Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-03-21
FRIDAY, MARCH FL, 1913.
LIMIT THE SUFFRAGE-NOT AC-
CORDING TO SEX.

One paper in discussing woman
suffrage said that it would like to see
the power to vote limited, but not &C
cording to sex. Another paper said
it would like to see ten millions of |
unintelligent male voters exchanged |
for ten million intelligent female
voters. These ideas sound like common
sense ideas.
When one looks around over the
voters on an election day he cannot |
help being impressed with the ability
of the voter, or rather the lack of
ability of too many of the voters
Many people do not know the meaning
of our government and they make no
effort to understand what our govern
ment stands for. Under such con-
dtions can we expect to evolve the
best government? If we do expect to
reach the height of political freedom
under such a regime we will be de-
ceived in the end.
Why should a man be permitted to
vote when his ideas are not in keeping
with the ideas of our government?
We mean in keeping with the ideas of
our constitution. Our government is a
government for over one hundred mil
lions of people, and for a voter to know
something of the best interests of so
many people under snch varied con-
ditions, he must be an intelligent voter.
A man who can neither read nor write,
and Furthermore has a a very weak
mentality is dangerous man to have
such power as the franchise. In fact he
ought not to have such power.
In this age any man can get an edu
cation whether young or old, and
nothing less than the ability to read and
understand the conditions as presented
daily to him through the magazines
and newspapers should be considered
sufficient educatian to entitle man to
the suffrage. If the women come up to
this requirement why should not they
have the same right OF suffrage? We
do not favor general suffrage for women
any more than we favor general suf-
frage for men.
Whenever a voter becomes morally
corrupt, he should be deprived of the
suffrage, and if woman should be
granted this great privilege she should
not vote unless she could prove her
character. The time will come when
the election manager will have right
to challenge the voter on his lack of
morality, such as is in keeping with the
best interests of the community. Moral
reprobates have no more right to vote
than convicted criminal so far as JUS
tice is concerned. Oftentimes a man
who has served his time on the gang is
far superior to the moral reprobate who
has escaped the gang. Our ballot box
must be protected against such class
if our republican institutions are to be
maintained.
If women can help US remedy the
conditions why should they not be
permitted to share the responsibilities
of government They are placed upon
the same business plane as man, and
the business interests touch their well
fare just as much as they touch the wei
fare of man. Their relationships chang
ing to the world and they should have
the right to help change conditions
that so materially effect their welfare.
Suffrage should be limited accord
ing to the intelligence of the voter
and not according to sex. There are
hundreds of men voting all over this
land of ours whose ability as voters
would be far below the ability OF
even the average woman and such con
ditiOns are not right.
We may not agree with the method;
the women have in gaining the
franchise, but the fairness of their con
tention is very evident. 1t is coming
in fact it is upon US. The franchise
should not be limited according to sex
but according to the ability of the
voter. Key West Journal