New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-11
WISE PARTY LEADERS
#MUSTLOOK TO WOMEN
Those Who Can Command the Support Of
/ the Suffragsts Will Be the Successful
4 Ones in Future Struggles

Years Eve the ordinance Whlcn stops
J. the sale OF liquor at midnight. There
was. of course, protest and the diS-
matches said: The Mayor is between two
fires-on the one hand he is besieged by
the churches 10 rescind the modifying
/ order. on the other. he is obliged 10 up
hold II to satisfy the people who elected
him Here is the frank Acknowledgement
that the churches DO not represent voters
and that public officials must satisfy their
constituents. In all cities that is The
fundamental reason why the laws against
various forms of vice arc not enforced
because those who voted for the eXecu-
tive officers do not want them enforced
and the wishes Of other people have no
weight. 1t would he very different il
women were constituents.
| Dispatches from Great Britain say that
the recent stringent legislation there
against the white slave" traffic seems to
! have very little effect The same could
i he said OF the United States. and 1t IS
! equally true of temperance laws. GOV
| ernor Blease. Of South Carolina, correct
IN represents the men who elected him.
| In all of the eloquent addresses that are
! being made this week in celebration OF
the signing of the Emancipation Procls-
nation the point is emphasized that the
, abolition of slavery was as great bless
| ing to the South as to the North mat
the system degraded masters as Well as
| slaves and that the nation could not
exist half-enslaved. These declarations
are ius, as true when applied to the po-
| ltical subsection of women. Neither men,
women nor nations can reach Their hisp-
est development and all must suneI uh'ii
the emancipation of woman comes.
In recent address in Chicago on
What Is Progress in Politics? Presi-
dent Nicholas Murray Butler of Column
bia University said The American peo-
pie are by nature. by temperament ana
by opportunity a people of cSnstant ana
continuing progress. William j. bryan
devoted a large part Of his last speech
in New York TO pointing with JOY 10 the
wonderful progress which had brought
the Legislature to belief In the income
tax. direct election of Senator'S and SINH
lar political measures. And yet neither oil
these men recognizes how inevitable II Is
that women also should progress political
ly or finds word Of communication.
The Daily Mail" of London, says:
Not the most determined efforts or Tory
or Conservative can force again into
the background the great masses OF the
people of England who have learned both
their right and their power But this
paper uses all its influence to force into
the background the women Of England
who have shared in this great awaken
ing to q knowledge Of their rights. If
the opponents only could be made to see
that this universal movement among
women for a voice i'm government is but
a part Of the great evolution OF the
world toward justice and democracy!
Religion and Politics.
The churches have been slow TO take
up woman suffrage for many reasons
They are primarily conservative. not
leading in reforms and progressive meas
ures. because al first there was a sharp
cleavage between religious and secular
affairs. and because they were founded
on the assumption that their doctrines
represented the final word and there could
be no progress. The subsection OF women
also was as much accepted az the con-
fession of faith.
The Catholic Church is still strongly OPP
posed to granting women political rights.
but in the Protestant Church the spirit
Of evolution has made almost a revolu-
ton and woman suffrage has a large
place In II. This place will be much
larger when the Church, which now is
generally a factor I'm every mea sure foI
social reform, realizes more fully the
immense increase of power IL would have
II its three-fourths membership Of women
possessed the direct influence OF vote.
Church women themselves could very
soon transform Indifference and opposi-
ton into active support il they had the
courage and independence 10 use the au-
thorty which is theirs by force OF mum
bers
At this writing the members OF the Ma
tonal Democratic WOmen's League are
gathering for their first convention at
Washington. Republican women have
had such an association for the last
twenty years, but It has accomplished less
in that time than has been done by local
societies in one year in states wnere
women have the suffrage. a political or
ganizstion which represents no votes is a
huge satire, as the Democratic sisternood
will learn by experience
With knowledge Of the usual inaugura-
tion weather In Washington. the sutfra-
gists are very courageous to attempt a
parade a that time. They should be con
graduated on deciding to have their own
procession, or day ahead of the inaugural
pageant. Why should suffragists trail
along in the wake Of Presidents Wilson's
chariot when he is opposed to the cause
they stand for? lie was the only one OF
the FIVE Presidential candidates who did
not declare in favor Of 1t during the cam
paign. and his only public utterances have
been IN opposition. 1t would be enough
TO max. angels weep TO see procession
Of women walking behind his carriage
down Pennsylvania avenue.
With fair skies a suffrage parade pre-
ceding the day of inauguration. composed
of women from the entire country would
be both beautiful and educational. IL the
Washington Chief of Police feels doubtful
ga Il III