Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-12-09
WOMAN LUKENARM,
So IS ROOSEVELT
ATTITUDE or BOTH THE SAME
ON THE SUSPECT OF
SUFFRAGE.
EQUALITY OF RIGHT NOT NEcEs.
sARlLy IDENTITY OF
FUNCTION.

New York, December 4.-President
Roosevelt's attitude on woman suff-
rage was disclosed by Rev. DR.. Lyman
Abbott, in the course of an address
delivered before the National League
Tor the Civic Education of Women.
Or. Abbott read a letter from the
president. which he said, twas not
written for publication, nor for this
occasion. but which he permits me to
read. 1t presents a not uncommon
opinion among men and women both
In its mild approval of woman's stuff
rage, in the opening sentence, and in
its strong presentation of the argu
ments against woman's suffrage
which occupy the rest of the letter."
Personally l believe in woman's
Suffrage says Mr.. Roosevelt at the
outset of the letter which is dated No
vember 10. 1908, but 1 am not an en-
thusiastic advocate of it because / do
not regard it as very important mat
ter. | am unable to see that there
has been any special improvement in
the position of women in those states
in the west that have adopted women
suffrage as compared with those states
adjoining them that have adopted it. I
do not think that giving the women
suffrage will produce any marked i'm
provement in the condition Of women.
/ do not believe that it will produce
any of the evils feared, and am very
certain that when women as a whole
take any special interest in the matter
they will have the suffrage if they de-
sire it. But at present think most
of them are lukewarm. find some
actively for it, and some actively
against it. am, for the reasons above
given, rather what you would regard
as lukewarm in my support of it be-
cause, while I believe in it, l do not
regard it as of very much Importance
| believe that man and woman should
stand on an equality of right, but
do not believe that equality of right
means identity of function; and / am
more and more convinced that the
great field, the indispensable field, for
the usefulness of woman is as the
mother of the family. 1t is her work
in the household, in the home, her
work in bearing and rearing the child
rem, which is more important than
any mans work, and it is that work
which should be normally the woman's
&C
mans work should be that of the
breadwinner, the supporter Of the
home, and if necessary the soldier
who will fight for the home. There
are exceptions as regards both man
and woman; but the full and perfect
life, the life of highest happiness and
of highest usefulness to the state, is
the life of the man and woman who
are husband and wife, who live in the
partnership of love and duty, the one
earning enough to keep the home, the
other managing the home and the chill
dren."
DR.. Abbott declared that if he be-
lieved that the suffrage was the right
of woman, or would protect their
rights or promote their interests, he
should be mot mildly but ardently in
favor of it, The 'swoman's rights"
of which he declared himself an adj
vocate DR.. Abbott described as her
right to an open door on every voca-
ton, her right to a fair opportunity
for the highest and broadcast educa-
ton. her right TO what she can do and
be what she can become, her right to
determine her own appropriate sphere,
not to have it determined for her by
a lord and master: her right to be left
free to follow the bent of her own d.
vinely endowed nature unchecked by
yexatious restrictions, uncoerced by
the presence of needless economic
necessity. undiverted by the ill-judged
appeals or the unfeminite sneers OF
her mistaken ambitious sisters
After dilating upon the extremes to
which, he said. the modern tendency
had carried certain reformers and
writers-such as experimental mar
riages and public asylums where all
children should be cared for by "ex-
perts.' DIR. Abbott showed how the
opening of all vocations for women
had been followed by their thrush into
industrial competition with men;
some finding welcome relief from in
tolerable conditions, others DESERVING
burdens which they should bear. or
even crowding out the better paid
work of husbands and brothers whose
places as wage earners they have
taken but who are quite incompetent