Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-14
CRITIcISES EDITORIALS IN
HERALD ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE

LOS ANGELES, June 11.-[Editor
Herald: Your editorial on the things
which may possibly happen in Uncle
Samuels domain when Aunt Columbia
gets tired of posing on a pedestal and
comes down to take a hand in politics
all sounds we'll enough, but 1t over
looks the arguments of the 'antis" en-
tirely Only little more than one
month ago The Herald quoted the
sentiments of no less distinguished a
parsonage than the Princess Parlagh-
yal, who remarked: 81 don't want to
vote. 1t is too much trouble, in the
first place. To me it is nothing
short of a humiliation" That is the
way some women, and some men, feel
about this voting proposition; and L
want to ask if anyone is going to be
inconsiderate enough to take these
persons away from pink teas, mon
key dinners and other important social
functions" OF the sort and drag them
to the vulgar ballot box? Many wo-
men already have the material neces-
stiles and luxuries of life supplied to
them without going into a factory or
sending their children there; and as
for working women, the poor things
have plenty of occupation now as
clerks and scrubwomen and packing
house employees without being forced
into the disreputable game of politics.
Furthermore, several of our states
with only male suffrage have obtained
improved child labor laws. Why not
wait a century or two until the other
states catch up in the same way?
There are plenty of little children to
be experimental upon in the mean
time. l do not see the use of becom-
ing excited about the matter, like
some of these irrational suffragists.
AS an instance of the futility of
women attempting to NEEDLE with
politics, allow me to mention the case
of the woman teachers of New York
Recently these teachers, backed by or
ganizations of other misguided women
took the trouble to get a bill through
the state legislature, granting them
equal salaries with men for doing
equal work. What was the result? 1t
was promptly vetoed by Governor
dure the thought of seeing a fragile
woman teacher burdened with a bank
account as considerable as that of a
male pedagogue; moreover, as he said,
the idea was a new one, and they
don't care for innovations in New
York His opinion is indorsed by DR..
Lyman Abbott, who contends that no
woman does as good work as a man,
whether she does or not. / notice that
y
that way; which shows how the laws
of nature are upset when women take
to interfering in affairs of no concern
to them.
II. r. H, above quoted, very prop
erly went on to say that politics is a
tangled skein, in which self respect
and principle are soon involved des-
perately. Women cannot take part in
government without succumbing to
f.,A of In,
trigue, therefore they ought to pray
that they may be kept entirely out of
the wicked world of political activity
and left at leisure to train their sons
to enter the mire and there "echo their
mothers sentiments" But, on second
thought, l am not so sure that what
is too bad for women is good enough
for men; don't believe 1 like to have
my own dad" placed where he must
''unconsciously succumb," ct cetera !;
why not save both him and me from
the humiliation of taking part in the
management of the affairs of the re-
public and invite T. r. back from
Africa to look exclusively after the
interests of "hs people, as Luke
Wright puts it?
You overlooked, too, the contention
of Mrs. Humphry Ward, that since
women can't be soldiers they should
not be voters / do not suppose you
mean to take the ground that any
other member Of the community might
render 1t as valuable service as the
soldier gives, or that a nation made
up entirely of men behind the guns
might not be prosperous and endur-
ing one. Do you not know that If
women once vote they will immediate
ly desire to enter the army and navy,
use tobacco and raise boards, things
which are manifestly undesirable?
I don't doubt that The Herald means
well with these suffrage editorials, but
| wonder that so sensible a paper does
not take the great plan of nature more
seriously into consideration. Who
ever heard of female bird walking to
the ballot box to vote for an alderman