New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-11

new year IN our own Co"Hu!' ~"
a political point OF view, is the speech OF
President Taft on last Saturday before
the leading Republican clubs of the Eas'
ON the future Of his party. The fact tha'
il mao been struck hard and temporarily
disabled he made no attempt 70 minimize
bet. {ike.a wise leader. he sought Tor th'
causes and the remedies. Those who are
fair will sustain his claim that the defeat
OF last November was not popular pro
t,st against his own administration. but
fhevl'win not so cautiously phrase the
reasons for the unrest and aSltauoh
which led 10 it's overthrow 1t was the
revolt Of the people against the leaders Oh
the party in both houses of Congress anu
In every state where it was dominant, pc
cause. to put the case in sentence the!
had made out Of the party an aristocracS
OF privilege.
1t is the province of disfranchised wofh-
en- to consider but one phase OF TINS
privilege aristocracy OF SEX winch
retains for men alone the right 10 ruie'
70 elect the officials. to fill the ofnces' 20
make the laws. to assume the whole re-
sponsIbiity for their enforcement ana to
levy and expend the taxes. in worn
men havs taken It upon themselves 10 hoiu
women in as complete political ana iesai
subsection as negroes were ever helu III
physical subsection.
II NAV be said that the Democrats are
as guilty as the Republicans. but the!
have never claimed 10 be the apostles oi
freedom. the ltberators of the oppressed
az Republicans have. and they nave pee"
i'm complete control OF the government on''
two wears in the last half century Inc
women never had been led 70 expect po-
Ht,cal liberty from the Democratic party
. ~, ,hav had a right to look for ii from
t,,s' Jp,.rc,b,ican marty. II it would be con-
sistan, with its record But II has not
been. either IN Congress or STATE iesis
laf,Ires. and il was because nope lohs ue-
ferred had destroyed faith that there was
n revolt among women also during the
last campaign.
.Ne are told that the spirit of unrest
demands progressive measures when shaii
hiring the people more directly INTO inc
oneration OF their own government salu
presfdsnt Taft in this speech. and then IN
outlining the present status of the Repuo-
,ican marty. he said 1T stands for those
election laws which give the people the
re, on1ortrnitv 10 express their prefer
euca Rut. above all. It stands Tor the
observation Of the pillars OF popular gov
eminent, for the maintenance OF th'
riahts Of all. for the greatest sood LOT tli7
greatest number" In closing, ne sara
Il 81. us. buckle on our armOr again Tor
the hattie for humanity and the common
,eople that. must be fought"
No1y. the women Of the country insist
that the Republican party shall be true
10 the letter and the spirit OF these ueo-
lsrations. and that its slogan ever since
the Civil War-"Equal Rights TO All -
shall mean exactly that. Whatever the
excnses made in the past for applying II
IN .oniH 6ne-half the people, these are no
,,nrer valid. and women are now IN
no<fion TO resent their exclusion IN
PRACTICAL way,
Republicans are still in control OF the
ma iority Of legislatures in the Northern
states. and women demand the chance 10
cs;,rv their appeal for suffrage 10 the
voters. The party viii doubtless again
bs in mower I'm the national government
andsths suffragists expect by then to nave
won enough states TO justify 1t In can
fdr The submission OF an Amendment
10 tht, federal Constitution. Some " them
are starting a movement for tins now IN
washington hut il is waste of time and
.i,erey. with states rights cardinal
nyinciple of the Democratic party. The
Rep,tbiicans In their renaissance. how
syer. must make the Acknowledgement OF
wotnen' a part OF their platform. and must
pyepare the way In many statos to bring
II eventually before the country as ma
tlonal question. Unless they do this they
cannot hope for general support among
women, and henceforth this support Will
Ia large factor in the success OF what
ever party can command it,
Women Must Be Constituents.
What a sermon for placing the fran
chise IN the hands of women is preached
nv the events or every passing day!
In the first of President Tafts speeches
last Saturday-the one before the In
tsrnational Peace Forum-he said THE
difficulty about the peace argument is
that when you get before an audi
snce everybody is for it, but when 1t
comes TO an election the. peace plank or
4 political platform does not, play aay
part at all And when we say to the
members OF the United States Senate:
you are reaching a conclusion in which
the people do not stand by you they
say. Such an issue never affected sin
gle vote at an election Now, we ought
10 be able 10 make it control votes so that
We can say, Your constituents demand
arbitration"
Could there be stronger argument for
creating a constituency OF women? The
most eminent advocates of peace in the
world declare that tine greatest factor
for obtaining it would be the direct po-
nucal influence Of women
70 take another example, small by COM
parison but duplicated in every commun-
nity:7The Mayor of Cincinnati permitted