New-York tribune., 1907-04-05
AGAINST WOMEN VOTERS
Ant-SufrGge Arguments on True
Sphere of Woman.

Last week the woman suffragists were represent
ed al the League for Political Education In talk
by Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch Yesterday Miss
l2mily T. Bsseu. Of Wilmington, Del, gave some
arguments on the opposite side Of the question
Miss Bisselrs paper was short She SAID that
though she had permission to speak for an hour
she agreed with the minister who put up a placard
IN church. stating. NO souls saved after twenty
minutes
Miss Bsselrs subject Women in Public Al
fairs There is phrase women sunragists dis
like more she said. than the one 'woman's
sphere II is the wajcword of the anti-suffragists
though by the way. We do not like the term
anti II has a negative sound and there is moth
ing negative about the anti-sufragists. BY wom-
ems sphere we don't mean the home simply II
the only possible relation TO public affairs were the
one which bear there are few women VINO
wouldn't want share it-anti-suffragists as Wen
as suffragists But not the only, or even. per-
hap the most useful one
The first proposition the speaker laid down was
that men and women essentially different.
Women have their work to do. but they must
do il in their way. Human nature is me
foundation OF everything. and no body polite can
afford 10 ignore the great human fact OF the dief-
snce between men and women.
Even the most obscure woman usually has some
relation outside her home with church, club or
neighborhood In the larger affairs. in reform,
-Eoman's influence has grown 10 an enormous eX-
tent. Il was who started the street clean
ing reform in New York. though her plan was
carried through by Colonel Waring and his name
Is connected with It. for she managed TO keep in
the background. There are forty-six local school
boards in New York State which have women
members. The splendid work of the New York
State Aid Society has been carried through largely
BY women. II is so in Massachusetts. Women are
on almshouse boards. prison commissions. in
Juvenile court work. I instance q womans
club IN my home town. Wilmington with branches
all through Delaware, which is doing solid work
in many public lines Butt is perfectly non-po-
liticsl Were these women voters they would in
stantly split up into Republican factions. Demo-
cratic factions. and the usefulness Of the club
would be gone
Woman is the ideal independent. In the posi-
tion she holds she be the epitome Of patriotism
without party. President Eliot of Harvard lately
said that the religion Of service is growing. It is
service not suffrage that is woman's part.
Government. it seems must be affair Of poll
tics mere must be opposite parties. and there is
something about man that makes him hate to be
considered mugwump But women should leave
the tariff men. men leave the servant ques
tion women. A voter IS always under suspicion,
always likely be suspected of interested motives.
Women in fact represent the new independent
element in public affairs. and in that light are in
valuable. Do you know that more than half the
municipal organizations the United States have
women in them? It would be disastrous change
10 give these women the ballot. and turn these
workers. untrammelled by political ties, into par
tisans.
1T is much in the body polite as it is in the
medical profession. There are fine women doctors
yet the work would not be much crippled almost
any one viii admit. if every doctor were to
withdraw from practice. As trained nurses doc
tors oeHid aet-do without women. physician told
me that in the last forty years nothing had so
revoluuonized the healing art as the introduction
Of trained nurses. II is somewhat similar part
women should have in public work. Let the men
do the diagnosing
Then Miss Rissel went - 81. -.
great majority OF women do not want the ballot
college women do not want il. Out of five presi-
dents Of the foremost womens colleges in the
United States three anti-sufrage have
checked on tho women active in social or rnunioi
pai reforms IN Massachusetts, and it is an under
statement 10 say that three-fourths of them ars
antislhragists. Some time ago the suffragists had
a referendum test in Massachusetts, 575 600 women
were asked 10 vote on the question OF woman
Suffrage. The suffragists do not ike IN think 90
that referendum, II went disastrously against
them President Roosevelt though he fsvorq
woman suHrage in theory has admitted that so
FAR he has seen no good results from its practice
IN the four states where it is the law II is fact
that the laws for women are not so good in these
four states they are in Massachusetts where
women don't vote"
Then the speaker touched on what she cauad
Vomans first duty. TO bear and rear good citizens
II this country were combination Of Eelicon Hall
and Utopia and Plato's Republic" she said. and
eYf
generation, Il would be doomed. Consider the
difference between France and Germany Every
one who has travelled in France has noted the
cieverness and activity Of French women in affairs
IN the management Of hotels. in everything of
that sort But Frances birth rate drops and
France drops IN the scale OF nations while Ger
snsnsss mana, VIII her healthy. housekeeping women,
In America the danger is not that women won't
nave a suIleient voice in affairs The danger is
tnat men VIII listen too much to the voices of a
sEnsn lection and be led to give the ballot
When the speaker had ended. the questions he
san; One woman wanted 10 know If women
olgnt not 70 have something 10 say in the military
alLalrs OF the country, and how they could without
Since Ell the mothers and most Of the school
teachers OF the country women Miss Bissell
peace in nc minds Of the boys. though di SDhI 9dnif
sh Ehats difacult AS matter Of fact isn't il true
y their feelings and expressions? don't believe
II can be said that women the peaceful element
teet themselves from war " p''
le3 aasn a SOFT & voiced woman got up TO PROFOUND
Denrer woman who owned some lots "a tb Tg ,9 o.
skirts o ae city. Some wanted boulevard
put throu%h In the vicinity Of her lots Fearing
Tax ONCE and succeeded in oonvincins the oficiais
mat s ne oouleyard was not needed. That was be-
The ballot was given to them That wear this
had made for several wears sueoessfuily aPainst
The boulevard .job." clerk met her at the door
IT won't do you any good 10 so in" he told her
You s,s see; IT'S known which way you voted. and
Z was afier Miss BisselI told this story that the
sort voiced woman arose. She wanted know
how man would feel In like case 'Suppose a
man who has delayed getting naturaIized and has
received favors account Of his not voting: sun
pose he becomes citizen. votes according 10 his
eonyietiens. and those fayors arc withdrawn-wouid
he be willing n Felin0uish his for the sake ~
having those favors bacx2"
Miss Bissell smiled. That's an interesting Oues
ton.~ she said L really don't know how he would
feel
some one in the audience brought up the old mat
fer nf taxation without Representation. The sDeal
c. remarked that she was taxnaying woman ana
that personally she felt quite willing LET the men
attend % the rights Of this II think the men ~
Wilmington quite = anxious 7 an - 49,