Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-15

my coming here and welcoming you 10
Washington.
1.-THE difficulty expect to encounter is
this-at least it is a difficulty that oc-
ours to me as l judge my own feeling In
causes in which l have an intense in
terest, to wit, that I am always a good
deal more impatient with those who only
60 half way with me than l am with
those who actually oppose me.
Now. when / was sixteen years old
and was graduated from the Woodward
High School In Cincinnati took for my
subject Woman Suffrage and l was as
strong an advocate Of woman's suffrage
as any member Of this convention. ]
had read Mills Subsection Of Women >;
my father was a woman suffragist and
SO at that time l was orthodox. But
In the actual political experience which I
have had / have modified my views some
what.
Reasons for Approval.
I'm the first place, popular representa-
tive government we approve and support,
because on the whole every class, that
is, every set of individuals who are SIM
ilarly situated in the community, who
are intelligent enough to know what
their own interests are. are better quail
flied to determine how those interests
shall be cared for and preserved than
class may be. But call your attention
to two qualifications in that statement.
One is that the class should be intel
ligent enough to know it's own interests
THE theory that Hottentots or any
uneducated, altogether unintelligent class
is fitted for self-gOvernment at once, or
to take part in government, is theory
that 1 wholly dissent from, but this
qualification is not applicable to the
question here. The other qualification to
~ Il,-x -,
class should as a whole care enough to
look after its interest, to take part as
a whole in the exercise of political
power If it is conferred.
Now, If it does not care enough for
this. then it seems to ME that the danger
is, if the power is conferred, that it may
be exercised by that part of the class
least desirable as political constituents,
and be neglected by many of those who
are intelligent and patriotic, and would
be most desirable as members of the
electorate
AT this juncture Kisses were heard in
various parts of the hall.
Presidents Mild Reproof.
Now. my dear ladies, you must show
yours elves equal to self-government by
exercising, in listening to opposing argu-
ments, that degree of restraint without
which successful self-government is i'm
possible. If i could be sure that women
as a class in the community, including
all the intelligent women most desirable
as political constituents would exercise
the franchise. / should be in favor of it.
At present there is considerable doubt
upon this point.
"In certain of the states which have
tried 1t woman suffrage has not been
a failure 1t has not made, / think, any
substantial difference I'm politics. 1 think
it is perhaps possible to say that its adop-
ton has shown an improvement in the
body polite. but 1t has been tested only
in those states where the population is
sparse and where the problem of in
trusting such power to women in the CEN
centrated population of great cities is not
presented
Decision Rests With Women.
For this reason II you will permit me
to say so. my impression is that the task
before You In securing what You think
ought to be granted in respect to the
political rights of women is not in con-
vincing men, but it is in convincing the
majority of your own class of the wis
dom OF extending the suffrage to them
and of their duty to exercise it,
Now. that is my confession of faith.
am glad to welcome you here. / am
glad TO welcome an intelligent body of
tics. earnest in the question of good gov
eminent. and earnest and high-millded
IN the cause they are pursuing, even if /
disagree with them, not in principle but
in the application of it to the present sit
uation
More than this I ought not to say
and hope you will not deem me ungra-
cious In saying as much as / have said
but came here at the invitation of your
committee. with the understanding as to
\ hat ,l~<
subscribe to all the principles that YOU
are here to advocate. | congratulate YOU
on coming to Washington, this most
beautiful of cities, to hold your conven-
tion. trust that II may result in every
thing that you hoped for, and I am sure
that the coming together of honest. In
telligent and earnest women like these
cannot but be productive of good
DR.. Shaw Criticises.
President Taft arrived about $40
o'clock. After he left the hall DR.. Shaw
replied to some of the criticisms which
he had made against votes for women.
She said that she would draw the voting
line horizontally. not diagonally, and ex-
clude from the privilege of voting not
only ignorant women but illiterate men,
Before the President came Frances
Squire Potter spoke on "The Making of
Democracy" and Senator Owen Of Okla
roma made an address on why Women
Should Have the Suffrage
Mrs. Helen H. Gardener, chairman of
the local automobile committee, says that
IL all men were as courteous and willing
to help along AS she has found the auto
mobile men, the National Woman Suf-
Trace convention would find easy and
plain sailing in the capital this year.
All Requests Granted
Not one OF the representatives of the
leading firms which she asked to lend
cars failed to grant her request. Several
of them even offered to send their per-
sonal cars. in case enough are not other
wise furnished for the delegates and visit
ing ladies to go to the Capitol for their
hearing and to carry their big petition
next Tuesday morning.
Mrs. Gardener says: II do not doubt
that the other automobile firms will be
equally generous SO soon as they know OF
the need and wish of the ladies' We hope
to make this procession worthy of beauti-
full, hospitajble Washington, and to prove
that the National Capital knows how and
is willing to do such things in q manner
worthy Of her as the leader in America. u
REGARDED AS INSULT.
Representative Wiley Resents Dis.
courtesy to the President.