White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-10
WHY WOMEN FIGHT WOMEN
EXPLAINED ~ ONE OF THEM

My women are HEHltus 8oiAela
on the question Of suffrage vas ex-
planned in Washington this week in
lie first authoritative statement issn-
ed on the subject by the National A.
ISOLATION Opposed 10 Woman SUI
frage. The explanation vas 81 en- out
through the Washington faaaquar-
quarters of the organizatie3. L IS a
reply to the reiterated question.
why do women who O. ose sufffs e
organize a fight against it y ~
not simply permit their suffrage sis
ters to secure the vote, sin the
ants will not be compelled } vote
if the ballot is glen to woalan?"
The statement in ieplv. coming at
a time when the suffrage question is
being agitated in Washington and in
several important states with un-
usual vigor. Is particularly interest
ing. Tie statement says:
We, more than any other organi-
%zation, believe in woman's rights.
We are fighting for woman's rights.
First in the catalogue of woman's
rights. Is the right of exemption. By
that, We mean exemption from en-
trance into active politics n all
that It Involves. We have IN ahid-
ing faith in both the Justice md the
necessity Of this exemption because
by virtue OF it oma IS able to do
Ter half Of the worlds work. De-
prived Of this exemption, woman he
comes an ineongfuity. Called upon
to do double duty, she viii face the
failure which IS the fruit Of N IN
natural task.
by no Juggling Of the phrase
sNoman's Rights can The suffra-
gists, who number only eight per-
cent OF the women of America. JUS
tify their claim that the lawmakers
of this country should force the bur-
den of the ballot upon the remaining
ninety-two percent who protest
against It or are unwilling to have it.
In the catalogue of woman's
rights is the right to do good works.
On the rolls or our organization are
the names of women nationally ia
nous for their charitable and philan-
thropie work. Actuated by the same
motives which led them TO help the
needy and suffering, they have un-
dertaken the fight against woman
suffrage because they are convinced
Of The criminal injustice of the propo-
sition % thrust upon the vast
majority of American women the ad-
ditional and unnecessary duties of
the voter.
when the s~uifragists define the
ballot a a women's right. they mani
fest q distressing ignorance of politi-
cal economy. The franchise is not a
right. nor a privilege. 1t Is a duty.
a stern duty imposed by the state
upon that class of persons thought
by the state to he best equipped to
pei II. "oaA pa ltahtdlia Il INT
franchise not a plaything to amuse
idle women Ii is not something
which car be used or ignored at the
will of the person TO whom it has
been given. The s%uffragists do not ap-
pear TO reolize this fact when they de-
grade their doctrine With the absurd
declaration that those women who
do not want to vote may remain
away from the polls.
AS a matter of fact, We consider
the franchise to be so big, so sacred
and SO binding an obligation. when
once it has been conferred upon wo-
men. that We ask all our members
and sympathizers in suffrage states
to go to the polls at every primary
and every election. We have just
done SO in Illinois, although We are
convinced that the limited suffrage
in an outrageous manner We believe
that the annals of American politics
show no duplicate of this aet in
which the Legislature of a state arbi-
trarily forced the franchise on the
women of that state. without giving
them an opportunity TO be heard even
through votes of the men. We hope
and expect TO see this law repealed,
but, while it stands on the statute
books. our women, having had the
responsibility of the franchise thrust
upon them. must exercise it as good
citizens of the state"