The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-03-07

the entrance of women into politics
assert that her realm is the home
while those who favor the innovation
declare that the ballot in the hands
of the women would mean long
step forward in the way of political
purity and reform. Oftensit is said
that women do not wish to vote but
enough of them in Minnesota are suf-
ficiently eager that they lombard
every incoming legislature with
pleadings that they be permitted to
join in the festivities on election day.
It's question which the oppon-
ents to such a bill as is now pending
in the senate have hard work defend
ingsin it's last analysis. 1t is easy to
say: "They don't want to vote" or
"a woman's place is in the home,
training her children to be good citi-
zens'' and that it is not a pleasant
thought to contemplate our mothers,
wives, sisters and sweathearts being
besmirched by the mire of politics.
1t is quite another thing, however,
to prove that our homes would not be
just as cheerful, our children just
as we'll or better trained and much of
the filth and mire and corruption,
wrought by cunning politicians, re-
moved if the women of the land we're
to be invested with the sacred right
of elective franchise. ~
Granting, however, that there
would be a few reforms and that
practically the same conditions as
now exist would be continued, the I'M
alterable fact remains that we are not
backward about compelling our wo-
men to pay their share toward the
expense of maintaining our elections,
our legislatures and the cost of oper-
ating government in all it's branches
We are compelled to admit that wo-
men are intelligent enough to own
property but we balk at the idea
that she can retain her, ,womanliness
and at the same time go to the polls
on election day and voice her con-
victions as to who shall fill the Of
fees of the government of which she
and her children are part.
Few admire the unladylike mill
tant methods adopted by the loud
voiced suffragettes of England and
these same suffragettes have done
more to delay the cause for which
they do such foolish things, than any
thing else To the credit of the wo-
men of Minnesota, it must be said
that not only do they fail to follow
their violent English sisters but
adopt saner and more admirable tao
tics of peaceful but persistant argyll
ments.
Probably it is true that majority
of the women are ready to say that
they do not care to vote but that is
largely because they simply have be-
right which we extend to our well
come but frequently ignorant broth
ers from across the sea who, as Gov
ernor Johnson used to say, do not
know whether "Rep." stands for Re-
publican or Reprobate or "Dem." for
Democrat or Demijohn. We are in
clined to believe that it would be-
quite as safe to have the women of
our land pouring ballots into the
boxes on election day as to have, as
is at present the case, hOrdes of men
often mere puppets for the benefit of
others, voting early and often.
Incidentally, women did not vote in
Adams county, Ohio, or in Danville,
Illinois.
1t might not help much to have
women vote but surely the general
effect could not be harmful. Why
not give them a chance?
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