The Detroit times., 1911-07-21
BY MOLLY ELLIOT seAwELL.


There are two basic principles
against woman suffrage.
First, no electorate has ever exist
ed, or ever can exist, which cannot
execute its own laws.
Second, no voter ever claimed, or
ever can claim. maintenance from an
other voter.
Law consists OF a series Of Thou
shall-nots, but government does not
result until an armed man stands
ready to execute the law. Suffragists
claim that the moral forces ought TO
supplant mere physical force. But
the law is made for the law-breaker,
who always uses physical force.
A dozen ruffians could prevent a
hundred women from depositing q
single ballot. Supposing the ballots,
however, deposited by the indulgence
of men, women will surely be called
upon to legislate upon subjects or
which no woman has ever had, or
ever can have, practical experience.
The entire execution OF the law
would be In the hands OF men, back
ed up by an irresponsible electorate
which could not lift a finger TO appre-
hend or punish q criminal.
The relation between voting and
maintenance is based upon the prih.
ciple that no voter shall be compelled
to maintain any person who has a
vote which may be cast against his
benefactor. No principle OF govern
ment is worked out with more mathe-
matical exactitude. On attaining his
majority a man loses all claim TO
maintenance as long as he is voter.
IL he should become a pauper he at
once loses his vote.
The suffragist claim that wife
renders services TO her husband,
which entities her TO maintenance Is
not sound Maintenance has nothing
to do with service. A wife may be
paralyzed within an hour OF her mar
riage. She Is, however just as much
entitled to maintenance as II she
slaved 40 years for a husband and IA
children. She may become insane
but her husband il still bound to
maintain her, nor can he get di-
yorce from her on the ground OF her
insanity and inability TO perform any
service. A wife's maintenance Is her
equivalent for vote.
The fact that I'm the suffrage states
women have been deprived OF enor-
nous property privileges proves that
the principle Is working. In Colorado,
Utah. Idaho and Wyoming q wife has
no dover. She Is Jointly responsible
for the support OF the children. Tho
homestead may be mortgaged or sold
without her consent Non-support OF
a husband Is a ground for divorce. Six
women in Utah were divorced by
their husbands for non-support
The phrase taxation without rep
resentation is tyranny" was never
meant or taken in the sense that the
payment OF taxes carries with IL
vote. -
Taxation, in It's inception, meant
protection. Property owners paid TO
have their property protected. The
property r. taxed, not the individual.
Nobody has proposed that the prop
erty OF minors be exempt. The idea
that taxation carries with IL vote IN
peculiarly ludicrous when employed
by suffragists from the south. IL no
one should be taxed who has not
vote then ten million Negroes shouiG
be exempt from taxation; also all
Iunatics, minors, and criminals, all
Inhabitants OF territories and the Dis
trict OF Columbia. The million or
more foreigners added annually TO
our population would be exempt for
At least Ave years. II Carnegie, Rocke-
felIer and Morgan should choose to
become aliens, they would be exempt.