The Washington herald., 1911-06-24

Dear Mrs Manz-To your query
Shall women voter 1 answer Yes To
my mind the question itself is an i'm
piled insult to humanity and 70 the
feminine half, particularly.
THE arguments Of the 'and-suhragists'
to whom you refer have all been re-
futed for years in the States where
women vote That the married woman 3
work is arduous enough we admit. but
it is difficult to see how the recogni-
ton of it politically by, permitting her
to record her opinion at the ballot box.
: where it will count, could add ma
Serially to her legitimate labors or
hamper her in any way. On the con-
trery, she is moro apt to find what the
women who are enfranchised in this
country and in other countries have
found, that her labors are nghtened, and
that there is an opportunity for her to
control the conditions Of her natural
environment, the home, that she cannot
have without the ballot.
To argue that women II enfranchised
will not marry, is to make a statement
that is easily, disproven- There Is no
lack in this respect in any OF the coun-
tries or States where women are fun
citizens, and If the reverse were true,
surely no self-respecting woman can
take the ground that honest work
should be denied to women generally In
living. There is no danger of such a
catastrophe among normal women who
only wish TO marry from proper motives
and not from sordid ones.
COmmercIalism in Marriage.
There has always been too much
commercialism in marriage because OF
the want OF economic Independence Of
women, hence the divorce evil, which is
less prevalent in the States and coun-
tries where women vote. There is much
more danger that women viii refuse to
marry because Of the inequality Cpo-
litieally) between men and women than
because Of the Independence the vote
would bestow upon single women.
There are women who feel that they
cannot give themselves in marriage to
men who would deny them the right Of
full citizenship. 1t takes much out OF
the proper feeling of comradeship which
can exist between men and their wives.
and places women at a disadvantage in
many respects which women are finding
out at, last and their self-respect is at
stake. 1t is the opinion Of more than
one wise man and woman that mar
riage, that is, the right kind of mar
riage, will be enhanced and encouraged,
for women are not inclined to shirk their
natural inclinations, and many feel that
it is a great sacrifice which they must
" NAAG4E GCAl-ACSrCtl uOI 70 IudITy
under existing conditions.
1t is my very strong belief that much
anti-suffrage sentiment is due to lazIness
Incidence, and false, ideals which have
been bred in women by mistaken men
under conditions vastly different from
those under which we now live. The
time has come when arguments should
be based on experience If persons still
doubt the efficacy of woman's direct In
1uence. and the funny part OF It is that
the largest number OF -doubters are to be
found in the ranks OF those who be-
heve that the PEDESTAL Is the place for
women, pretty clear evidence of the true
value Of tie PEDESTAL argument and
how much 1t really means for women.
IF the indirect influence of woman fs
as valuable as they say and she is
worthy OF a place on pedestal, the con-
sistent thing to do is to hasten the time
when she can use her direct influences
that the world may be made better by
her influence IN a quicker and more az 1
rect way As for the woman who takes
the stand that her political opinion is
not worth the counting, Il would be m
teresting to know upon what ground
che claims that her opinion against Civ.
ing her sex full citizenship should be |
sayyrv, ,,4yor,~.-,,,,e ,,-,-.-,,,. -