Evening star., 1912-01-25
BALLOT FOR women
Question Now Engaging Much
Attention in Washington.
JUSTICE BROWN OPPOSED
Explains Position at Organization Of
Observation-Disclosures Favoring
Proposition at Public Library.

Suffrage for women IL now engaging
considerable attention in Washington.
Prominent men. speaking on one side or
the other Of the controversy, before pub
lie audiences, are presenting arguments
for and against the enfranchisement Of
women.
Justice Henry B. Brown, who has re-
tired from the United States Supreme
bench. gave his reasons for denying the
vote to women. addressing the District
Association Opposed to Woman Suf-
frage, last night, at the home Of Miss
Isabelle Wells. 1909 Connecticut avenue.
Senator Works of California, the latest
state to extend the ballot to both sexes.
will advocate woman suffrage before the
Stanton Suffrage Club tonight in the
Public Library.
District Association Formed.
The meeting at the home of Miss Wells
marked the organization of the District
Association Opposed TO Woman Suffrage.
The organization plans to join the Ma
tional Anti-Suffrage Association and to
conduct campaign to arouse sentiment
against the suffrage movement
Mrs. Frank Goodwin was chosen tenn
porary chairman of the District associa-
tfon and Mrs. kingsbury Waterman tenn
porary secretary. officers will be elected
at an executive meeting February at
the home Of Mrs. Waterman, 1911 New
Hampshire avenue northwest.
Justice Browns Opposition.
Denying that suffrage is natural right.
Justice Brown further asserted that
women. If given the franchise. would
vote only if 1t became a fashionable thing
to do. He did not have the highest opin-
ion of the effect of woman's influence on
politics. and expressed the fear that, the
best women not exercising the privilege
to vote the ballot would be dragged down
by women of lower classes
He declared that suffrage should be re-
stricted, not expanded. He pointed out
the dangers of introducing a new voting
element. and asserted he was not preju-
diced against equal suffrage except that
1t would be experimental legislation, al
ways dangerous to any nation.
He said he is not firm believer in uni
versal suffrage, and cited inexperience of
women as one of the greatest bstacles in
their fight for the ballot.
Woman, he continued, '.iS supposed
to stand for peace. and yet after the civil
war 1t was the women who retained the
bitterness years after the men had prac-
tically forgotten It," He declared that
women. generally speaking, have no re-
sponsibility Of the kind that should rest
upon the shoulders of those entitled to
vote.
Address by Mrs. A. N. Dodge.
The president of the National Anti
Suffrage Association, Mrs. Arthur M.
Dodge. who came here from her home in
New York to preside at the meeting, de-
livered q brief address. She declared
she was born and reared in woman suf-
frage atmosphere, but turned against the
movement as soon as she was capable Of
deciding for herself. She said she has
been studying the suffrage question for
forty years, and Is unalterably opposed
to ballots for women.
Lectures Favoring Suffrage.
The lecture that will be given by Sena-
tor Works tonight in favor Of suffrage
is one of series that has been arranged
by the Stanton Suffrage Club. Other
speakers in the course are Justice Wen
dell p. Stafford Of the District Supreme
Court John Walker Holcombe Of the De-
partment Of the Interior and Representa-
tive Richmond Pearson Hobson Of Ala
bama. These addresses will all be made
at the Public Library on the evening OF
the fourth Thursday of the months of
January, February. A-arch and April.
Officers OF the club are Mrs. Harvey
w. Wiley. president; Miss Florence Ethe-
ridge. vice president: Mrs. William G.
Stuart treasurer and Miss Emily ~