The Detroit times., 1913-04-03
Makes Detailed Answer to Rev.
w. Il. FOrbush's Address
for the "Antis"
SAYS OLD ARGUMENTS
DON'T FIT PRESENT DAY
Sees Improvement in Laws AZ
fecting Home When Wom-
en- Get Ballot

4
| the anti-suffrage arguments of the
Rev. Vim. Byron Forbush which have
| been brought to my attention" eaid
the Rev +. Il. Shippen to The Times
| DIR. Forbush's standing in the com
munity gives his words weight ayd
| entities him to respectful hearing
| He cannot imagine the shy wo
] men of the Bible hiking from New
York TO Washington. No more can |
But that doesn't lessen my admiration
of the fortitude and self-sacriflce Of
Miss Jones and her little band
Probably the shy Bible women
would have been scandalized by wo
men clerks, teachers and physicians
which only means that our women
are so far emancipated. On the other
hand, l cannot imagine even our mill
tant English suffragettes initiating
Jael, who treacherously slew hel
guest Sisera, or Judith who cut OF
the head of Holofernes, both women
commended in their day But IL IL
putting the historic imagination &c
poor use 10 compare ancient and
modern women. Orientals and Occi
dentals. Times and conditions change
and Biblical comparisons do not rit
the modern case Slavery used to be
supported by appeal to the Bible
| Have we not outgrown such argu-
| ments whether for or against SUI
frage?
why not take a poll OF the Wo-
men, DR.. Forbush asks. What OBJ
ject would be served? The righteous
| ness OF a cause is not ascertained by
counting heads. We deny that the
majority Of women In the northern
states are against the extension OF
the franchise. In Michigan II is esti-
mated that 225,000 women have de-
clared in favor Of it. In New York
there were 100000 suffrage signatures
against only $4,000 anti-suffrage sigma
lures representing the women at the
| time OF the last constitutional con-
vention. But womens wishes, one
way or another. do not bear upon the
issue Many slaves did not want to
| be freed. preferrng narrow, pro
| tected. subject life. They were freed
nevertheless.
/ "'You demand the suffrage for the
/ Negro women of America continues
DR. Forbush. as II he we're making
an awful discovery. Assuredly we do
! We believe in democracy. At this
! late day does he think that race, color
or previous condition OF servitude Is
bar to citizenship? Considering
that hundreds OF thousands OF Negro
wives are supporting Negro husbands
"a race phenomenon--the Negro wo'
men are quite as well fitted to govern
themselves as the men. Why were
/ q -. ff,.a0 tNa do A
are asked They were. Anti-suf
! fragists are sometimes a little care
less as TO their facts.
1.-The suffragists have "a placard
that white-slavers and bartenders can
vote. why not women Another mis-
statement. The placards in the cars
do not mention bartenders. The SUI
fragists. as suffragists, are not wag
ing war upon the saloon. Prohibition
is not involved in equal suffrage, wit
ness the 10 suffrage states, not one
of them dry save Kansas, prohibition
there long ante-datlng equal suffrage
, No. we men and women suffragists
are not fighting the saloons In this
campaign Many of us are not pro-
hibitionists; but let the liquor dealers
be warned If they do not take the
saloon out OF politics and mend their
ways they will surely suffer. The
conscience OF the nation Is being
reused on this question. Are not The
| anti-suffragists disgraced by the fact
that their literature bearing the Inn
| print OF the Michigan Association
Opposed TO Woman Suffrage" is be
| ing distributed in the saloons?
ssn H. n
| Many OF us see It, but II has nothing
!. to do with equal suffrage. Attorney
| SarwObd. OF Denver, states that never
have political differences been assign
ed AZ a cause for divorce In Colorado
In New Zealand, indeed, since they
/ have had equal suffrage. the divorces
have decreased 20 per cent. Where
the tide OF divorce Ia rising, east as
wellsas west. economic and moral
conditions are responsible, not politi
cal. Let those who count themselves
scholars consult facts rather than
\ fears.
"'Will suffrage make better wo
manhood Il IL asked Yes. just sc
far as manhood suffrage makes a bet
| ter manhood Does not self-govern
ment tend TO develop independence
and self.respecting character? And
are not these as admirable In women
as in men?
! "Tt is a subtle but direct attack.
DR. Forbush saws. upon the best
| functions and highest duties OF wo
men Assuming that he regards
motherhood as the best function and
highest duty Of women, In which
agree. let me ask is II not the duty OF
the modern mother to shape the laws
which affect the homeP The home
loving women cannot well escape
their duty imposed by new conditions
She needs the ballot TO secure better
laws regulating the food question
sanitation. the manufacture or cloth
ing. the education OF her children anC
the character OF their public amuse
ments.
Many OF u.s. long Indifferent q
equal suffrage. have walked up 20 thu
fact that we are living In a new In
dustrial and political world. The OLE
arguments against equal suffrage d,
not AZ the present day. Though NJ
one claims that II IL going 10 revolu
tionize society or bring In the mil
lenium, wherever II IL working ther'
may we see perceptible improvement
In the social order. especially In law,