The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-19
TILLMAN is BITTER
AGAINST SUFFRAGE

1t criticized in any way the women Of
| the North. and that when Senator's had
called his attention to this he had
promptly asked 1t be eXpunged from
the Record.
Praise for Northern Women.
II wish to avoid even the appearance
OF harboring mean thoughts toward
the women of the North" said Senator
Tillman. Some of the very finest
women l have ever known are North
ern women"
He said in justice to Dr. Bledsoe that
the article in question was written
many years ago, when the South was
in the throes of reconstruction, and
that the real reason for its being writ
ten was that DR.. Bledsoe "shuddered
to think of women taking part at the
polls under the existing conditions of
political debauchery."
Il am led to make a few remarks on
woman suffrage" said Senator Tillman
1T is beautiful dream that female
suffrage will purify politics But the
vital and important thing for us to
consider is the effect on women them
selves. We had better endure the evils
of corruption in politics and debauch-
cry in our government than bring about
n condition which Will mar the beauty
and dim the lustre of the glorious wo-
manhood with which we have been
familiar.
Il know the demand for suffrage on
the part OF women is growing too fast
Tor old fogles like me to stop 1t, eN-
cept possibly In the South and New
England. where conservatism is more
strongly intrenched than anywhere else
in the country.
Il sincerely believe that the useful
ness and goodness of woman vary In
Versely as the extent OF her participa-
ton in politics. l believe she will i'm
prove politics, but ultimately politics
will destroy her And when our good
women are no longer to be found. the
doom OF the republic is near"
Influence ON Divorces.
Taking up the divorce evil and the
effect that equal suffrage may have in
Increasing the number OF divorces. SEN
ator Tillman said:
Il thank God my lot was cast in
| State where there is no such thing as
divorce In South Carolina we do not
believe in the modern idea preva-
lent in this day of permitting man
to marry woman in her youth and
beauty and then, when her face be-
comes shrunken and her eyes dim, to
search out among his woman acquaint-
anccs some young and buAom girl who
suits his lustful eye. and straightway
sets 10 work systematically to force
his old wife to seek a divorce
1t appears TO me that the relation
between votes for women and divorce.
If not one of cause and effect. Is at
least one OF mutual accelcration.
The decentralization and consequent
degradati ton produced by the divorce
evil are illustrated by the notorious
Diggs- Caminetti affair in California.
The ease with which divorces are OBJ
tanned in Reno led to that place being
selected rs the one to carry the two
respectable girls from sacramento. and
the promise TO marry these women
after divorces were obtained no doubt
had much to do with overcoming their
scruples. Such tragedy in domestic
life could not happen anywhere in the
South. even in those States where di-
vorces are obtained.
shoot Them Like Dogs.
I'VE have bad women in south Caro-
lima and throughout the south But
the habits OF our people and their
customs, inherited from our forefath-
ers. make it dangerous To monkey with
mems womcnkind.' Some Northern
people call us barbarians II the Cali
fornia men had our customs Digs and
Caminetti would not be alive now, be-
cause they would have been shot like
dogs, and the fathers of tine girls they
have ruined would be acquitted almost
without the jury leaving the box.
The unwrittcn law les the best law
10 protect women virtue tnat nave
heard OF. The more | think about the
digs Caminctti case the more out
ragged l grow at the state of morals
and society which not only permits
such crimes, but encourage them.
am too much of u savage myself To
think upon such things with calm
ness.
Among our very rich people in
America degeneration has gone so far
that swapping wives is a common
practice. The women are just as bad
the men,"
Senator Tillman said that he was
afraid that the weakness OF politi-
clans and the pressure which is being
brought TO bear upon them might re-
suit In the granting OF equal suffrage.
but he issued n solemn warning
against II.
Seeks TO Reprint Article.
When Senator Tillman concluded his
speech. Senator Overman, of North
Carolina, said that his state was not
one OF those which permitted large
number OF causes for divorces, but
that all causes for divorce except two,
--hich were formerly permitted in North
Carolina. had been eliminated from
the law
Senator Tillman asked unanimous
consent OF the Senate. In View OF the