The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-22
MILITANT Brr INCONsTANT.
Proof That Women san change Their
Minds Even Ab0ut suffrage.

To TuL EDIToR nF THK SUN-Sir. Pub
lie opinion regards as mediHval the recent
action OF the Louisiana Legislature IN voting
down the bill to let women serve on boards
OF education and charity. In opposing the
bill one senator declared that Il would be
an entering wedge for woman suffrage. IL
Is not 81 very long since the majority of
anti-sunragists all over tho country held
the same opinion as to women on public
boards
In Massachusetts, when II was proposed
TO make women eligible to such offices
prominent anti-sunrAgist said; when
man comes home tired at night from his
business he does not want To kiss a member
OF the school board or an overSeer Of the
poor Since then public opinion has so
entirely changed that the late president OF
the Massachusetts Association Opposed
to the Further Extension OF Suffrage to
Women. Mrs J Eliot Cabot. served for
years in Brooklne both as an overseer OF
the poor and a member Of the school board.
The New York Association Opposed to
Woman Suffrage actually petitions Governor
Hughes to appoint a larger number OF
women on State boards and commissions.
In ChAucer's time the model woman was
the patient Griselda. The supreme proof
Of her womAny and Wifely excellence was
the unresi-tinR Rentleness with which she
received her husbands announcement that
he had made up his mind to murder their
children. Contrast with this the action Of
a Massachusetts, woman. Airs Fay. who
spoke against woman suffrage at one Of the
legislative hearings and mentioned In her
address, without any apparent conscious
ness Of Inconsistency, that her husband was
saw nothing out Of the way in appearing
before q legislative committee 10 oppose
political measure which Was favored by
NY mother as a young girl sat in the gal
lery Of church and list ened 60 the reading
The congregational Ministers Union Of
Massachusetts tn condemn those women
Who so far forgot the modesty Of their ser
ministers declared that the female charac-
ter was threatened with widespread and
permanent DEF erioraiioh. and warned The
not properly he promoted by 'hAranEues
OF female orators My mothers cousin.
inRy. that her side was black and blue from
my mother nudgeS OF indignat lon but the
mass OF the community, both men and
Nct to-day Mrs Gilbert Jones and Mrs
Julian Heath travel about the country max
ing public speeches to prove that a Wom-
Public opinion on the woman question
moves on 50 irrc-istibly that. a. the poet
says
Where The ysnEusrd cArp. 10 dsy
The rear shall carnr Ia morrow
II j. mainly the sufraRists who have been
the cause Of the advance
The late samuel y Sewall did more than
any other man 10 secure improved legislA-
ton for women in Massachusetts in regard
To property rights. &c. For more than
thirty years n MAS he who drew the bills.
helped the women argue them before
legislative committees and obtained
long series NJ legal changes In the Womdn's
journal OF o'toher ~. 1871, Judge sswsll
reviewed the progress that had been made
IN legislation for women up to that time. and
added
II,,x h.. ,nt. vo,l b., .rror,,l,Sh.4. IA. ~.
steady grow N Of puhlic opinion, promoted snd
aided IN = very great degree. II not entirely
created. b. the lAhOrs 81 the sufrakists may
add that when he surrAgiSts frst hogan 70
move the prejudice against altering the status
~ NivcS and givinr women the public Owes tn'o
which they have sincr hr~n introduced
stronger han that which now re~lsts granting
them the ballot
Meanwhile in England. a. the climax ot
Inconsistency. Mrs Humphrey Ward and
the Anti-Suhrage Association make " one Of
their ANowed ohieC to promote the cleo
ton nf women a. mayors. aldermen and
county and town councillors.
ALICE STpNB BLACKWELL.
DORCHEsTEE. Mass July -.