The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-20
LONE VOICE AGAINST WOMEN
ONE CLERGYMAN SAIS HE
WOULD NOT LET THEW VOTE.
RepablleAn Ciab ~ Ita saturday l.aarheOn
Hears apeakers who say the WOmeO
Are sure Co Gee the ssAllot- George
Al8eP Wsala Let Every Oae NS1e.

Hears speaker MhO say the WSmen
Are sure 60 Gee lhe ssalloI- Geogge
Al9eg Woald let Every Oae NS1e.
AZ ths Republican Club discussion
luncheon yesterday the Rsv. Mr.. Under
hill. one Of the Rev. Percy Grants as
sistants az the Church % the Ascension.
was the lone speaker against votes for
women.
The discussion was OpeOed by Char
man Edward =. CraiGin. who APologized
for the absence Of two United States
Senators and one Representative. He
said that every ono probably knew why
they were absent.
Prof. John Dewey 20 Columbia Univer-
atty told of the educational advantage
which would accrue to women 70 they got
the ballot He mentioned the fact that
20 per cent. Of the teachers la public
schools Wers women and that since they
had 10 motive for studying civic and
governmental affairs their charges suf-
fered. He said that corruption was best
combAtted by public opinion. that suffrage
led peoplo to ~ interested sufficiently
to have an opinion and finally that We
needed tho women's aid to defeat cor
ription.
The ono speaker who ignored the
woman suffrage question was George W.
Alger Of the Suffrage League. He spoke
Of the growing idea that there ought TO
he some restriction of manhood suffrage.
He saId that this was again st democracy
and against the fostering OF a national
spirit which he feared was growing weak
The Rev. Dr. r. ". Mclaughlin called
! to the attention Of his hearers the change
which had gone on in the attitude toward
woman suffrage. a few years ago.
he said, ii was considered joke: to-day
10 a man laughs at IL he reveals his own
ignorance He felt that men were
/ beginning to hesitate and that hesitation
must mean eventual victory for the
women.
Mr.. UnderhiIl, who IN associated with
the National League for the Civic Educa-
ton Of womsn. was introduced AZ the lone
Daniel in tho lions den. He rosa TO the
occasion. His conception Of civilization
was that IL was composed Of two things
manners and customs. which made up
society. and protection. which was gov
eminent Society. h. said. has always
been ruled by women. the government
by the mon. This division originated At
the very start Of the human race. An
soon az the first mother gave birth To her
child the family was established. the
woman had her work to do and the man
must protect her and forage for food.
All civilization has been based on this
natural differentiation. and the two sexes
have become more and more differentiated
a. time has advanced. n we trv to make
the sphere Of woman coAlapcs with mans
we are going directly against ths Law Of
evolutio the advance from homogeneity
20 heterogeneity Woman has baen ape-
cializinE IN her sphere and man in his.e
To provo that the differentiation he-
tween sexes had advanced with civiliEa-
ton Mr.. Underhill pointed out how vastly
greater was the difference between man
and woman than between the opposing
sexes among the lower animals.
He mentioned the argument that women
ought TO have this suhTags 10 protect
themselves against the men and said in
answer IL I marry a woman the law
made by man can make me support her
mako mo pay debts which she may con-
tract without my permlaslon. make M
will at least Ons-third 81 my property to
her in the event of my death: hut sup
| posing a man with wealthy wife were
| tn hs,corne luoAptcIt&ted by accident or
| dissase. ~ there any law which could make
| that wealthy wifi" give him on" cent? All
this shows how mon hAv" done NOR" for
women IN their efforts to protect them than
they have done for themselves
Finally Mr.. Cnderhill thought that
women taken a. whole were better
/ than men and the reason for this was
that men had sheltered them and kept
them away from temptation. 10 that
they could give themselves over TO an
idealistic conception OF things and teach
IL 20 their Children for the betterment
Of the world.
Max Eastman. secretary oI the Men a
League for Woman suffrage, and an
instructor of philosophy At Columbia
was the next speaker He said that he
was going TO talk 10 practical politicians
for few moments
what's IN the wind can tell that " 10
coming There have been no reverse
movements ia the sta tes whore u has been
established, women's socletle- are grow
ing IN number and size all the time. and
even the press ~ beginning to take the
matter seriously. Now there IN a pos
sibihty that u may come ia sir years,
and that ~ not too large "a span for a
practical politician TO look ahead. II he's
wise 4 whole lot ot votes az" gong to
h. turned lo1~~ They are not all going
10 Operate. a, once. there Will bc much
inertia Ia 10 overcome" The elements
for overcoming inertia that NE kno~
OF IN the past are not particularly fine
and we've got TO get ready to overcon"
AZ IN "A Legitimate way Tn" best way ~
namely 10 the first partly 10 submit the
question to the voters
Further Mr.. Eastman sad that n there
was one thing which this great indus
trial age would he remembered for N
history II would 10 the tact that u had
liberated wOmankind The good done
20 them by this liberation ~ incalcuIabl".
and now what u needs ~ a political eN-
preston by giving them a ballot. reward
ing them with a proof of their sovereignty
Buying votes" SAID Mr. Eastman. to
explain his point - a had thing. but u
10 not the worst thing possible, the dig
nifty which ~ gives "A man to feel that he
can cell or withhold his vote a. he chooses.
that there - something which other men
consider worth paying for. - q proof
TO him OF ms own sovereignty, and the
worner ~ well should he able TO feel that
dignity
4 The Rev DR. William Carter was in
favor Of giving the ballot to women.
hut thought that u should be given on
an educ ationAl basis and that men az
we'll should he restricted TO that extent.
! Mr. Cnderhill closed 'he debate briefly.