The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-25
why Women Should Not Vote


should Vote" signed by Miss Adele
Clarke and published in Il Richmond
newspaper Of February s. Is moro re-
mnrSahlc Tor what IL omits than what
II says on the subject Of woman sut-
ir9ge. Miss Clarke's statement, how
'Ner, Is temperate ana dignincd and
Is therefore worth answering.
II may be remarked IN the beginning,
mat IN tho two most important suffrage
states. Colorado and California, there
are strong antisunrugc associations OF
women working for the repeal of SUIT
irhSe III those States; alao that as. re-
cards universities. charitable institu-
lions ana laws for the protection OF
women and children, the non-suifragc
states are in general In advance OF the
suffrage States
Property Privileges.
MISS Clarke fails 10 state one vital
TACT and one which Is consistently tE-
ii"reh by all sunrogists and SO Jar has
never been mentioned in any appeal $
for woman suffrage. This is that in
Tour of the suffrage states women have
been deprived logically and reasonably
81 all tbs vast property privileges
which they hold under the common law
as an equivalent for vote In all the
ou-suffrage states. This states OF
Washington and California have so re
Gently adopted woman suffrage that
there has not been time TO deprive wo-
mon or their property privileges, but
itis must inevitably be done. as In the
"ther four outrage States In the nat
urll and unavoida bic effort 10 .equulize
all voters. The right OF dover. whtch
women IN the suffrage states possess,
ina;ea woman the virtual owner Of
All h,r husbands real estate and a
large share OF his personal estate; nor
husband Is obliged to maintain her and
h.r nh n
with his income. While nor own per-
sonal estate Is secured to her In vari
Uus ways. her earnings are her own.
and she has no liability for the sup
por: OF the household or children, tor
whose expenses She may contract and
tie husband Is forced TO pay.
No Dover Rishts.
In Colorado. Wyoming. Utah and
idaho d woman has no dow .r; she is
Jointly liable FOR the support Of the
children. and cannot contract for house
hold expenses or the maintenance Of
children. and Is forced under certalI
circumstances TO support her husband.
Failure to do this is ground for d.
vurcc. and. according to tn. United
states cenAus. ak women in Ctah have
uern divorced by their husbands for
non-supnoe,. Iii Utah a wife Is liable
for one.h half the household expenses. IN,
addition t. her haif OF maintenance Tor
tho children. Iii Colorado q man may
mortgage or aeli the homestead with
put his wifes knowledge or consent. In
N.w York, = mon-sunsage state. wo-
man may mortgage or sell her cal es-
late without nnr husbands knowlcdga
~ consent ana IN Michigan. non
suffrage State, d man may not lawfully
pawn his own clothes without his wife :
consent II must not be supposed that
the women in these suffrage States
Noluntariiy gave up the enormous prom
,rty privileges which were theirs he
fore suffrage was adopted. and which
pre supremacy important to a .ifc aud
mother, as 1t means the ability to have
a home and 10 Keep the children Ia that
nome. Nor did these women volun-
iIfily assume the obligation to pay
their share OF this household expenses
ana In certain conditions to support
heir husbands or he divorced. There
las not been in single suffrage State
Il referendum by which the wishes of
the woman in the suffrage Stntvs could
Nc ascerta!ncd Suffrage WAS forced
tpon them without consulting them.
Oppose Referendum.
rho auiirE slsta have steadily opposed
referendum ana in only ons State
mas there been one. This was in Mas
sarHusetts IN 1875. when there was a
referendum TO the women Of the State
The sGnragists opposed the bin In the
Legislature, ana when it passed both
houses. appealed TO the Governor 10
Veto II. This was not done, however,
and the result VAS that aftAr forty
seven years OF earnest and organized
rnort fnr suifrag the suiiragists were
only able to poll 22.205 votes out OF an
estimated total q $4,000 women in
Massachusetts Of voting age. In Eng
Z -ttff .la.a
against a referendum. and only u few
days ago Winston Churchill. the Colo
Mai Secretary. was struck in the face
hy sHmragist bearing flag in
-c.ibch no Referendum for Us" In
the State OF Washington suffrage was
uc;ually adopted by minority OF the
voters. The entire vote cast was. In
round numbers. 10000, or these there
were only $1,000 votes for woman SUI
rrage and 10000 against, $4,000 voters
not voting on the suffrage amendment
The women We're told. as women are
told by the suffragists everywhere. tina.
suffrage would bring them great berie.
itts and cost them nothing-that is 10
say, They would get som sthing for
nothing. There arc promoters who tell
investors that by putting a small sumo
AZ money IN an enterprise they can,
withou; risk. take out q large sum
This mevar comes true, however.
Must pny for BnIlot.
Neither Miss Clarke nor any other
suffragisi can be blamed for not pro-
claiming that women must pay with
their property privileges for the bal
lot. II this We're generally understood,
the suffragist movement would collaps
Men pay heavy price for the voting
privilege. When man becomes ell
..iblc to vote hs loses his right to
maintenance by any one II ne takes
the peupers oath and establishes ~
egal claim to support by Other vot-
ers, he loses his vote. There are some
other things. concerning suifra &c States
which should be known. One of them
is that Colorado is the most corrupS
electorate in the United Stat;s, as
proved by the contested election case of
Shafroth VS.. Bonynge, in the First
Congressional District of Colorado in
IL