The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-03

piece of folly as profound as it is exasperating.
MUTE BEFORE THE WOMEN.
/: must be confessed that Candidate Dix came
oil bad second with the suiTragette who punctu-
ated his Carnegie Hall speech with the stero-
typed question, How about women sutfrage.' r.
1t would seem that Mr. Dix should at least
have been forcwarned Of this interruption to the
extent that he would have been ready to turn
the question when it was launched at him. OF
course the interruption was in a way irrelevant.
Woman suffrage in ITO wise figures in the New
York campaign. 1t Is moi an issue and cannot
now be made an issue in this election. AT the
same time, there does moi live the man who can
justify the faith OF his opposition to the princi-
pie by tenable intellectual argument. Mr. Dix
need not have tried to do that but he is a poor
sort of campaigner who IN such simple crisis
hnds 10 other resource than to stand shecpishlv
silent, while policemen s'prv loose his interroga-
tors hands from the railing before which she
sat and take her from the Hall Theodore Roose-
velt--whom the Methods Bishops called the
"Gift-of- at least has gift OF CAB which
would have landed him safely on the other side
Of so simple predicament 1t is pity that Mr..
Dix had never heard the story of the Southern
Congressman who was constantly interrupted
on the stump by people who called from his audi
enees How about the back-salary grab 7" Turn
ing flercely on one Of these political parrots. the
riled Congressman exclaimed: II used il 10 pay
security note for your dodratted old daddy,
that's what / did with it, Such an answer.
while scarcely argumenfatiee was at least eff
fectlve and ready. 1t was far better than the
snck-t thumb silence with which the candidate for
a great office looked for snccor from predica-
ment with which he was unable to cope
But IT the candidates are silent. and If the
crowds boot and the policemen arrest them the
sutfragettes have the virtue Of persistence in their
cause 10 this quality Chairman Hermann Rid
der paid unconscious tribute when, coming for
ward on the platform to the aid OF the befudded
Dix, he said: sOf course we desire to treat every
lady with respect, but she should earn the dis
tinction AT every meeting, no matter who the
candidate woman appears and asks this same
question.
Ibis is plaintive almost to the point Of an APP
peal. Political speakings are public occasions.
SO long as they do not indulge in actual disorder,
audiences have the right TO ask questions When
a man asks them, the speakers give ear, chiefly
because the man in such case generally asks a
foolish question easily replied TO- Why should
not woman ask the one question in which she
is chiefly interested. And why should not the
candidate reply, instead Of attempting to squelch
pertinent inquiry with forced assumption of
contempt 1t is no doubt long road to woman
suffrage in this country but first steps in that
direction have already been too long to Justify
any politician in ignoring the existence or the
questions of the militant women who never sleep
In forcing the issue public attention; and the
time is not far distant when what now calls for
the courtesy OF evasion will demand and obtain
the direct advocacy or the honest opposition of
all holding themselves forth for the suffrage of
men,