The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-02-08
RIGHT TO VOTE
SHOULD DEPEND ON
Them
Declares Colonel Roosevelt
in An Editorial Contribut-
ed to the Outlook.
LITTLE IMPORTANCE
Attached by Him to the Sub
ject as a Reform
Movement.


new YORK. Feb. 2.-Theodore
Roosevelt discusses "women's Rights
and the Duties of Both Men and
Women" in an editorial in the cur
rent issue of the Outlook. He says
in part:
Much, indeed, has America owed to
the fact that her two greatest men,
Washington and Lincoln, though they
did not neglect rights, were even
more concerned with duties.
believe in woman's rights. ! be-
lieye even more earnestly in the per-
Torrance of duty by both men and
women; for unless the average man
and the average woman live lives Of
duty, not only our democracy but
civilization itself will perish, l
heartily believe in equality of rights
as between man and woman, but also
in full and emphatic recognition OF
the fact that normally there cannot
be identity of function. Indeed, there
must normally be complete dissim-
ilarity of function between them, and
the effort to ignore this patent fact
is silly I'belIeve in woman suffrage
wherever the women want It. Where
they do not want it, the suffrage
should not be forced upon them. l
think 1t would be well to let the
women themselves, and only the
women, vote at some special election
as to whether they do or do not wish
the vote as a permanent possession.
In other words, this is peculiarly a
case for the referendum to those
most directly affected-that Is, the
women themselves. / should be en-
tirely content to abide the decision,
either way; for, though I do not
think that the damage prophested
from women's voting would come, or
has come where it has been tried, ]
also think that very much less effect
would be produced, one way or the
other, than the enthusiasts believe.
In other words, do not regard the
movement as anything like as I'M
portant as either its extreme friends
or extreme opponents think. 1t is so
much less important than many other
reforms that have never been able
to take very heated interest in it.
II the woman suffrage movement
were to be judged only by those ad-
Vocates OF 1t who d.scred!t themselves
and their sex by disorderly antics in
public, and who ussail the founda-
lions OF private and public morality
in their endeavor, not to raise the
sense of moral duty in man, but TO
lower the sense Of moral duty IN
woman, should certainly oppose the
movement But do not believe these
undesirable apostles are in any way
to be accepted as exponents OF the
cause. and call attention to the fact
that they are prominent. not in the
region where woman suffrage does
exist, but in regions where it does
not exist.
pin my faith to woman suffragis:s
OF the type of the late Julia Ward
Howe. Julia Ward Howe was one OF
the foremost citizens of the republic;
she rendered service to the people
such as few men in any generation
render; and yet she did. first of all,
her full duty in the intimate home
relations that must ever take pre-
cedence of all other relations.
In our western states where the
Suffrage has been given to women l
am unable to see that any great DIFF
ference has been caused, as com
pared with neighboring states OF
similar social and industrial condi-
tons where women have not the
suffrage. Yet what slight changes
have occurred have. been for the bet
ter, and not the worse.
most earnestly desire to emphu.
size my feeling that the question Of
woman suffrage is unimportant com
pared to the great fundamental ques-
tons that 20 to the root of right con-
duct as regards both men and women.
There should be equality of rights ana
duties, but not identity of function;
and with the man, as with the woman,
the prime duties are these related TO
the home and the family.
The point which I wish to empha-
size is that the supreme Importance
and high position of the woman OF
the type of Julia War Howe cannot
be materially increased by the pos.
session of the ballot. / am glad that
the good, wise, and brave mother
should have the ballot, am especially