Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-04-14
WOMAN'S PAGE !.

cannot be cured in any way so we'll
as bys taking an interest in public af-
fairs.
'"The family is the foundation of
the State We find that equal SUI
frage is the greatest family bond and
tie, the greatest strengthened Of fam
lily life. Under equal suffrage, the
family is taking the place of the in
dividual. People are coming to vote
as families. The persons whom they
approve when they talk them over in
the family are those whom they vote
for when they go to the polls"
1.-THE members Of family general
ly vote alike, though it is impossible
to swear to this, as the ballot is abb
solutely secret. But we see in 1t the
changed character Of the men who are
elected. The men who are success
ful now are not just the same sort
that were successful before. Charac-
ter Is more regarded than cleVerness.
1t is asked about every candidate,
Has he good record? Is he above
suspicion, an honorable man, a useful
citizen, pure of any suspicion of COM
plicity with corrupt politics?' That is
the man who, under the combined
suffrage of men and women, gets the
largest number of votes and is
elected. This is the greatest benefit
hat comes from suffrage.
81 do not deity suffrage. There
night be state of things In which a
universal suffrage would become the
worst Of tyrannies; but with both
men and women voting, there is lit
lie danger of this. see in New York
he grievous results of half-universal
suffrage; but believe these would be
swept away by the other half"
Cleveland has taken the
bad boys off from the streets and put
hem ON a large farm in the country
There they have organized. They
have made one boy mayor, others
are policemen and SO they run it
themselves, with few older men to
look after them. They work in
school and on the farm, instead of
ollow{ng the cycle through the po-
lice court, through the reformatory
Jack to the police, and then to the
penitentiary. When the boys leave
this farm school, they are as proud Of
t as the boy who graduates from col
iege. The city thus gives the boy a
chance.
There is an upward movement in
Ill our cities. We are endeavoring
20 work out democracy. @
= When it is possible to organize
the ideals of this new democratic
movement, it will stand for. two or
three things. 1t will be city mot
for men alone. 1t will be a city for
men and women. 1t is business that
has made our cities take the Illogical
position that women should not par
ticipate in municipal affairs because
they know nothing about business.
We invite women back to municipal
affairs, as the chief corrective of the
evils which underlie most Of our mu-
,nicipal problems. / believe In wo-
man suffrage not for women alone,
not for men alone but for the advan-
tage of both men and women. Any
community, any society, any State,
that excludes half of it's members
from participating in it, is only half
State, only half a city, only half a
community. Woman Suffrage does
not interest me so much because
woman is a taxpayer, or because OF
justice, as because of democracy; be-
cause / believe in the fullest, freest,
most responsible democracy that is
possible. The city Of the people will
be a man and Woman city, city for
Ill. A city for the people must have
or it's families the influence of art,
md culture, and education, and ease,
and happiness. Those are women's
things as much as mems things. The
:ity for the people will elect its Of
ficials for other than party reasons,
ind it will keep men and women In
office who give good advice. 1t will
use very simple machinery for nomi-
nation and election. Added to that
it will have the initiative and refer
endum, because that is pure democ-
racy. It is democracy of the people
and wherever 1t has been tried, it is
admitted to be cure for corruption
The initiative and referendum puts
the responsibility of government on
the backs of those who must bear 1t.
:. The city of the people, for the peo-
pie, will not be satisfied to see. two
thirds of its houses in sltms, as IN
New York. 1t will be city seeking
to scatter its population into the coun
try; and that is possible. Do you
think, If the administration of city
set it's mind to the simple question
If how to make the city more agree
able and happy, that it could not do
it? 1t will be possible in the city for
the people From address given by
Hon. Frederic c. Howe at the Nation
al Suffrage Convention in Baltimore,
February 8, 1905. .~-.
r1. 1,oIool- Tao E09e