The Washington herald., 1913-05-12
"SEXDISIORTION
IN SUFFRAGISM''
Mrs. Arthur N. Dodge, Presi-
dent Of Ants" in State
ment, Flags cause"
Says that BY Suffrage Standards
Women Do About As Men;
Advises Change.
view of what is happening in vari.

-. view of what is happening in vari-
Gus parts of the country, it is high time
for every think...g man and wsman to
realize that ba.,, # the woman suf-
frage disturbanc, is the question of sex,
or. rather, distortion of the sex ques-
ton"
In this way Mrs. Arthur NJ. Dodge. of
New York! president of the National AS
ISOLATION Opposed to Woman Suffrage,
opens a striking statement on the suf-
frage question. given out yesterday at
the Washington headquarters of her or
gani-ction.
1.-The only sure manner of estimating
the real meaning or strength of the So
call.l suffrage movement" continues
Mrs. Dodge, lis to see clearly the mo-
| tives and underlying reasons back of it,
The suffrage disturbance is, In plain
words sex disturbance. Many women
who are suffragists do not realize this,
but it is a fact nevertheless, just as the
impulse of some other women to take
up foolish fancies and unnecessary move
ments L. the result of that uneasiness
and straining after artificial happiness
and unnatural enjoyment, which indi-
state of mind.
when say that the suffragists rely
after all on their sex and on the ap-
peal Of their sex to men. / am repeat.
ing only what men on the sidewalks
and in the club windows of New York
said when the suffrage parade passed
up Fifth Avenue in New York last
Saturday. Here was the spectacle of
a woman demanding the ballot so as
to put down the social evil and vice of
all kinds, and in order to make her
platform more emphatic she appeared
CARRIED in a manner which would have
ladies and gentlemen.
immortality of Period.
1--WE are in the midst Of a remark
able period in our history. There 10
more immodesty in dress. more loose
ness in conversation, and more i'm
propriety in dancing than has ever
been known to the American people.
either in so-called high society or
among those who are in other condi-
tons. Back of these revelations of
the lowering of women's ideals and
conduct there is the same reason as
that which actuates the suffrage dis
turbance.
THE small progress which woman SUI
frage has made in this country-and we
must remember that the woman suffrage
cause represents only s per cent OF
American women-is due directly TO the
fact that man has given them some OF
these things which they asked for on
the old theory that women should not
be denied whenever there was a posi-
bility of meeting their requests. But
now the men, as well as the women.
hat
movement is the sex question. The men
have awakened to a realization that, this
being true, the spread of it would mere
iy add a non-beneficial burden to the
voting machinery OF this country at the
expense OF the home-life.
The best that can be said or the work.
ing woman suffrage today Is that the
women do about the same as the men.
They have got to do better to justify
their claim that they can moralize soci-
ETY. through the vote. The suffragists
claim that they want to carry into the
outside world all the influences OF a
home: We who oppose them claim that
every woman who has a home must go
out into the world and bring into the
atmosphere OF her home only the lovely
and beautiful things that are in the
world. In other words, the sufrraglst
wishes to busy nerseif with the analrs
Of men to such an extent that she will
make of home only a name.
Danger to Home.
1--WE wish to preserve in the home that
which is really the home-an atmos-
phere of tenderness and sweetness and
gentleness. IT every woman realized
that her home must be affected in these
modern times by all the elements and
activities in her city or community, she
would preserve. her home by doing all
she could through her example and her
influence to keep public sentiment and
the public opinion of her better than
ii now is.
1T is a pathological fact that wom-
en-, as a sex, must respect and revere
the divine mission of their sex, which
is motherhood. The moment they out
rage or distort or deny the purpose for
which they were created, they become
shirkers and drones. Misdirected gov
eminent is a bad thing. SO bad that the
men of this country can be relied on to
correct il whenever necessary, put mis-
directed sex is a national tragedy, which,
if 1t is not checked. will degenerate the
race"