The Detroit times., 1912-01-06
=SUFFRAGISTS SHOW SMALL
INTEREST IN CAR PROBLEM
Hold Back When Asked To Dis
cuss Matter-Bishop Williams
Favors Votes For Women"

The Efforts OF Mrs. Ruby Nj. zahn
to stir up Detroit suffragists TO take
an active interest I'm the street rail-
way problem which Just now con-
ception I'm a meeting OF Detroit suf-
fragists held In the New Thought
Alliance hal, Friday afternoon
Mrs. Zahn. who presided, urged
the women 20 study the question
thoroughly. become familiar with all
its intricacies and then go to the
polls and vote intelligently. and be
able to give reason for voting. She
then threw the meeting open for a
discussion Of the question. and called
upon the women present to present
their views. Apparently the women
who are leading in the fight for
votes had no views TO air. because
they kept silent.
Mrs. Susan M. Sellars then tried to
stir up some enthusiasm by urging
the women TO take advantage of the
coming election and vote, but to first
prepare themselves TO vote intelli-
gently.
This is not a question OF merely
exchanging five-cent fares for three
cent fares" she said There are
several important questions to con-
slider, the most important being the
clause compelling the city to rebuild
the track foundations and do the paw
ing. That means an enormous ex-
penditure for the city, and we should
study the situation very carefully be-
fore we saddle the city with this ex-
ira expense"
Silence followed Mrs. Sellars' re-
marks and the effort to arouse the
interest of the suffragists was not
renewed.
Bishop Williams was then called
upon TO give what he said was his
first public utterance on the question
OF votes for women. He made IL plain
that he believed the women should
have the right to vote.
And that right will be given to wo-
men," the bishop said. 1T is coming
just as surely as the sun shines. II
will come just as soon as the women
present a united front. as soon as out
idle, frivilous, useless butterflies OF
fashion show some interest and intel
ligence about the great problems OF
the day. You women do not need to
waste your efforts among the men,
but missionary work is needed among
the women.
Il do and don't believe in suffrage
| don't believe that suffrage is the ma
tural. inalienable. inherent indisput-
able right OF women any more than
think 1t is OF men.
Every American baby is born to
the right OF freedom OF speech-and
as soon as he can talk at all he has
right to an opinion on any and
every subject whatsoever, whether he
knows anything about 1t or not-the
less he knows the more right But
IL we were to establish a great acad-
envy of fine arts in Detroit we would
not appeal TO the bricklayers not to
most OF the parsons In town.
The most arrant and determined
protagonist OF universal suffrage
wouldn't want to include idiots, i'm
beetles, criminals and babies in the
competent class. But the incompetent
class includes women along with the
idiots, imbeciles, criminals and ba-
-btes; and 4 am-foE- women,s suffrage
to the extent that | would like TO
put women, not all OF them, but many,
lHtO TIC COlhpcbcht tidSo, duu put
many men in with the incompetents
who are denied the suffrage.
"But what shall be the standard By
which we shall grant the suffrage.
don't believe In the property qualifica-
ton, for money never yet brought
sense or character or Judgment to a
man, and as for education, have
known people who could neither read
nor write who had more keenness OF
insight than some post graduates OF
our big universities, and when 1t
comes TO morals how shall We agree
as to what they are? Personally 1
should like to rob a man OF his vote
who had ever sold ii directly or in
directly. and shut out all social para
sites who render no service In Drawn
or brain.