The Washington herald., 1912-05-06
The sufragist pemonstration

The parade of suffragists in New
York on Saturday was of such magni-
tnde, containing, as it did, women not
only of high social standing and wealth.
but also well known representatives Of
the class that has made the United
States the respected and powerful
nation it is to-day-the breadwinners-
il is bound TO have an important bear
ing on the future Of the movement for
women's rights.
In every section of the country there
are earnest women battling for what
they deem the most important duty Of
their lives, talking suffrage in season
and out Of season, meeting the excuse
of legislators who give US their reason
for not voting for suffrage that women
generally do not want it, by saying that
It should be forced upon them
There is one argument the sufragist
can justly make, and that is those States
where women now have suffrage have
not suffered from it In fact, take Colo
rado as an example; stranger going
there would never know there was equal
suffrage unless he was told. On the
same grounds it can with equal justice
be said the granting of suffrage in that
States has not proved to be the panaeea
for certain evils it was supposed it
would be.
When it comes to equal suffrage in
every State in the Union it will be in
teresting to know if women will value
the right to vote as they should. If
they should do the same as the men,
about so per cent of whom do not exer-
else their rights, The Herald can see no
benefits to be gained by granting their
demands.
With the primary system of to-day
the average man, the one who tolls for
his daily bread, cannot afford the lux
ury of voting every time he is called
upon to do so. There are some years
when general registration is required,
then comes the enrolling. then the pri-
mary, followed by the election. When
there are city elections in the spring,
referendum vote later on, and general
vote in the fall, it can readily be seen
unless the voter lives near a polling
booth the right to vote means a large
financial loss to him because of the
necessary loss of time he must give
to his duty at the polls.
Will women give the time that men
cannot or will they do as the men do,
vote when they feel like it, or when it
is convenient? The man politician in
the primary system'ls is more important
than he was under the old convention
system. VIII it be the same when all
women enjoy the same privilege? The
ward politician is pest, still a neces-
sary one, because he does much to get
out the vote May the gods forbid that
the time viii ever come when there
will be women ward heelers:
When the period arrives that no man
VIII be allowed to exercise. his franchise
rights unless he be intelligent and obey
the laws of his country, there will be a
sigh of relief all over the land. I'll
woman suffrage would give the nation
that relief, then The Herald would be
for it first, last, and all the time.
In the meantime a plan might be
worked out where all could exercise
his or her franchise rights at home, by
voting by postal cards issued under the
right supervision. 1t would be cheaper
for the State or city or township as
well as for the voter. 1
Regardless OF all discussion on this
much-mooted suffrage question; The
Herald congrstulates all who were in
New York's monster parade on the
mastery manner in which the great
event was carried out and the entire
absence of the deplorable methods of |