Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-08-14


commend the words OF Edward Sanford
Martin general reaching out for more
for moro liberty. more justice. more OPP
portunity, moro to eat. moro money to
spend, more fun, moro leisure. more
knowledge. In the masses of the people
there is a longing for a better chance
and fuller life That is a phenomenon
and, of course, women have their share
Of it.
Tho people moved by this general I'M
rest, Mr.. Martin tells us. don't know pre-
cisely what they want nor how to get It.
They don't know NJ all accurately what
Is right and what is wrong in the way
the world is run a present, nor what re-
sources are available to satisfy their
yearnngs. nor what nstrumertalitics of
government and justice are defective or
obsolete, nor who, nor what is to blame
for distrcsscs or wants or restrictions
that they chafo under Every innova-
tor every mover for new methods every
vauntor of a now remedy ENDS hi.; OPP
portunty in this prevailing temper. That
is why Teddy has such large personal
following
Listen to Dobs, lately tho socialist cam
didate for president, in his speech accept
ing IN" domination:
Capitalism Is rushing blindly TO its
impending doom All the signs portend
the inevitable breakdown Of the existing
order. Decp-scated discomfort has seized
upon the masses Poverty. high prices.
unemployed. child slavery Widespread
misery ana haggard want IN a land BURST
Ing with abundance; prostitution ana in
sanity suicide and crime; these in SOL
capitaliSm's saturnalia Of blood and tears
and shame as its end draws near"
When that sort of discourse engages
the sympathios Of millions of men. there
IS bound to be unrest among women
There is unrest among women because
there is unrest in the air they breathe.
and naturally it takes its own special
forms. Tho form that is most conspic-
uous is the aspiration for suffrage.
portion Of womcn-how large no one
yet knows-have reached the conclusion
that they want to vote. That seems to
stand in their minds as the evidence of
equality with man. Give them the bal
lot and they will SEQ to it that women
are paid the same wages a. men for the
same work. that the factory laws are
what they should he. that white slavery
is abolished, that child labor is duly
guarded and restricted and "thc like o.
that an SIGH" Not only are the suf-
fragists restless themselves, but they
force disturbance on apparently a large
majority of women who have found their
vocation in life. and are fairly satisfied
with it, or else see no cure in suffrage
for what they don't like and fear its
drawbacks moro than they anticipate It's
benefits.
Such women. Mrs Marshall and Mrs
Scott for example. find themselves threat
ened with political obligations which they
think do not belong to them, and which
they do not wish to incur, unless they
organize their opposition and make it
felt. And this some of them are doing,
and with energy, though not with much
JOY in the combat For much as they
dislike the duty, IT is not one that can
safely he neglected by women who be-
lievc that political government will re-
main in the hands Of men anyhow, and
that it is better that the responsibility
should go with the power.
Wise women still prefer that it should
So remain Wise women prefer, other
things being equal government by men
to government by women. And that seems
a sound preference. for though II might
seem natural that women should side
with women against men, and men with
mon against women, that is not so natural
as 1t seems, and usually does not hap
pen. 1t is woman. not man, that is in
dispcnsable to man, and he is VIGOROUSLY
prone to take the side of woman
against man: and it is man. not wo-
man, that is Indispensable to woman and
at pinch she will usually cleave to her
own as against her like.
The Courier-Journal thinks that women
are as fit to vote as men-or would be
when educated and prepared for it as men
are-but it has higher aims and uses for
women, and does not wish to degrade
them to the level of man and the ballot