East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-10-09
BALLOT FOR WOMEN
LIES WITH DEMOCRATS

NbN sara SlDree BOrnemann, secretary
treasurer Woman's National Wilson
and Marshall Organization of mi-
nois
Chicago The ballot for women
Question appears to have been pro-
Jected into this campaign by Mr..
Roosevelt with the express purpose
of inducing women to become party
edherents and the missile seems to
have hit the mark with more force
perhaps than judgment in the opinion
of many of us, However, If it could
attract votes to Mr.. Roosevelt, it mat
ters little To Mr. Roosevelt If in the
end 1t detracts from votes for the
ballot for woman.
Mr.. Roosevelt thought that with n
plank for woman's suffrage in his
self-made platform he could prob
ably win from Mr.. Taft the vote of
1.-THE five republican suffrage states,
and possibly with the aid of Judge
I Lindsay (who was the woman's cam
didate in Colorado and who was real
ly elected by the women OF that
state), he might win from the demo-
cratic ranks the state of Colorado.
TN this, however, he is going to be
disappointed). He looked upon these
states as a nucleus and felt that with
them he could make n showing and
would make inroads into the Taft col
umn. He had never before uttered
a word for women's suffrage and
when invited by the women of Los
Angeles to come To their city To ad-
dress them. not long before California
voted on the suffrage question, he ac-
icepted their invitation, made them an
address upon other subjects. but
never once referred to the question
nearest their hearts. Likewise, Gov
ernor johnson never from the plat
FORM avowed himself for suffrage. al
/ though urged by the women so to do,
until after the issue had been voted
/ upon and settled and California wom-
en- had the ballot. Then, after the
defeat of Mr. Roosevelt in the June
republican convention, came an avow-
al that he was for womans suffrage
and that plank for woman's suffrage
would be in the third party platform
Mr.. Roosevelt put plank for suf-
! frage in the platform of his party
simply to get votes
The ballot for woman is not fed.
eral question. Mr.. Roosevelt cannot
give woman the ballot. Congress cam
not give woman the ballot. Nothing
can be done by congress eXcept To
recommend an amendment to the
federal constitution. giving the bal
lot To woman, which must be SUBJ
mitted to each state. so that in the
last analysis the ballot for woman
Is purely matter of state purisdic-
ton and needs the votes of men of
every party for success. Even should
such an amendment be recommended
and submitted to the state. what pos
sible chance would there be of pass
ing 1t in a majority of the states at
this time? No chance whatever.
When women ask me. Why doesn't
Governor Wilson come out for suf-
frage? Ny answer is: Because it is /
his duty to the country to say moth !
ing about it. Then | ask them two
questions: Why do you think Theo-
dore Roosevelt came out for suffrage
~ A'' Ai-h iipl lllt tueIdllOn OF w ON !
ans Clubs at their biennial in San
Francisco endorse woman's suffrage?
The two political principles over
which the two parties of the country
have fought for years are tariff for
revenue only and tariff for the pro- /.
lection of industries The first has
never been tried The second has been
trid almost continually for the past
nfty years The principle in itself |
has been wrong. Its effects were at
flrSt insidious, but, through the last /
three administrations-tw of Mr.. !
Roosevelt and one of Mr.. Taft-it has /
tTought upon the country an ava |
lanche of trouble. and the country |
has awakened at last to the wrong .
that has been done to it. From the .
standpoint of justice and right. wom- !
en- should support the candidate who |
has never been party to that wrong |
and whose policy is openly against |
the tyranny Of the tariff and the tyr |
amy of the trusts. The woman who |