
10 married women" showing that this
agitation preceded the work Of the
suffrage organization.
The suffrage movement began In
1S4S, but In 1874 Rhode Island had
passed such laws, aud Connecticut.
Massachusetts, Texas and New York
passed such laws In 1S4S.49. In lS50-52
Alabama and Maine passed similar
laws. In 1853 New Hampshire, lndi'
ana, Wisconsin and Iowa made radical
changes, In 1S49 Ohio. Maine, Indiana
and Missouri had passed laws giving
to married women the right to their
own earnings.
The New York State Suffrage asso-
citation reports that during twenty-five
years 1t urged but three bills relating
to anything but suffrage and that
those three did not originate with the
association.
The professions were
Not Opened TO Women
through suffrage agitation. When that
movement began dozen women were
already studying medicine in this
country, and the medical missionary
was the pioneer As to the ministry,
two Of the early suffrage leaders were
preachers,
In 1851 Mrs. Stanton wrote to suf.
e.. 4