The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-09-02
SOME THINGS
A Great Man Says in Favor of Equal
Suffrage.

THE first objection which / re-
member to have heard was that. as
woman cannot bear arms, she should
not have a voice in deciding questions
that might lead to war or in enact
ing laws thai might require an army
for their enforcement. This argu-
ment is seldom offered now, for the
reason that, as civilization advances.
laws are obeyed, because they are an
expression of the public opinion, not
merely because they have powder and
lead behind them. And as we look
back over the past we may we'll Won
der whether the peace movement
would not have grown more rapidly
than it has, had woman, who suffers
more than man from the results OF
war, been consulted before hostilities
began.
"Second-It is urged by some that
woman's life is already full OF care,
and that the addition of suffrage
would either o%verburden her or turn
her attention away from the duties or
the home. The answer made to this
is that the exercise of the franchise
might result in a change of thought
III anu OtGuDdIlOu LlaI "Ohio 49,
monotony of woman's work and give
%restful variety to her activities. Ana
surely the home will not suffer If the
mother, the child's first teacher, is
able to i~ntelligently discuss with her
family the science of government and
the art of successfully administer
ing 1t.
'sThird-Many well-meaning men
and women affirm that suffrage
would work a harm to woman by less
ening the respect in which she is
held. This argument would have
more weight had it not been employ
ed against every proposition advanc-
ed i'm favor of the enlargement OF
woman's sphere. This objection was
once raised to the higher education
of m but ii is no longer heard
The same objection vas offered eaef
fime the door has opened and woman
instead of suffering degradation. ha'
risen.
And are not the second and thir'
objections above stated refuted u
ONE extent at least by the fact tina
in the states that have adopted womal
outrage land in other nations tina
aave adopted IT'D there Is no agitation
FOR a return to the system unde
which man has a monopoly of tn
eight to vote? Is 1t not fair to as
ume that an effort would be mad
10 correct the mistake if woman sui
rage had really failed to give salts
action to the people where 1T ha
seen tried?
For 4 time I was impressed by tn
uggesticn that the question shoul
5e left to the women to decide
majority to determine whether tn
ranchise should be extended to won
n. but find myself les and les
fisposed to indorse this test. Samut
/ Johnson coined an epigram which
n point here namely, that mo man
conscience IAN tell him the right
/ another man.
politics will not suffer by won
ms entrance into 1t. If the politi
world has grown more pure in spit
, Of evil influences that have operate
: to debase it, il will not be polluted b
! the presence and participation {
woman. Neither should we dout
! that woman can be trusted with tn
ballot. She has proven herself equs
: 70 every responsibility imposed upo
: her; she will not fail society in tn
emergency. Let her votel And ma
hat discernment which has through
: nut the ages enabled her to quickl
,rasp great truths-made her tn
D last at the cross and the first at tn
sepuleher-so direct her in the di'
: barge of her political duties as I
i'd new glories to her and throug
aer still further bless society,"
al w. C. T.. u.