The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-02
W0MAN'S SUFFRAGE
IS -MAGNIFIED
Says Theodore Roosevelt In Article In
outlook-Question Not So Important
As Its Advocates and Its Extreme
Opponents Inclined to Believe.

OppuUtnlS luIllIleu 10 DtilENes
New York, Feb. o. Theodore Roose-
welt discusses "Women's Rights; and
the Duties of Both Men aud Women, .
III an editorial in the current issue OF
Tho 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 / believe
even more earnestly in the perform
aneo of duty by both men and women;
for unless the average man and the
average woman live lives of duty, not
only our democracy hut civilization it.
self win perish, | heartily believe in
equality of rights as between man and
woman, but also in fun and emphatic
recognition of the fact that normally
there cannot be identity Of function. In
deed, there must normally he complete
dissimilarity of function between them,
end the effort 10 ignore this patent fact
is silly. / believe in woman's suffrage
wherever the women want it. Where
they do not want it. the suffrage should
not be forced upon them. | think that
it would be well to let the women them
selves, and only the women, vote at
some special election as to whether they
do or do not wish the vote as n per-
manent possession. In other words. this
is peculiarly case for the referendum
TO those most directly affected--that
is, the women themselves. should be
entirely content to abide the decision.
either way; for, though | do not think
that the damage prophesied from Wom-
ems voting would come. nor has come
where it has been tried. I also think
that very much less. effect would be
produced, one way or the other, than
the enthusiasts believe. In other words,
l do not regard the movement as any
thing like as important 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 a very heated
interest in it.
II the woman suffrage movement were
to be judged only by those advocates of
it who diseredit themselves aud their
sex by disorderly antics in public. and
who assail the foundations 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, l should certainly OPP
pose the movement But / do not be-
lieve these undesirable apostles are in
any way to be accepted as opponents
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 suffragists
OF the type of the late Julia Ward Howe.
Julia Ward Howe was one of the fore
most citizens of this republics she rem
dered service TO the people such as few
men in any generation render; and vet
she did. first of all, her full duty in
the intimate home relations that must
ever take precedence of all other rela-
tions.
In our western states, where the suf- /
frage has been given to women, I am
unable to see that any great difference 1
has been caused, as compared with neigh |
boring states or similar social and in |
dustrial conditions where women have
not the suffrage. Yet what slight |
changes have occurred have been for the (
better and not the worse.
/ most earnestly desire to empha- /
size my feeling that the question of
woman suffrage is unimportant compared |
to the great fundamental questions that /
go to the root of right conduct as re-
CARDS both men and women. There I
should be equality Of rights and du- /
ties. but not identity of function; and 4
with the man, as with the woman. the /
prime duties are those related to the /
home and the family.
The point which / wish to emphasize /
is that the supreme Importance and high
position of the women of the type of !
Julia Ward Howe cannot be materially
increased by the possession of the bal
lot. l am glad that the good, wise,
and brave mother should have the ball
lot. | am especially glad if its posses
sion win add to the high dignity of
her position in The eyes of men. But
cannot conceive of any mans now fail
ing to hold such mother as more
worthy of respect than any man, or than
any other woman.
In the long run and taken as a whole.
men and women viii 60 up or down to-
gether, and all reforms of first-elass i'm
portance must look towards raising both
men and women to a higher level, alike
as regards the things of the body and
as regards the things of the soul.
PILES CURED IN TO "a DAYS
Your druggist will \refund money if
pAzn OTNqsA4ENrr Ill a. -. 49,