The Washington herald., 1914-03-21
THE OPEN FORUM.
Herald Readers Express Their View.
on Current Topics.

on (urrent loplcS.
To the Editor-That the suffragists are
very much disturbed over the ruling Of
the Civil Service Commission forbIddIng
the political activity Of classified civil
service employees OF the government NAV
be true as they largely depend on a
display Of numbers as a means Of in
timidation. but the fact that govern
ment employees cannot march in their
professions In body. prevents any dis
closure Of their proportionate number
and after all out Of that they should get
much comfort. because as is their usual
custom they vastly overrate the number
Of advocates OF their cause In the goy-
ernment employ. and also the number
to be found among the wage-earning
women Thousands Of the latter are
very much opposed to suffrage and Quite
a large proportion Of the former.
Probably the law abiding Anti's will
suffer quite as great loss in active CO.
operation because many In the govern
ment employ who are with them on ths
vital question as to whether woman shall
have the vote. are also limited as to the
effort they may put forth to defeat suf-
frage Much the larger number Of wom-
en- do not want the vote and until tho
sufIagists can poye to them that they
do, the minority have no right under i
democracy to thrust IL upon US Moth
ing is more alarming and more convinc-
ing to those opposed" than the methods
resorted to by a body of self-seekinS
women to force the rule Of the minority
upon them. We are convinced that it
the leaders OF the suffrage movement
Cgood though mistaken women. could
rise from their graves. they themselves
would be among the first to hold up their
hands I'm holy horror at the kind Of fruit
that the seeds they planted had brought
forth.
, Only a very few years ago one of the
leading arguments of the suffrsgists was
I'VE want the vote because We intend tn
purify politics" high aim no one will
deny. What then is the amazement felt
by those who remember all the fine
pledges. when they behold the leaders
of the cause" standing before a COM
mittee of Congressman offering brihes
and using intimidation. Why for only
half Of such an offense accepting bribcs)
several years ago a number Of men
were fined and disfranchised for a period
OF five years in Ohio. Poor. ignorant
men who had no idea that il was a crime
to sell a vote. and here comes the flower
of womanhood Cas they claim openly
! X.
circumstances. bribes and intimidation
to members Of what We proudly proclaim
is the highest legislative body in the
! world. and to what end? That Congress
will unite in a last effort to deprive
thirty-eight great states OF their sOyer-
eighty. and all this just to hasten the
advent Of these guardian angels Of pub
| lie morality into political power One
may we'll ask is the advancement of the
cause" worth the price and are these
the methods that are going to be used
! TO purify politics. Is this the way the
women keep their pledges and will keep
them in the futuree
The unmasking OF the suffragists has
caused. let US hope. many to pause and
reflect and ask themselves whether il
would not be the part OF wisdom to ''loo.i
before We leap" We might at one time
have thought that the advent of a suf-
! tCient number Of good women into the
! body polite would tend towards its eIcva-
| tiOn. but now We know what methods
will be used with legislative bodies. and
! tho open alliance CwhoSe existence has
never been denicdJ that has been formed
between suffrage. feminism and socialism
Are not these iSms that have found favor
with and are warmly espoused by the
suffragist Just a little more than We are
prepared to accept?
HARRIET FISHER GREyE.
To the Editor: The inhabitants Of the
over-crOwded countries of Europe have
been accepting invitations to come to