The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-10-09
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
The Minneapolis Association OPP
posed to the Further Extension of
Suffrage to Women, has issued the
following:
The great advance OF women in
the last century-moral, intellectual
and economic-has been made with
out the vote. Therefore, we believe
the vote is not needed for their
further advancement.
in the large sense, women now
stand outside of politics and are
therefore free to appeal to any
party in matters of municipal and
state welfare, including charity and
reform, in a non-partisan spirit. How
ever, women have the privilege of
voting for the school board and the
library board. Last year, these two
boards received from taxes and bond
issues the sum of S2,993, 962.27, or
about one-third of the city appropria-
ton. As only about six per cent Of
the women voted on the administra-
ton OF these funds, why give them
further representation!
THE basis Of government is force,
TO Sbabiiity iColo upOu It's pIgStCdi
power to enforce its laws. Therefore
1t is inexpedient to grant the vote
TO women who can not so enforce
the laws they may enact.
Small Part Of Government.
Voting Is only a small part OF gov
eminent The need of America is not
an increased quantity but an i'm
proved quality of the vote. We con-
slider the interests OF the community
to be more important than those Of
the individual.
The vote is not a natural right,
nor Is II a right bestowed upon tax
payers. II Is not aIquestion of right.
but of expediency for the public well
fare.
"Woman's suffrage is the demand
OF minority of women. The majority
OF women are not asking for IT, Ac.
cording to the last United States
census report obtainable, there are
24.555,754 women OF voting age In
the United States and the suffrage
party claim three to four million OF
this number. Should the minority
rule the majority?
"Woman's vote is not a factor in
the prohibition movement, because
out Of their eleven suffrage states,
Kansas is the only one. which has
prohibition and that state had pro-
hibition many years before women
had the vote. Eight non-suffrage
states are prohibition states. -r
Wages depend upon the markets.
upon labor competition, upon skill
and permanency, upon quality Of out
put; wages are determined by sup
ply and demand, not by the ballot.
Other Claims Made.
Suffrage states do not show
better laws governing prostitution
than non-suffrage states. The en-
forcement of these laws shows no
Improvement in suffrage states.
Public opinion Is the real remedial
agent. Women banded together, as
disinterested and non-partisan work
ers for the public good, can mould
public opinion better than voting
women divided by party politics:
just as men have organized non-parti.
san clubs and commissions for pur.
poses of improvement and reform.
PLEASE take the trouble to look up
the laws Of Minnesota governing child
labor. hours and protection for wom-
ans labor, high saloon license, re-
stricted saloon districts, factory laws,
health laws, mothers pensions. iuve-
nile court, equal guardianship laws,
property right and Inheritance laws.
You will find them in most instances
superior to those in suffrage states
and In no instances discriminating
against women.
1--WE do therefore, respectfully. pro-
test against the granting of votes for
women in our state. We believe that
political equality will deprive women
of special privileges hitherto accord.
ed to her by law, and would be a
menace to American womanhood and
to American government.
Our association has been formed
for the purpose OF conducting O purely
educational campaign. II you are In
sympathy with this aim and believe
as We do in our cause, will you not
become a member of our associa-
sfor % ~