The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03

or those dangerous half truths that is
 more insidiously harmful than an open
 falsehood. Man, husband, father,
 brother, do legislate for the protection
 and comfort of woman, but never. never
 for the woman's sake, but never, never | mans. Woman is a chattel, d possession, | De It as mother and nurse, or as wife, l or as daughter, or as sister, or in some more unconventioal possessorial relation: mans legislation affects her so as to
 guard her as his possession, his toy, his Tor her own sake. He says she must do
 this, must not do that: must not de-
 sert her husband but for grounds he , lays down-is this for her best interests,
 or as she would legislate? Is man the l best judge? He sayS-not in statutory | form, but in his man made social ethics that man may sin and it matters not, l but woman must not slip once lest she l be social outcast-the double code of | morals-this is, for her best interests is
 this as she would legislate, desire, make as her social customs? He boasts that | he protects woman, and yet we have an | annual toll in Chicago of 5000 women 1 forced from the path of virtue into nameless lives, and ten times that num- | Der throughout the States, to satisfy his 1 sensual desires, he says that this is l necessary evil; does woman say so?
 
 ethics? Do not be deceived the lookout that husband, father, brother man keeps Tor woman, is ever for his benefit, never Tor hers; ever to cherish and protect her as affection or desire may command, never according to her wishes, her best interests. Pro suffragists say that suf- frage irrespective of sex will remedy this, or help to remedy this: let us allow no spacious plea of sufficient protection deceive a tba nha the power, to vote on these and other questions intimately concerning her well fare, and the welfare of the whole race. Another argument of less strength but as great frequency is that woman does not need the vote, as her influence is al- ready great enough; "the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the | world;' the influence of mother or wife is more than ample to compensate for the absence of the vote. Is this true? Take | an enlightened. patriotic citizen who has l failed to pay his poll tax, and is thereby disfranchised; who addresses public meet ,, ings and advises many how to vote; and yet. the janitor of the building, who does vote, is of greater importance in the machinery of government than he. We decide questions by voting not by argu- ment. If influence without the polls is enough, as well discard voting and let argument decide questions of state. When voter enters the polling place, only he can know what his vote is all influ- ences cannot turn him from his inten- tion then. So women, human beings should not be restricted to an advisory capacity, but must be given the oppor- tunity to participate.
 They tell us that woman's place is in the home, as mother; so is mans as father; neither relation occupying the whole time or attention of man or wom- an, but each as human beings having an equal interest in the present and future welfare of the state. A little more serious thought on public questions to occupy woman's time will mean little less bridge, a little less gossip, little less attention to that useless, expensive, and jealous god, fashion, which today com | mands garb for women that seems main | ly provocative of mans worse thoughts.
 Intelligent women say, '"Why should not we vote, as well or better than illiterate | or ignorant men?'' Even an intelligent critic writing in last Mondays Age-Her | aid makes the blunder of trying to answer vote, ignorant ones must too. If the right l to vote were conferred upon women, 1t l would mean an additional amount of ig- norance and illiteracy to an already over loaded suffrage" Man, what of your educational test? If you neglect to en- force It aganSt man, why should that be an argument against extending suffrage. with this educational restriction, to wom- en? Make your limitations more rigid, | provide for better enforcement of them, advance the standard of your electorate, but never beg out of allowing women 10 vote by saying that ignorant men vote.
 Woman suffrage should never be grant | ed as a favor to women it should never be granted because she wishes it. it should only be granted if and since it is for the best interest of the state, the nation, the race It is but the natural outgrowth | of the awakening of womankind the evt- | dences of which we see on every hand and | always. It will not make her mans su- | perior, but will tend to make her more | his equal, more of a human being than | an over feminine weakling. It will make | her not less womanly, but more human. | It should not mean bitter fight. but 1 rather a certain and sure advance. which | will be for the best interests of us all,
 b.