Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-02-11
TUESDAY. FEBRuAlsY II, 1913.
WHEN WOMEN HAVE VOTES.

votes when they have them2 This is
the question that is repeatedly asked.
and the answers derived from their
use of the ballot in places where they
exercise the voting right do not
satisfy. This is because such use Is
too recent to be test. and usually too
remote from the great pFoblematic CEN
ters TO be a criterion. Biologically the
female Is classed as the conservative
sex, despite the variability that is at
tributed to the feminine mind. Fun
damentally it may be readily seen that
this is the case. that the progenitors
of the race must conserve the type and
traits and the instincts of the race. 1t
is not logical, therefore. to regard
women as given over to radical depar-
lures in the field of social action. The
nimbleness of the feminine intellect,
the felicity and facility of thought that
oftimes cbaraeterizes women. the dis
position to act with ready judgmet and
with aggressive effect -all this is not
TO be taken as the equipment of radi-
cal tempera nent, but of q conserving
impulse. For the action of women is
so closely logical as to give the impress
sion Of being purely impulsive.
What. then, would women do with
the vote II they generally exercised
the voting right? How would they
range themselves with the basic ques.
tions Of the day? They would do much
to change the base of public concern
and questions would be restated that
seem now TO be fixed. and problems
would be solved in ways little thought
of at the present moment. For the
enfranchisement of the women would
settle the old controversy as to wheth
er sociology or political economy is the
fundamental science of society. The
woman would resolve this question into
the practical effect of so combining the
two as to make il difficult to dilferen-
tiate between them. Women are pure
ly social in sympathies, IN thought and
action. They are economic in the con-
seIvative instincts of their sex. They
would seek to maintain and TO uphold
the fundamental facts of society and
to better prevailing conditions. So
that the women exercising the right of
the ballot would be new force, and
would not by any means represent
simply so many additional votes cast
in an election. with all the conditions
of frailty and folly that attend the
votes OF men.
Thuse who look for ideal conditions
with women exercising the voting right
will find themselves mistaken They
will, however. bring about the estab-
lishment of socIal order and social JUS
tice, with the elimination of the ultra
socialistic and the anarchistic and
other destructive forces. Undoubtedly |
there would be. with women exercising
the voting right, wider diffusion of |
social Legislation. the quality of that |
legislation being determined, not so |
much by the specific measures. as by |
the broad intent and wide effects upon
the organization of society that would /
be brought about. Their activities |
would not be those Of adventitious pro-
grams, but for the conservation of the
things that are inherent in the prevail
ing forms of American society. Ii
would have its basis in patriotism. in
purity and in purpose. the wisdom of
the women would supplement the wis
dom of the men. and they would work
in more or less different spheres, yet
closely supplementing one another in
their labors. The same cooperation
that is worked out in the home would
be worked out in society, and the same
qualities that women possess at the
ireside would be brought 20 hear when
they became the priestesses. at the
fanes of country.
Une of the most advanced aud strik-
ing instances Of the success Of the suf-
frsge for women is that Of Finland
Here the conferment OF the right was
with general approval. and all believe
in the wisdom of the eonfernent. But
this is only one of the spots on the
earth that have been redeemed fgem
the ancient grudge against the rights
Of political citizenship being accorded
the female sex. Many Of the religious
teachers, Catholic sad protes tart, echo
the sentiments u the priest. who. sd-
dressing a1ibrary association in New
York. declared there is no religious or
moral objection to suffrage for the sex.