New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-09
IN ANSWER TO Mr.. WISE
Alice Stone Blackwell on obi
cations of the Franchise,


United States District Attorney Wise
says: There arc many obligations incl
dent 10 the franchise which women are
not capable OF bearing" What are they?
Jury duty Doctors. lawyers. ministers
and about twenty other classes OF men
are exempt from jury service. yet they
vote Moreover. women in our Western
states make excellent jurors. Supporting
II family? Millions OF widows with minor
children are debarred from voting. Mill
ions Of bachelors and chldless widowers
vote Military service? All men over
forty-nve are exempt yet they vote. All
ministers are exempt all the halt, tho
lame and the blind are exempt; yet they
vote.
Mr.. Wise says: The greater the extent
Of the franchise the greater are the diff
culties" The worst political corruption
n England's history was In the time OF
the rotten boroughs," when suffrage was
narrowly restricted.
Mr.. Wise says that in suffrage states
there has been no material improve
mept," and that the best women do not
vote II Is odd that the ministers have
not found il out. Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
addressed a letter CT inquiry TO all the
ministers OF four leading denominations
in tho four oldest equal suffrage states
and also 70 all the editors. asking whether
the effects were good or bad. She pub
lished the results I'm the "Womans Jour-
nal" OF October 10. 1910. OF the ga an
swers received. 6. were unfavorable, "
I'm doubt and 5l6 in favor. The Episcopa.
clergy were in favor more than two TO
one, the Baptist ministers seven TO one,
the Congregationalists about eight to one,
the Method.sts more than ten TO one, the
Presbyterians more than eleven to one
and the editors between eight and nine to
one.
Mr.. Wise says women can improve con-
ditons more quickly by using their in
direct influence. All the elements that do
not want conditions improved want to
have women limited 10 indirect influence.
TESTIMONY OF MINISTER'S.
Mr.. Wise says: History does not in
dictate that the ballot elevates the moral
tone Of any one Many OF Mrs Howe's
5ls ministers testified from their own OBJ
seryation to the good effect OF the ballot
upon women Responsibility tends to de-
veop womens character. TO make them
more serious and less frivolous. Professor
Edward Howard Griggs says THE bal
lot Is an educator, and women will be-
come more capable and more wise In us
Ing It." A prominent settlement worker
made two visits to Denver before and
after equal suffrage was granted. She
says that the first time the women were
talking OF bonnets and gossip the second
time. the same women were earnestly dis
cussing the new city charter.
Mr. Wise says: Women have all Of
the weaknesses that men are heir to-"
Women have as many weaknesses as
men. but they are not weak Just In the
same spots. The sexes are natural COM
pements Of each other. For instance. one
weakness to which women are less sub
ject Is the delusion that It Is wise for a
city to economize on tho chidrens edu-
cation. In the course OF a single year the
papers reported FIVE different instances Of
a city or town where the city fathers, out
OF misplaced parsimony, wanted to close
the high school, and where the city
mothers prevented It by their votes.
Mr. Wise urges waiting till there Is "a
cleaner and purer condition In the fran
chisc" before letting women vote. Con-
ditions seem to be getting worse rather
than better, and the people who do not
want them cleaned up are exceedingly
afraid OF votes for women. Let The good
men enlist the help OF the sex who are
the natural housecleaners.
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL,
Editor "Womans Journal" Ro.ton.