The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-19
LETTERS TO EDITOR
On Woman's Suffrage

To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 A gentleman of the old school and gentleman of the new school once had lively argument. The topic was woman s suffrage. Their differences were funda- mental and irreconcilable, because their viewpoints were anti-podal on this ds on every other subject. Temperamentally they were incapable of getting anywhere together. To the mind of one, existing institutions were consecrated, that which did not yet exist was either pernicious or impractical. He supported the social or der as it is, without the slightest hesi- tation or misgiying.' The other knew that new ideas are at first always upheld by a small minority; that the present gen. eration do many things that our fore fathers neither knew nor did, and that eternal vigilance Is the price of progress in all worldly affairs.
 The old gentleman viewed the usher- Ing of woman onto the political arena as calamity of far reaching effects, he believed it would destroy her social pres tige cause the loss of mans deference for her, harden and roughen her ire parably and brush away forever "the bloom from the flower'' The young man did not share these terrible apprehen- sions He did not altogether accept the fantastic conception of woman as weak and tender creature, described by poets and novel writers. He knew that over T. Oc0,O00 of them in this country alone are by the stress of economic necessity out in the world trying to earn their daily bread; that they are toiling side by side with men and often in the sharpest com petition with them. Many of them have acquired property pay taxes and perform all the duties of citizenship, but none of them enjoy the rights and privileges of citizenship. While the change in the po- sition of women in the twentieth century is obvious to all who have eyes to see, the idle talk is still heard that the home and family is woman's sphere. Twenty five hundred years ago Dem0sthenes as- serted that women should have no other vocation but to give birth to legitimate children and guard the house. Today no- body could defend such proposal with out being guilty of contempt for all woin- ankind.
 ''Ah. but" replies the gentleman of the old school, ''the women themselves do not subscribe to your sentiments, they ;ire not asking for deliverance from bondage. they are not crying out against mans prerogatives and power; on the contrary all the indications are that they like t. and are pleased with their subordinate lot in life."
 The gentleman of the new order: Your contention may easily pass for more than IL is worth. The Asiatic women, instead of murmuring at the seclusion and re- straint to which they are condemned, pride themselves in 1t, and marvel at the effrontery of other women who receive vis- its from male acquatntances and go un- yelled in the streets. Habits Of submis- sion make for servile-mindedness and women irstinctively keep to the narrow path custom has made for them. The savages of the forest would very probably not accept civilization were 1t tendered them, but this does not prove 1t would De undesirable for them.
 Again woinan's predominant motive in all things is her Lords approval It is pleasing to him that her existence should be ancillary to, his, he likes her depend- ence, and as has been we'll said, the QaaIf. ties of conduct In subjects which arc agreeable to~ rulers. they succeed Tor c long time in making the subjects them- selves consider as their most beautiful virtues"
 Gentleman of the old school: "Yes, but you ignore the very foundation of the sub- ject The real question is. in what way would giving the ballot to women tend to secure better government. or improve civic conditions, or in general way help