The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-07-18
'WILLIAM n. HEAIRsT ;,
Woman Suffrage pecadent.


In recent letter to the London
Times Mrs. Humphry Ward, for the
encouragement of the anti-suffragists
OF England, gives the result of a
study of the woman suffrage move
ment in the United States, says the
Baltimore Sun. During a visit of
four months to this country she
found that the movement" is now in
process of defeat and extinction. 1t
began in New York in 1S4S, but
now, after go years, 1t is decadent.
During the second third of the nine
Iteenth century the crusade for
woman's Acknowledgement found
favor and made gains in many
states. A constitutional amendment
granting women the privilege of
voting was carried in four of the
sparsely settled states OF the West.
Since 1896 in five States the people
at the polls have rejected proposed
woman suffrage constitutional amend
ments. In 1903 the legislatures of
thirteen states rejected woman suff-
rage bills. In twenty-five states
school suffrage has been granted to
women, but the record shows that
progress on this line has been OBJ
structed rather than helped by the
'unwise pressure" OF the militant
woman suffragists. The abolition of
the school suffrage has been discussed
in Ohio and Connecticut, and in FIVE
states in the last three years pro-
posal to grant the school suffrage has
been defeated. In 1899 a bill re-
quiring mayors to appoint women to
one-third of the seats in boards of
education was defeated in New York.
AT present there is no woman on
either. the New York or the Boston
Board of Education. These facts
suggest retrogression.' Women, 1t
seems, do not care, or are unable, to
show that their services on such
boards are specially valuable.
The important thing to note is
that the suffrage movement has been
checked by women themselves, not
by men. Women have in many
states organized to oppose the grant
OF the onerous burden of the SUI
frage. In Oregon within the last two
years proposed amendment to the
Constitution giving women the suf-
frage was rejected by a majority OF
100000, largely in consequence of an
appeal issued by the women of the
state asking men mot to mistake the
clamor of outsiders for the senti-
ment Of the home-loving women OF
Oregon" Woman suffrage existed in
Washington while 1t was territory,
but it was dropped when the state
constitution was formed. The move
ment," in short, is fighting a losing
fight. american women don't want
the ballot. BY quiet, resolute and
slowly Strengthening opposition they
have averted 1t. The same result,
Mrs. Ward suggests, may be obtain
ed by the women of England, provid-
ed they will bestir themselves to or
gani2et counter agitation. Being
already in possession OF the local
franchise, they are in position to
defeat easily the suffragette propos-
al. They are interested in certain
educational and social reforms. In
ordinary political matters they are
but little interested. They concede
to men the right to settle questions
for which they, and not women. must
ultimately be responsible. But the
desired influence in matters of edu-
cation and social reform can be ex-
ercised, 1t is suggested, on the basis
of "a consultative relation to the
Home Office and Local Government
Board" That, however, is for the
future. Meanwhile the example Of
fered by American women in putting