The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-11-15
ABOUT WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Ex-President Cleveland Does
Not Approve Women|Voting.
A MENACING CONDITION
Votes Of Thoughtful Would Be Out
weighted by Those of Disreputa-
bic and Ignorant-TriaIs Have
Shown No Uplifting of Politics.

wv etiiO FldIS r1dvC
Shown No Uplifting of Politics.
"Thoughtful and r1ght-minded men
base their homage and consideration
Tor woman upon an instructive con-
seriousness that her unmasculine 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 it
is because sympathy or sentiment
clouds her perception of the relative
value OF the factors involved.
They know she is loving, long suf-
fering, self-sacrificing 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-
tons 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 subversiop 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 womens endeay-
or, encourage and aid, perhaps uncon-
sciously and unintentionally, female
suffrage radicalism.
Il an willing to admit that it was
only after more thorough apprecia-
ton of what female suffrage really
means that if / became fully convinced
that its Inauguration would vastly in
crease the unhappy imperfe2tions and
shortcomings Of our present maG-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 it another menacing condi-
ton to those which already vex and
disturb the deliberate and intelligent
expression Of popular will.
The most active in pushing the de-
vindication to what they deem whole
some legislation accomplished in the
few states where such suffrage hes
been granted. l am afraid, however.
that in dealing with this feature Of the
question these advocates Occasionall,-
take a mistaken view of the relation
ship between cause and eject.
Il believe Il will he found that if I've
wise and pre-. e~~:ye 1o"'@'r'ic@ -
these woman sufs~a "a states is we+~'
against such lo~iolation - ~'~.oe
where woman sufs~a re is ~it'1to''
balance will certainly not be found
3rai~Gt the lNttor
AS Ef arirg u7on the credit de to
woman vCtor0 fer LEGISLATION. where
full female suffrage has been adopted
it is worth nothing that the male v0t-
ers exceptionally outnurnber the fe-
male voters in all these localities.
ut is sometimes claimed that woman
suffrage would have the effect of elp-
waiting and refining politics. Neither
its short trial in four states, contain
ing in the aggregate q population very
slightly in excess of one-third the nor-
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 oOnsi1 ora h1v creator than in
the others, and yet, the voters of Uteh
have lately elected through their legie-
lature to the United States senate 2
man whose fitness is now the subiect
of pending senatorial investigation.
and not long ago they elected to con-
gress another man whom that body
rejected st. Louis Republican.