The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-07-23
Mrs. B. ]. Brooks.
Why do Not Want woman's Suffrage

In five states in the Union woman
has an equal right with man to vote
on all questions of federal state and
local affairs. At our last legislature
the bill for Woman's Suffrage passed
its second reading In the Senate. but
was denied a third reading. This
should prove a note of alarm to every
voter of our state. ! believe the
question OF granting Woman's Suf-
frage requires more serious Thought
than most of our voters are giving it.
One of our most prominent Benning-
ton physicians wnen questioned on
the subjevt said, 81 think women
should have most everything they
want" And so am afraid too many,
are treating this question which car
ries with it so many possibilities of
great danger to our country, too light
ly. We SHOULD send men to our legis-
lature who are wide awake on this
subject. believe in Woman's
Rights, but not in Woman's Suffrages
and ! shall try to show you some of
the dangers which | believe would
follow full suffrage for women. Wo-
men of America do not need the fed
eral franchise. Our laws are not
rigorous.
The women of America are not ask
ing for the Federal Franchise. With
all due respect to my opponent, the
women who are clamoring for wo-
mans suffrage do not represent our
best class of American women; and
the noisy agitation of the question is
not really advancing the cause. Since
| commenced to study the subject so
as TO speak on the negative side OF
this question, | have read everything
that came in my way on both sides
of the question, and have cleaned
such thoughts as | could fully en-
dorse. TIE ablest article read was
written by Mrs Humphrey Ward, an
English lady, who fully understands
the situation in both England and
America. In speaking of the dangers
to England of the woman's vote she
says that the dangers of an increased
ignorance vote are enormous, and
merely to risk them is in her belief
Iunpatriotic.
In local government affairs there is
broad field open where the energies
of women will find abundant scope
on boards OF education, on bodies
dealing vita factory regulations af
fecting women and children, with wo
men prisoners and lunatics, with the
care of neglected children and many
others. These subjects appeal natur
ally to women. and are within Their
national sphere and duty as citizens
And as long as woman keeps within
her natural sphere of duty, her opin
ion will yield universal good when
brought to bear on these subjects
where women have peculiar right
to speak.
But beyond this sphere there is
another essentially different; where
the principal of division is so clear
that it needs not argument to define
| it. What is this principal and what
are the main facts on which il rests
The principle merely insist that
there is and always will be a natural
division between the spheres of men
| and women, an axiom we may deny
as we will but which has way in
the end of proving itself. The mod
ern state, as we know depends unit
| mately on force. This is constantly
| disputed by idealists of the world
but if it were not the case mankind
would not be spending these rash
sums of money all over the earth on
armies and nayies. The Hague con.
ference would not have refused to ad-
nit any discussion, as to the limita.
| ton of ornaments; and out eX-presi
dent the chief of one of the most
pacific nations in the world would
not have sent a message to Congress
asking for four new battle ships OF
the most advanced and formidable
type. Women may say what they
please, but the whole present state of
the civilized world shows force, physi-
cal force, armed with the most deadly
Inventions known to the brain of
man. We may lament that it is so.
We may look forward to a time when
the world will be really ruled by ar
bitration; but that day is a long way
off. And meanwhile women have no
right to claim full political power In
a state, where they can never them
selves take full responsibility of their
actions, because they can never be
called upon finally to enforce them.
But the modern state depends on
several other fundamental activities
physical force being the ultimate
sanction of all of them-in none of
which women can take any personal
share.
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