The Washington herald., 1912-05-23
ZEAL OF WOMEN
LEADS TO ERROR
Mistake in Judgment No JustiAca-
ton for FearsOme Speculation.
By FRANCES sHAFFER.

By FRANCES sHAFFER.
We have always been told that women
lack the ability to get at the real heart
Of q subject and to consider It on its
merits. without the bias OF little hap
penings or OF personalities that creep
In, and that as abstract thinkers they
are failures.
Now. one writer decides nothing in
particular, except tc show the leanings
and the clearness OF his own mind
read an editorial In the New York Sun
recently, which made Us wonder what
had happened 70 one mans calm judg-
ment, his proclivity to look at things
IN the large way and to consider them
without prejudice and without animus.
In their zeal to advance the cause OF
woman suffrage, It seems that some Of
the leaders OF that movement urged the
governors Of the six States where equal
ity in suffrage prevails to cable to Mr..
Asqutth. Endlands prime minister. q
request for a woman Suffrage amend
nent to the home rule bill
Gov. Hay, Of Washington, in q per-
fectly calm, courteous letter to the wo-
men who had petitioned his intercession
with the prime minister, set forth his
reasons for refusal. He said 1t would
be highly improper for the State Of
Washington to suggest to England any
policy whatever, and, while be SYM
pathized with the movement for which
they were working, It would be presump-
tuous to attempt to interfere with q
foreign government.
Mistake to Ask Interference.
And some of us think he was quite
right; that 1t was a mistake on the
part Of women to ask such interfer-
ence, a mistake that might not have
been made had the request been well
and long thought out.
And so when the New York Sun saw
in the incident an occasion for sharp
comment and sharper seolding we had
nothing 10 say. because we thought the
impulse rather iIl-adyised.
But. at worst. It was nothing more
grieyous than a blunder in judgment,
born Of excessive interest. many re-
fusals and many set-backs. And, in our
humble, woman-opinion. the Sun goes
altogether too far and assumes too much, |
particularly when It jumps at Sweeping
and fiery conclusions, scarcely borne out
by woman's activities thus far in the
story OF life.
The Suns greatest grievance is it's un-
derstanding that the prime movers in |
the request are planning TO punish Gov. |
Hay for his attitude when he comes |
TEL
That may or may not be true, but the |
Sun reasons from the standpoint of its |
truth: and projecting it's editorial mind |
into the future, II sees in woman suff-
rage a very possible menace TO public |
peace-f this one act is to be taken as /
a basis.
It says it stands as neither friend nor
foe to woman suffrage, but Is con-
WINGED that unless woman suffrage IS
a notable benehet TO the Community,
unless II shows desirable qualities If
mind and temper or an enlightenmeut
in public affairs" and unless It Adds
to the mass Of wisdom. mo necessary
reason for 1t exists" And It adds that
without that demonstration the grant
Of suffrage to women viii be "an ex-
preston of masculine contempt veiIed
in the form OF excessive courtesy and
consideration. Baby wants 1t; that's
all"
Emphatic DenuneIation.
. Then it goes on to taIk-rather far
from the mark, II seems-about naeddle-
someness. personal narrowness, fanati-
cism, hysteria, prejudice, and incapable
ity Of justice, and says that II women
cannot inject into our national life bet
ter elements than those, the Sun, and
perhaps many others, will write an en-
phatic no over the request for woman
SAAEdbG- 4AtEe - ample room, II says,
IN your strictly feminine associations to
display your talent for rambunctious and
rampageous politics, and II the feminine
voters are to be merely another edition
Of the fever and faulty OF the men,
l,eep the women out" Ii
And with that strange 'if' still in 4
mind, II adds: Let US rather consider
the virtues OF children in arms as rulers
and choosers OF rulers Of the state"
One is not minded to comment much
except in the way of few questions
Is that a new way Of spelling calm ,
ness?
A new way of reasoning, to work
from so fiery an hypothesis? 4,
And is it quite logical to take what /
at worst is nothing more significant
than mistake IN Judgment as a basis ,
for so much fearsome speculation? I
Suffrage as it exists to-day. man-suf- d
frage-is II to be condemned because
public life have gone far astray from all 1
cur standards Of what benefits notably |
the community"
'If"-that is big word, but so far as
woman is concerned, Is II not fair to I
watch and wait bit before assuming 7
that woman suffrage may disrupt our
peaceful government? The coming Of q
single swallow does not make the sum-
mer, you know. And the Suns 'ff'' '
IS startingly comprehensive
Calmness, fair-mindedness, abstract
reasoning, justice, temperance in all
things
Yes, We quite admire them. 7
In ribbons the somber effect is that
leading novelty. Soft taffeta ribbons a