Evening journal., 1914-09-23

elimination Of their womanliness.
That class of women who would be
likely to degrade politics have not
usually voted. They live In fear OF
the law and do not wish to approach
nearer to II than necessary. In fact
ia the state where women vote this
class has not materialized. One
most grave consideration I'm granting
the franchise to women is that the
number of ignorant voters would be
almost doubled. The most practical
remedy for this seems 10 lie In hav-
ing educational qualifications for all
voters. making no distinction In sex.
IL fact, the first step toward equal
suffrage should be the establishment
of such qualifications.
1T is also claimed that the ma
jority of women do not want to vote
Slave owners have repeatedly ar
gued similarly and no slave classes
ever wholly wished for freedom. In
many Of our southern states slaves
would not leave their old masters
when emancipated and scarcely any
could think of themselves as the
equals Of their former masters. Ger
tainly It is not just that all women
bo deprived Of this right as citizens
because some do not wish e. Tho
franchise is, after ALL a privilege; it
Is not compulsory.
1T may be well TO glance at the
( progress Of Woman Suffrage in the
United States. AS might be expected
in this land Of the free the cause has
met with more uniform success than
elsewhere. The movement first ori-
ginated In and was fol some time
identified with the anti-slavery agita-
! tion. Inquiry into the right of the
latter naturally questioned woman's
position. At a world anti-slavery
( conference held in London 1910,
many American women, sent to re-
! present societies in the United States,
were refused a share in the proceed
/ ings on account Of sex. Upon re-
turning home Mrs. Elizabeth Cady
/ Stanton and Mrs. Lucretia Mott, two
OF the delegates, issued C call for a
Woman's Rights Convention to be
held at Seneca Falls. New York, July
IS and 20, 1S4S. Crowds attended
and I'm a Declaration Of Sentiments,
adopted by the convention, women's
right to political equality with men
was first set forth This movement
spread widely and its success was
evident from the derisive comments
in the papers. It's first fruits we're
IN New York state, when in 1S4S the
legislature passed a bill permitting a
wife to retain her own property and
admitting her to Joint guardianship
Of children. Just at this time the
Civil War took precedence over all
other issues. After the war other
conventions were held. At the close
OF the war all negro men were en-
franchised, many of whom could nell
taer read nor write, but women were
still refused the privilege. The ter
ritory of Wyoming in 1869 granted
suffrage to women and when admit
ted TO the Union in 1890 this clause
was retained in the constitution. Fol
lowing this example. Colorado gran
ted the franchise 70 women in 1898
and Utah and Idaho three years Ia
ter. Today ten states and the terri
tory OF Alaska have given the ballot
to women and this year the question
VIII be decided on by seven others
Thus II may be seen that the move
ment, first successful in the West
the land of progress, meets more IA
vor each year and we may soon bope
20 see the realization Of the great
Greek philosopher Platos dream Of
our ideal republic, one in which ali
intelligent citizens, male and female
should have equal share in the gov.
ernment"
CHARLES W. cARswEL.