Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-10-14
VOTES FOR WOMEN.
OFFICIAL Pamphlet Arguments An
swered by o. ii. Barnhill.

The world is moving at a rapid
rate these days, in more mays that !
upon its axis. Oregon is preparing
to fall into line and join the equal
suffrage column. The recall of
Mayor Gill of Seattle showed con-
clusively what women could and
would dow ith the ballot Even the
OregOnian is advocating votes for /
women, and the shades off Harvey
Scott generally know when to stand !
from under.
There is, however, danger of over /
confidence on the part of the friends !
of this reform. The Oregon ants !
have been piling up increased major |
ities against feminine franchise and
1t is by no means certain that the
web-foot vote will go the other way
next November. The standpatters on
this question occupy four times as
much space in the official pamphlet
as those on the progressive side,
which looks as though the latter had
failed to take full advantage of their
opportunities. But so long as Ore
goD editors pursue their present lib
eral policy of giving both sides q
hearing 1t should be easy to regain
any ground lost,
We are told that 'men and womef
are divinely ordered to be different
in the state" The Mormons have
similar way of clinching an argu-
ment. They claim to get a special
revelation from the New Jerusalem,
and that settles it. During the Dark
Ages the privileged classes had a
good deal to say about the divine
right of kings to rule the common
people without the latter's consent
but it has been good while since
a similar claim has been made to
bolster up the old injustice of one
class of citizens refusing to let an
other class participate in the govern
ment Southern slave holders in
pante bellum days told the black men
that it was "divinely ordered" that
the white men should do the voting
while the colored brethren did the
work. But the men of the north
didn't take much stock in such rev.
elations, which they said came from
below instead of above, and we sus-
pect it is much the same with this
alleged divine right of one sex to
rule the other.
One of the strings upon which the
opposition is continually harping is
the alleged injustice of forcing the
ballot upon women who do not want
it. Imposing a burdensome task
is one way they have of stating the
case. In the name of common sense
and simple reason, we ask someone
to explain by what peculiar mental
process it can be figured out that
anyone is to be forced or compelled
to vote. Those women who do not
believe it to be their duty to vote
now need not think so then unless
they change their minds of their own
free will. They will enjoy just as
much of their present highly priced
exemption" and cherished "immun-
ity' then as they do now All that
! is asked is that those who wish to
vote be permitted to do so. No one
has any intention of disturbing those
who are content to let others do the
voting. Be assured, ladies, you will
be permitted to rest in peace No
body is going to drag you to the
polls and force you to cast ballot.
You will be permitted to enjoy just
as much exemption from politics as
you do now. Participating in gov
ernment will be entirely matter of
choice and free will.
Women do not need the ballot, we
are told, because the vast majority
of them are already represented by
| household suffrage. Admitting, for
the sake of argument, that such is
the case, how about the minority?
How about the 100000 working
women who are not represented by
household suffrage? Are their
rights not worth considering?
Whether they are in the minority or
majority doesn't matter-the princi-
lple is the same.
In recent conversation with the
writer, our esteemed friend, Mr..
Whistler, stated in reply to the above
argument that we shouldn't give in
dependent working women an oppor-
tunity to better their condition, be-
cause that would have tendency
to induce more women to become in
dependent wage-earners, and there
are already too many of that class.
What is needed is more women in
the home. If that be a logical line
of reasoning, then our city mission
aries and social settlement workers