East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-05-21


coast. replies with splendid ardor TO
the frivolous and flippant statement
of Portland business firms that equal
suffrage will be detrimental to the
development Of Oregon. The reply of
the Statesman is so full Of logic from
actual experience with equal suffrage
in Idaho, that the East Oregonian
prints II In full as follows:
An astounding statement appears In
a late issue of the Portland Oregon
ian on the subject of equal suffrage
bearing the signatures of large num-
Der of business men of that city, says
the Statesman. This Is the theory OF
the effect Of equal suffrage to which
those business men of the Oregon me-
tropolis subscribe:
I'VE. the undersigned, believe 1t
would be injurious to the general
welfare and development of Oregon,
and therefore. unwise to adopt woman
suffrage at this time. We believe
further that large majority of the
women Of the state do not want 1t. We
take this means of recording our op-
position to the proposed amendment
to be voted upon June 4, 1906"
II any one OF those signing the
statement can bring forward single
fact or single tenable argument In
support OF that declaration 1t would
be interesting for him to do so. The
fact Is that the assertion equal suf-
frage would "be Injurious to the gen.
eral welfare and development of Ore
gon" or any other state is utterly un-
founded, and II is past understanding
how men Of Portland could permit
themselves to be led into signing such
a statement.
Results In Idaho.
That theory Is disproved by every
fact OF experience. In this city, where
we have had equal suffrage for
10 years, not only do our business men
agree unanimously that It has not only
not been detrimental, but, with prac-
tical unanlmity they state II has been
directly beneficial to the business and
development Of the city and state.
Practically all the business men OF
this city will subscribe to that state
ment. as shown by a recent canvass,
and there is not one. so far as could
be discovered. who would indorse the
assertion to which those people OF
Portland have attached their sigma
lures.
EQUAL. SUFFRAGE HAS BEEN
BENEFICIAL TO BUSINESS IN
IDAHO BECAUSE 1T HAS REEN A
POWERFUL. FACTOR IN EsTAB-
MOREOVER. 1T GIVES AN ASSJJR-
ANCE OF MAINTENANCE OF SAFE
CONDITIONS AND THEREBY IN
CREASES THE CONFIDENCE OF
INVESTORS.
But, merely as a theory the state
ment issued by those business men of
Portland is absolutely vulnerable in
the mind OF every person who gives
the least thought to the effect OF the
ballot upon the welfare of the state.
Character OF the Citizen Counts.
No subject has been more fully ex-
plotted in the past three or four wears
than the influence of the ballot. Ever
since President Roosevelt donned his
armor and set out upon his campaign
against graft. corruption and decep-
ton. the people have been securing
n clearer view of the Importance OF
the ballot in dealing with all questions
that affect the state. Nothing has
beer more firmly established than the
plain, unvarnished fact that 1t is
character at the ballot box that
counts.
II we wish good laws we must have
good ballots. II we wish conservatives
economical administration. we must
have COON ballots. II we wish to have
the states welfare promoted by good
legislation and good administration
we must have good ballots. We must
have character at the polls IL we are
to secure the greatest possible bene-
fits from our government. When the
average OF character at the polls de-
clines. the state Is injured in every
feature. including its business and de-
yelopment; and when that average
rises higher the state is benefited "in
its general welfare and DEVELOPMENT"
Now. Won men OF Portland, how can
Won take the position that admission
of your women to the right of suf-
frage would be Injurious to the gen.
eral welfare and development of your
state? You libel womankind when
YOU put forth such an assertion as
that
An EnnobIinr Influence.
EQUAL suffrage promotes the gem