Arizona republican., 1911-10-21
VIEW OF SUFFRAGE
BY LILLIAN COLLINS
The King is Dead, Long Live the
King, is Her Way of Looking
at California Election.

Very many. probably most. of the
Republican readers. will recall writ
ing of Lillian Collins who. during her
residence in Arizona, was one of the
best known litterateurs of the terri
tory: and because of that acquain-
lance and because Of the force and
attract. Veness of her writings they
will he interested in her view of the
California suffrage election. In a re
cent article which she calls A Swan
Song she discourses on the subject
of the new duties and responsibilities
Of the women of California, and she
TO interest and please: Her article
follows.
The king is dead, long live the
king, Woman suffrage. as an issue.
has crossed The great divide. May the
spirit of womanhood rise from the
ashes Of its funeral pyre into a
glorious realization of everything OF
good which was prophesied and hoped
for from the adoption of the meas
IRE,
! have conscientiously and consist
honestly believed. and am still of
the opinion. that woman's true devel-
opment is not dependent upon politi-
cal power. | have shrunk from the
vision of woman entangled i'm the
mesh Of political intrigue. | have
foreseen the pitfalls she was digging
for her own unwary feet. ! have
sought to impede her emergence into
public life as tending away from cen
tralization in the home. ! have de-
rlOred the perVerscness Of womankind
playing at being man But no one
has corner on Truth: / can only
trust that my fears may be dis
counted by the actualitieS of future
accomplishment
The eXDediency of woman suffrage
under discussion is a very different
matter from woman suffrage an dc
cOmplished fact. Now that the en-
franchisement of women has been de
clared to be the will of the majority
IN our state il is up To the women To-
make good.
You will note that ! do not place
The responsibility upon the suffragists
alone; it is for all women OF Califor-
MA To determine to what splendor of
attainment or to what ignominy Of
failure the admission Of women into
political life shall lead
The burden OF suffrage has been
voluntarily assumed-by insistent de
mdnd upon the part of some. hut Just
as definitely by the far 'arger class
l.,
has now become the duty of every
good woman. entirely aside from per-
sonal differences and beliefs. To unite
in whOlc-hearted ComradeShip upon
the work of injecting a higher ideal
ism into the arteries OF public opin-
ION, thus securing a finer adjustment
and more equitable relation between
the masses and the classes This is
what woman suffrage means. if il
shall stand for anything of importance
in the universal plan of life
No honest, conscientious. truth
loving woman can now afford to sleeu
on her job. However reluctant she
may have been 10 assume new bur
ders. however loath To invade a do
main hitherto occupied by men alone.
however difficult may become the
way marked out for her by the men
of her state. no good woman may now
shrink from travelling the path upon
which her feet are set
The influence of pure womanhood
at the polls must lift the mass of OWL
fostering in the underworld: and only
by the highest courage and mos,
united effort can the dragging weight
be evenly sustained 1t is vital 10
the life of representative government
in our state that the individual vot.
OF every true woman Of California
shall contribute its leverage to the
lifting power Of the entire woman
vote. Loyalty to ones state. loyalty
to womanhood. loyalty to ones own
of du.y demands no
less tribute OF service
Let us bury the hatchet ct us
light the pipe of peace. Let rs go
forth TO the council of chiefs. clear
eyed aud unafraid But let no good
woman of the tribe cast q longing
look back toward the shelter Of the
wigwam as she seats herself by the
side OF her brave at the council fire
&