Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-23
THE NEGATIVE SIDE

4 T is an apothegm applying no less
in public movements, than in logic
that rarely is 1t possible to make
the negative side as interesting as tho
positive. 1t does not follow, however,
that the negative side is less poten-
tial Citation of the apothegm in this
instance has to do with the PROPOSE
ton Of women's suffrage, and the JUS
tice Of letting both sides be heard.
The recent hike" Of band OF suf-
fragettes from New York City to AL
bany the progress of the proposed
amendment to the constitution Of the
state, comforting the franchise on
women, taken with the general aggres'
siveness Of the suffragettes in various
other parts of the country, have had
a tendency to obscure the negative
side, as represented in the counter or
anti-suffrage propaganda. They have
overshadowed the latter, in the pub
lie eye, conduced to the impression
that anti-suffragettlsm is a theory
rather than a condition, and had the
effect of intoxicating the idea that the
anti's were under hack" This is
o grave mistake.
It is quite evident that in New York,
at least, the antl's will be heard from
in due time. Indeed they have al
ready been heard from and in way
indicative Of anything but moribundi-
ty, inertia or being "hacked," The
campaign of opposition to the "Albany
doings' was launched the other night
at u large and enthusiastic meeting Of
the antis in New York City, and at
which number of the most rigorous
addresses we're made. The meeting
was held under the auspices of the
New York Association Opposed to
Woman's Suffrage" and among the
speakers was Mrs. John Martin, whose
remarks we're referred to by an un-
biased contemporary as singularly
forcible and logical
Mrs. Martin, we are told, after rec
ognizing the gravity Of the suffra-
gette movement "as one Of the mani
festatlons Of the feminine movement,
brought about by the entrance Of wo-
men into industry and having de-
clared her conviction that woman suf-
frage would not change things except
for the worse, went on to say "The
race originally had two chief purposes
to get living and rear the next
generation. Man forced woman tc
help him in his task Of creating wealth
and stole her from her home duties
Now the whole race is being drafted
into mans business of making wealth
while the woman's business Of max,
ing men retires into the background
and woman has yielded with the most
deplorable docility She bows under
the yoke and calls It freedom. She
sells her birthright for "a mess of pol
itics." TO our mind II is difficult tc
comprehend how either any reflection
pro or anti can escape admitting mo-
only the force and the logic Of these
observations, but their truth as well,
More than that It would appear thai
by the token Of their own logic, re-
Election could not but result in inspir
ing many suffragottes to reyol
against the new selfish slavery t
which tyrannlcal man Is subjoctinl
the geutler sex, and consequently t
revolt against the suffragette move
ment; at any rate, give them serious
pause Rut there we are treading OF
delicate, II not dangerous ground, ant
take serious pause ourselves Our oh
jcct and our province are merely L
give the news as OF interest TO botl
tho pros and ontis, and evidencIng tina
all the vitality and all the fight tina