New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-07
BY Ida Hustled Harper.


workers, bearing the scars Of many cam
paigns, watched the progress Of this ore
with farseeing eyes. knowing that Only
a miracle would save q from failure. but
believing that IL should be made, ard
contributing time money and service. 10
Colorado. Washington and California the
first time such amendments were sub
mitted they were overwhelmingly de-
fsated: the second time they were car
RED Nothing prepares the field Ike q
real campaign for a concrete object
Propaganda for an abstract principle
may De continued indefinitely without
much conversion. but let the thing de-
sired be almost within reach and people
car be easily reused 20 thought and &C
ton. Not great deal OF work for sUf-
fraze had been done in Ohio. The women
Rad been trying for half a century 70
have the Legislature submit ar amend
rnent. but Democratic and Republicans had
been dominated alike By the powers that
defeated the one voted on last Tuesday
ard refused the women their only chance.
With the assembling OF that remarkably
advanced convention for making a new
constitution they saw their opportunity.
Even here the struggle was a hard one,
and after they had succeeded the ncuor
interests tiled 20 have their amendment
put on a separate ballot Failing II this,
q was by some connivance numbered
20 which made Il ar easy target; ana
that = should have been the only one de-
fsated out OF forty-tvo shows a trensn-
cous sf1Ort against q
The campaign wa probably the strong
est ever made Cor woman suffrage. There
never was one which received 80 much
assistance from other states. From Mas
sachusetts 70 California and down 20
Louisiana they sent money and speakers.
The Ohio women opened headquarters In
all the cities. and sent millions OF pages
o. literature 20 the voters Since last
spring hundreds OF women have toured
the state By train and trolley. boat and
automobile. working sixteen hours day
n all kinds OF weather. without pay eX-
cept their actual expenses, and bearing
these when they were able. They mad an
excellent press bureau. many OF The large
newspapers supported the measure and -
per cent OF those in the state published
The material sent them. The campaign
was well managed everything possible
was done. but the opposing forces we're
too great 70 be overcoms. No state II the
Middle West would be 50 dif'cult 70 carry
for woman suffrage. II has more thnn
twice as many voters a. any other eT-
cept Yllinois-sbout a million ana half
fsc.-
lutte control OF tho party bosses. VINO hats
tho IDEA o. votes for women more than
am or oil OF the radical features r. the
new constitution.
Tsutonio Idea OF Womons Sphere
rror7 Lake Erie 20 the Ohio River are
long railroads lined With factory towns
few states having go many manufacturing
cer--ss All corporations. for obvious
reasons. strongly object 20 doubling tns
number II voters. manufacturer espe-
cially object 20 increasing the political
strength OF their employees ana % giving
women power over factory Inspection.
child LABOR. etc. in the southeastern part
OF the state are the iron, coal and OIL In
dlstries. employing hundreds Of thou
SANDS OF men from those parts ~ Eu-
rome where woman equality IL never
recognized. There is az immense Ger
man population. which. taken as Whoie,
r. hostile 20 the enfrEnchisement OF Worn-
en-. partly IN the belief that q will AFFECT
the supply and distribution OF beer, and
uartlv because OF the Teutonic idea OF
wouan's sphere as expressed by the
Kaiser. Many southernera live IN the
lower part OF the state. who are c0nserva-
tive IN their views "a 20 the place OF
women. and who also fear the colored
woman's vote, and many negro men Tno
DO not believe IN equal rights for women
AL OF these classes voted against the
amendment
There is a very large Catholic vote IN
Ohio, ana instructions were sent out
marked ISSUED under the auspices OF the
Catholic press and Catholic organiza-
tons" advising a negative vote on the
woman Suffrage amendment This might
have been Offset n the Protestant
churches had supported II. but the major
!ty OF them did not and while some min
listers took the platform for IL others
preached and worked against IT, ms
was formerly the case IN all states, Tor
the Church Is not a leader In reforms. but
OF late years the suffrage campaigns have
usually received a great deal OF assist
ance from the churches. Ohio has been
a backward state IN many respects, and
this progressive spirit which has recently
taken mold Of II has not yet caught I'D
with the woman suffrage movement
After having considered all the above
opposing forces one might think that the
defeat OF the amendment was certain
without the hostility OF the liquor in
terests. but they took no chances After
their custom IN ali woman suffrage cam
paigns they lay low until a few weeks
before election. leaving the women In the
happy belief that they were winning
everything In sight Then they came forth
from their strongholdz in Cleveland and
Cincinnati. and with their perfect organ
izat!on and unlimited funds they piled
up whatever naJorities they considered
necessary against the amendment
The press reports from Ohio attribute
the defeat Of the amendment almost
wholly TO the liquor interests. One has
been defeated in number OF states en-
tirely through them. and there Is no state
where their political domination Is more
complete than IN Ohio, but as has been
pointed out, there were many sources OF
oppOgition. While the suffragists never
in any campaign allow the temperance
question 70 be made an issue. they al
ways understood that they viii have the