Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-06

INC opposing uoJotNy oCsue usSuons
down to 3.2S5.
Is there anything discouraging in
these figures? Do they not show be.
yOnd all question BY the very great
reduction of the opposing majority at
each election the gradual melting
away OF what Hon. John d. Long calls
the glacier of bourbonism aud Oppres.
siOn?" The idea OF woman suffrage
has to encounter the opposing preJu.
dice and custom OF the centuries.
These are particularly strong In tho
case Of foreign men to whom the
thought Of liberty and equality for
women Is q revelation which they are
not prepared to accept by their votes.
The bitter hostility OF those classes
who may be described under the gen.
eral term Of enemies Of good govern.
ment. always must be counted as solid
ly against this measure. The third
line Of opposition Is found In the nat.
ural conservatism of even the intelli.
gent and respectable classes among
- native born. That all these ad.
verse conditions. in the brief space Of
q few years. have been overcome to
the extent indicated by the above fig
ures. is as sure guaranty as ono
could ask that in q few years more.
counting upon the same ratio OF de-
crease. they will entirely disappear
and the majority be transferred from
the negative to the Affirmative side Of
this question.
Do feel dIsheartened at the series
of defeats which this measure encoun.
tiers In the various state legislatures?
Not In the least. When the agitation
for equal rights first began 1t was al.
most impossible to have the question
considered at all by legislative bodies
However. there always has existed
among civilized men a greater or less
sentiment of justice and chivalry to-
ward women. When the latter would
present their bills for suffrage. and
also for the modification Of some espe-
cially unjust law. the former would be
thrown aside without debate and the
latter eventually granted as a sort OF
concession. When I remember that I
myself and the small handful Of WON.
en- who were associated with me went
up to the New York legislature. peti.
ton in hand. for ten years before we
could get q law giving married women
control of the wages they earned:
when recollect that q little band Of
women. headed by Lucy Stone and
Rev. Anna Shaw, besieged the Masss-
chusetts legislature ten years before
they were successful In getting the
legal right for q wife to be buried In
her husbands cemetery lot; and when
1 recall many other instances quite a.
outrageous am not surprised that the
yielding of the great fundamental pow.
er Of the suffrage has been % long
delayed.
At first, as has been said. lesisla'
lures refused any consideration what
ever OF this. question. Then It pro.
crossed to the stage of being taken MP
and made the subject Of ribaldry and
abuse which seem incredible at the
present day. Now 1t has reached the
plane of dignified argument and 1t 10
seldom that any legislature rejects
such a bill without certain amount
Of discussion. This question has oc-
cupied q full days session OF the
United States congress on several oo.
casions. 1t was debated . few years
ago for two days in a respectful man.
ner in the Massachusetts house Of
representatives; 1t has been the sub
ject of serious discussion In half Q
dozen legislatures within recent
period. At every session Of the New
York legislature . woman-suRrage bill
in some form receives careful consid.
Grafton and seldom fails to pass either
the senate or the assembly by large
majority. In all legislatures II Is no
uncommon occurrence for the bill to
pass one house and frequently to be
defeated in the other by bare
margin. Sometimes only Q vote for z
reconsideration saves 1t from com
plete success: sometimes II does carry
and goes to the voters for ratification.
Eleven legislatures have thus submic
ted the question and i've have taken
this action twice, with an increased
Affirmative vote. as has been shown.
-
Is there any othe. logical conclusion
to be drawn from these facts than that
this progress will continue. and that
as public sentiment becomes more en-.
lightened. the justice and the need Oi
woman's vote more evident, and WON
en- themselves more importunate. ono
state after another will fall into line
and kkaut their full enfranchisement!
Wendell Phillips used to say:
When not oBsyAcongress and the state
legislatures. but all the crossroads
schoolhouses are debating the ques
ton of slavery, I know that the cause
will succeed The question OF WON
an Cnnsge has now reached this