The evening world., 1911-05-01

MISS Molly ElllOtt oedNeh, oVut
suffrage argument in an interestin
milan, and called The Ladies' Battle
Miss seawell insists that the nor
nal voter must be physically able 10
make his way to the polls against oo-
position II necessary. and he must be
able to carry out by force the effect
OF his ballot.
Must Rely on Force.
THE s%uffragists claim that the
moral forces ought to supplant mere
physical force. But IL a burglar
breaks into the house of a s~unragist
she calls a policeman. A dozen ruff
ans could prevent a hundred women
from depositing a single ballot.
~"Supposing the ballots OF women.
however. to nave been deposited by tho
Indulgence of men," continues Miss
Seawell. women Will surely be called
upon to legislate for men upon sub
jec,s OF which no woman has ever
had. or ever can have, any practical
experience. Women could not. with
justice. ask TO legislate upon matters
Of war and peace. No woman can
have any practical knowledge of ship
ping and navigation. of the work or
tralnmen on railways, of mining. Their
legislation. therefore. would not prob
aoly be Intelligent. and the laws they
devised might be highly objectionable
TO the very persons they sought to
benefit"
Then Miss Seawell takes up the re-
laticn between voting and maintenance.
The two things are Incompatible. she
says. as Is proved by the fact that all
paupers are virtually dis~franchised.
Must Lose Other Rights.
"A wife's maintenance" she asserts.
lis her equivalent for a vote. II she &C.
qu!res a vote she must give up her
right to maintenance"
Already. Miss Seawel says. the women
in the four suffrage states Of Colorado.
Utah, Idaho and Wyoming have been
deprived Of nor property privi-
leges.
Women in the United States occupy
a far more favored condition than those
In any country in the world" she de-
clares. But In no country Is woman
suffrage SO utterly unavoidable as under
tho American system of government.
There are five cardinal principles or
woman suffrage which are In direct
conflict will. the five cardinal prin-
ciples Of the government of the united
States.
The first Is the suffrage contention
that voting is a moral right. The Su-
preme Court OF TIE United States has
decided that voting Is lot a moral right
but a privilege.
Would Be Privileged Class.
Second. women voters would newt
ably become a privileged class, their
mere exemption from military and
naval duty making them such. The
first fundamental OF our present form
OF government is that there shall oe
no privileged classes among voters.
Third. the suffrage claim hat the
United states could live under an e.ec-
torate OF which less h half could
enforce It's laws would necess!ta'e a
large standing army, as in those :oI.n-
tries where the electorate Is not s;.ong
enough to enforce its laws
Fourth. the government of the United
states is based upon the rule OF the
majority. and the s~uffragists aave less
than three per cent. of women OF the
country on thoir side.
Fifth, the tendency of woman suf-
frase is inevitably toward socialism,
the state doing everything possible for
the individual
Raps at the Leaders.
Miss Seawell takes a gentle fling a;
the personnel OF the suffrage body.
There Is "A large class" she says.
like the promoters OF Hun House in
Chicago. who mistake philanthropy for
government, not knowing that too much
philanthropy Will ruin the best govern
ment on earth. There j., Of course.
In the suffrage body that proportion OF
professional ~agitators which Is found
in all movements. Then there are num-
bers of women who wish to be promi-
nent and get into pfln, Some OF the
most prominent leaders are divorced
women"
Woman suffrage has had most lam
entable results. even where 1t has
been tried according TO Mss SeawelPs
researches. New Zealand, where
women yote. Is said to be one OF the
most corrupt celebrates in the world,
and Colorado has been proved By OFF,
cial figures TO be he most corrupt cleo
torate in this country 1t has not inn
proved political affairs in Finland. Utah
and lda.o have failed 20 put a stop TO
polvgamy. The five suffrage states
SNOW an abnormal divorce ra,e.
1T Is my earnest nope ANA belief tina.
the sound good sense OF American
women WI defend them from suffrage"
Miss Seawell concludes, Il believe that
the most important factors In the state
are the wives and mothers, who make
of men good citizens to govern and pro-
tect the state, and | believe woman suf-
frage TO he an unmlSed evil"