Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-20
Conducted ny
MISS AEAEJoRIn DoRnkAN
Tor the Nebraska Association OPP
posed TO woman Suffrage.
Basis of Government

The statement that governments are
based ON physical force always irritates
the suffragists. IL Is difficult TO under
stand why. Life itself is based on ply
steal force. We could not remain on earth
at all WITHOUT, gravity. which the suf-
fragists will hardly care to deny is a
physical force.
Governments presuppose that there is
in the state an element which must be
governed. Laws are a series OF Thou
shalt nots." Whenever a suffragist uses
the expression Enforce the law" she
tacitly admits the truth of our argument
Force alone converts laws into govern
mont. Unemforced laws weaken govern
ment and lessen the respect of the COM
munity for law and order.
Governments are established for pur-
pose OF protection. Their primary func-
ton. is to protect lives and property and
enforce the law. Governments rest on
the physical force OF men.
1t is not the duty of women TO protect
lives and property and enforce the laws
as long as there are any able bodies men
left. As Elihu Root says: I'm the divine
distribution Of powers the duty of pro-
lection rests on the male" We anti
suffragists intend that it shall continue
to rest on him even If a few so-called
men are trying TO shirk this duty and
shunt It off on the weaker sex.
When peace reigns in the state the
citizens go about their business and men
relegate their duty of protection to the
police force, the fire department and the
courts Gall male). The female truant Of
ficers ana probation officers who are
figuring in the newspapers today as
! policewamen, cannot quell any real dis
turbanoe. This must be put down by a
policeman, and he usually needs a stick.
! We can dispense with our lady cops-but
no city could sleep nights IL the men on
| the force resigned and women took their
places. Equal in power to govern? Well,
hardly. at
When a disturbance arises with which
the police cannot cope, the state militia
| (male) Is called on to protect lives and
property. This was done in Wilmington,
Del. during the race riots this summer;
in Butte, Mont when trouble arose
among two groups of miners. and also
in Colorado not SO long ago. Colorado's
state militia proved inadequate to cope
with the situation however, and the en-
tire government machinery of the state
fell to the ground And then what did the
dauntless danes of Colorado do? Did
they try to maintain the stability of the
state government by joining the state
milltia7 Not they. They couldn't do a
single thing to put down the disturbance
and enforce the laws which they have
been making for twenty-one years. In
| this dire extremity the truth came home
4 to them fully that governments are
| force-even IL this force was not to be
| found in themselves. What did they do E?
| They uttered q piercing feminine cry for
help just as IL they had been poor. old
fashioned ants. They called for the phys
| ical force of men-more men to come and
| help them. And the federal troops (male)
| responded. A better argument against
| woman suffrage than that feminine call
for help on men has never been voiced.
Sometimes. as is the tragic case in
| Europe today the national troops are
inadequate 10 protect lives and property
| in a national emergency. What is done?
Every ablebodied man is called to the
colors. But tho ladies2 No--they are not
called on. Some men. like Mr.. John Ken
pedy and, Mr.. #. L. Brogan. would like
to call the women. But real men
do not draft women to the support of
governments in either. peace or war
In our own civil war the government
found state militia and federal troops
Inadequate TO put down the rebellion.
| So the able-bodied men were drafted.
But not the women. II they wished to
give voluntary service. well and good
But the states did not call them. The
nation did not call them. Tho women
did what women always do, in peace or
war. They backed up their men and
helped them. But they did not do the
mems work for them.
Suppose the male suffragfsts do force
women to make the laws of Nebraska
The duty of enforcing thse laws will still
! continue to rest on men. And IL men are
not interested enough in law TO frame
II, they win not be interested enough in
it to enforce 1t. So that women's ballots
are absolutely worthless.
Women make the men who make the
laws Women bear men 50 they do not
need to bear arms. And by the same
seasoning they need not bear ballots,
which In times OF peace men substitute
for bullets.