The Washington times., 1910-02-07
VOTES FOR WOMEN
STRONGLY URGED
Lady Cook Advances Argu-
ments Favoring Equal
Suffrage.

Claiming that the franchise Tor wO-
men must be decided sooner or later in
( their favor and that the sooner il Is
the better II viii be for all concerned,
] Lady Cook, formerly Tennessee Clafiin,
the celebrated American @uthOress. has
written for the coming issue Of the Am
erican Register what she has termed n
scathinS exposure Of the erroneous ideas
as 10 woman's natural inferiority-'"
The question or FRANCHISE for wO-
men writes Lady Cook. 'is no longer
a mat -er OF sentiment, but OF justice
THE fact thzt more than one-half Of
the inhabitants Of this country are dis
franchised, nd politically ranked with
lunatics, idiO-s, criminals. and infants,
solely because Of their sex, is an anon
aIv 50 glazing and negotiable that &c
must not and cannot continue. Among
the onerous duties which viii fan upon
the next parliament, the recti7cation Of
this wrong should take. an important
place.
since 1857. when an act was passed by
which, as Lord BeacOnsdeId-then M
Disrs eli-said, IT was intended by the
house 10 give the franchise 10 every
householder rated for the relief Of the
poor, the question has undergone many
rev phases which strengthen the de-
mand for duly qualified women 20 have
the right Of voting at parliamentary
elections No one now would agree with
Mr. Justice Probyn when he said q few
years ago, Infants cannot vote. and
women are perpetual infants The
most obstinate and most preJudiced
opponent Of vvomen's claims TO the
franchise would disavow sucn legal
logic as that Yet it was by dicta sJsch
from revising barristers. that tine act
Or % was not permitted 10 include WOm-
en- nouSehOlders as well as men
II we 20 back a little, We find that
the same sort Ct arguments that were
leveled against VTSmsu-s franchise did
duty Tor many ether degrading disabiIi-
IicS. 1t WdS considered ridiculous for
ner TO acquire learning to know was a
man business not WOmau's- When
ErancolSe dc Saiutonges tried 10 esta b.
llSn girls schools IN France Sls was
hoOted I'm the streets, and her own
1alner doubted her sanity Lessing
said The woman who thinks is like
lGe man VINO puts on ToUEe-rid iCUlous.-
me late Dr. MaEinn pleasantly said.
We Ike 10 hear a few words OF sense
rom woman, as We do from a parrot,
because they are so Unexpected
All theSe erroneous ldeassas TO Wou1-
an s natural inferloTity. which have 50
/. long retarded her mental and social
emancipation are, however. things Of
me past II there are a few still 50 an
. tquated as to entertain them. they do
so secretly and dare not avov them
Women have abundaurIv proved fbat
their capacity 10 acquire sound know
ledge. 10 reason clearly and Judge ac-
cuia-e.--- .s equal 10 that of men.
- In their public functions. As Poor I.7vv
1udfalluS, factory and school inspec-
tors, and other civil Offices. they have
exercised an Intelligence discretion
and ability not surpassed by their ma l.
cOadJutOTS- On what grounds then
are qualified WOmeu-even those-of
rank, property. and educatiou-Ferfe,7
the exercise Of that privilege which has
peen freely bestowed upon ul11IrftfsdeS
OF ImpeCunIous ard ilIirsrate mem
IN the ages of government by ph--si-
cal loLce. when every man was a war
nor, there might have been good rea-
son Tor excluding women from rloIf4fcaI
Of this country hire others 10 frH- FOR
them- and soldiers and sailors ara Maid
through the taxes which are fupOSed
upon women equally with men The
.yIaIIly Or taNa{lcn without representa-
uOH, against which every FngIiSnrf17s IN
reels justified in taking ND arms the
world over, IS laid upon women sr7TI
"A large proportion OF women have
independent means and no Occupatfr-7 2
others have 10 domestic circle ia en-
gage their affections: while many No.
SeSs talents which. Il freely exercised
would go far TO enrich our national
lie The ext ling law compe1s q mon
Slrous waste OF wholesale enerzy
Therefore, as matter Of right, IS a
means Of imbuing politics with higher
purposes and pJIrer morality, and for
the general protection Of the r70-no-e-
Senteo millions who Esroan under the
oppI eSSl9H or partial laws, We urgently
invite all VINO love Justice and desire
the future welfare Of their co7T1.T-I- -
combine Tor The extension Of the fran
Chise TO women