Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-04-27
Monsignor Lucey Says They Should Vote Against or
 For it at the Polls.
ENDORSES EDITORIAL
Believes That Women Can Work Sue. cessfulIy With Men in
 Public Affairs.
To the Editor of Graphic:

To the Editcr of Graphic:
 l have read with interest your conservative editorial on Give the women a chance" and I have also read with profit and pleasure the proceedings of the annual meeting Of the Arkansas Federation Of Moments Clubs as given in the press, on which you found your editorial. There is gradually developing among our most intelligent citizens con- vietion that women have not reached their proper standing among men in shaping and controlling many de- partments of human life which are of 2 mixed nature, partly political but largely social and moral. Men and women work well together in the home and in the church and with a similar equipoise there appears no reason why men and women should not work well together in those pub lie affairs in which they hold of com mon interest with man.
 Men as rule defer reasonably to the wishes of women in social and church affairs and when men are well convinced that women actually wish 70 participate in the labors and re- # life, there is no doubt, as far as my knowledge. of the men of Arkansas goes, but that the right will gladly be accorded to them. The difficulty is, that men at large are not cer- tain that women really want to have more of voice ill public affairs than they now have. That some women desire to have a vote in the manage ment of many if not all the, political departments of the state, isH easily conceded. But that is not the ques- tion. It is rather. do the great ma- jority of the women of the state Of Arkansas desire the suffrage and to what extent? Are they willing to take the suffrage as woman takes a husband for better CT for worse? Will they share in all reasonable labors and responsibilities the onerous duties of citizenship?
 Without assuming to dictate or even to suggest to the women of the state proper method of determining whether or not they want the suf- frage and to what extent, it occurs to me that if the various womens clubs that are members of the Ar kansas Federation of Women's Clubs would discuss this question awhile and in the election of delegates to the next annual convention, which might be called during the coming session of the Arkansas legislature, instruct them how to vote on the subject of suffrage, the Federation could adopt a resolution that would call for primary election in every township in the state and vote to be taken as an expression of the sentiments of the women of the state. If any legislation was neces- sary to legalize this action of the Federation, the state legislature would certainly accede to their wishes. All white women over 21 years old would be eligible as voters If the colored women wanted the suffrage, let them go and do like wise. When the primaries are held, let the women have entire control With the usual police protection When the election is ever, unless the result shows that majority of the white women of the state, vOt- ing and not voting. are in favor of possessing the right of suffrage as given on the ballots, then the men of the state will be justified in leav- ing things jog along ill the old way of our gwandfathers majority of those voting is not the test that the men want just at this time. They want to know whether a majority of the entire white womanhood of the state want the suffrage in whole CT in part. The woman who would not go to the polls to vote would be generally counted as against the i measure. The courts would decide this poinS if aclled upon.
 J. M. LUCEY.