The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-03


clings to those pioneers in buckskin who with
axe and rife first braved the forest and the
prairie.
THE vIRGINIAN AND woMAN'S SUFFRAGE
Elsewhere on this page We publish with
pleasure a communication received from Mrs
John H. Lwis. in which she voices an indig-
nation at The Vtrosnaan's attitude OH woman's
suffrage. which is not the less heated because
eloquently expressed.
Let us say, in the beginning. that in APP
preaching such subject we were aware of the
earnestness with which a number of able and
representative women embrace this cause .
We knew in advance both their constituencies
and resentment We appreciated the risk and
regretted the necessity of accepting it. But ex-
actly because the plea OF womans suffrage
1t has made such undeniable Roadway we
considered that the time had come for
tions to stand ON one side or the other Some
others still joke about sunragettes The Vir-
oinian. even II it disagree with their reasoning
and think their purpose mistaken. recognizes
themselves and their activities as raising a
serious and definite ISSUE
We invite careful reading of Mrs. Lewis
letter, both for its own intrinsic value and in
the interest of exact justice to the representa-
tive of a party that thinks Itself aggrieved. We
still hold our own opinion, and still think it
well reasoned. to- wit: That no matter what
the logical right OF women to vote. to give
them the ballot with the suddenness and COM
pleteness of absolute enfranchisement would
be both hurtful to them and demoralizing to
the State.
We will say to Mrs. Lewis and adocates Of
women's suffrage generally that we yield to no
one In confidence In the future and capacity
of the American woman. We believe In
the broadening spirit of the law which has
emancipated her, shackle by shackle. from
the chains which hedged about her rights
Of property, her rights Of freedom her
rights of spirit and of brain. We rejoice ~
one after the other ancient prejudces with re-
spect to women go upon the scrap heap We
hope that not even the deep sentiment which
every Southerner holds In his heart for the
ideal woman can serve to blind us to the fact
of womans right to vision forth her own per-
sonal destiny and follow 1t. That these beliefs
do not include ~afaith. In The baa2et a. a rnenns
of their attainment is perhaps for us an intel
lectual misfortune. But the failure to see this
Is as sincere az the duty to see many other
things respecting the relation of government to
women Is evident
On one point of Mrs. Lewis letter. We would
we plead, not guilty. She charges that we
.Iiken the bestowal Of equal suffrage on the
women Of Virginia In It's character and effect
to the acknowledgment OF an alien and lower
for purposes of revenge by an inimical
Congress-" Frankly, never said it. never
specific disclaimer Of possible ofense WAS that
sit we're az foolish to at this time emancipate
women to the suffrage as 1t was criminal In
the sixties for Abraham Lincoln to declare
free the slaves. and for subsequent Congress
to pass the unnatural dictum of he Fifteenth
Amendment It Ia one thing TO say that uni
versal suffrage for women would be ais foolish
as universal suffrage for negroes was criminal.
1t would be quite another thing to say. as we
are charged with saying. that the two things
are Identical in character and effect
Whatever The Virgintcn may think upon the
debatablc subject Of woman's Suffrage, we are
at least upheld by the knowledge OF cur own
intentions in the faith that under no circum-
stances could we willingly bring onense to earn
est women Of high motive by direction or by
comparison.