The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-12-05
Increasing Weakness in Sen
timent For Home, Says Mag
azine Editor Cause Of Di-
vOrce.

storm center OF argument for ana
against woman suffrage, and In the
very vortex of the whlrling winds
there remained suspended, as It were,
a letter on the subject from the presi-
dent OF the United States. The storm
centered in the meeting of the Ma
tional League for the Civic Educa
tion OF Women, in the Berkley the
alter. where the subject of Universal
Suffrage for Women" was considered.
/ The organization is opposed to wo
man suffrage.
The Roosevelt Attitude.
The attitude of President Roose-
welt and OF Secretary OF State E.ihu
Root on the subject of woman suf-
frage was disclosed during the das
meeting.
The Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott. editor
of the Outlook. in the course OF ala
address in opposition to granting the
right to vote to women, read the fol-
lowing letter from President Roose-
welt. which he said he read with the
presidents permission. although II
was not written for publication nor
for this OCCASION"
Personally. l believe in womans
outset OF the letter. which is dated
November 10. 1908. but | am not
an enthusiastic advocate OF II be-
cause do not regard II as very
important matter. / am unable TO
see that there has been any special
improvement in the position of wo-
men in those states In the west that
have adopted woman suffrage. as
compared with those adjoining them
that have not adopted Il.
Motherhood Woman's Place.
II do not think that giving the wo-
men suffrage will produce any
marked Improvement in the condi-
.tion OF women. | 10 not believe that
10 will produce any Of the evils feared
and ! am very certain that wnen
women as a whole take any special
Interest in the matter they will have
the suffrage II they desire II.
but at present 7 think most of
them are lukewarm: I find some ac-
lively for II and some actively against
IL. | am. for the reasons above
given. rather what you would regard
as lukewarm or tepld in my support
.of Il because. while | believe in II,
10 not regard It as of very much i'm
portance 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
that the great field. the in
dlspensable field. for the usefulness
of woman is as the mother of the
family.
at Is her work In the household.
in the home, her work in bearing
and rearing the children, which Is
more important than any mans
work. and IL is that work which
should be normally the woman's
special work. just as normally the
mans work should be that OF the
bread winner. the supporter OF the
home. and II necessary the soldier
who will fight for the home
The Ideal state.
There are exceptions as regards
both man ana 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 ana
wife. who live in the partnership of
love and duty, the one earningI
enough to keep the home, the other
managing the home ana the children.
yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
DR.. Abbott, who was the principal
speaker at the meeting, argued
against what he he'd would be the in-
Fiction OF new and unnatural re
sponsibility and duty on women by
forcing on them the obligations of
public life. The title OF his address
was "The Assault on Womanhood.
Secretary of State Root, In letter