The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-07-21
VOLUME LII, NUMBER 81.
BRYAN WOULD EXTEND
SUFFRAGE TO WOMEN
Comes out Fer Giving Franchise to
These Whose Right it is to
Protect Their Children.

BRYAN in a formal statement To-Day
came out for woman suffrage. He de-
.clared he would ask no political rlg4t
for himself he was not willing to
grant his wife, and announced ne
~woud support the proposed State con-
.stitutional amendment extending the
franchise to women to be voted On
in Nebraska next November.
Woman, Mr.. Bryan said, has proved
herself equal to every responsibility
imposed on ner, and would not fail
society in this emergency Above all
other engagements for giving her the
ballot he placed "the right OF the
mot1er to voice in the molding o.
the environment OF her children.
The mother" the secretary said,
can Justly claim the right to employ
every effective weapon for the pro-
lection of tnose whose interests she
guards, but the ballot will put within
Ter reach all the instrumentalities O.:
government, including the police
power"
Must Work Together.
LAS man and woman are, cotenants
of tae eartn,'' the statement says,
"and must work out their destiny to-
gether, the presumption is on the side
of equality for treatment in all that
pertains to t-eir joint life and its
opportunities. The burden OF proof
is on those who claim for che an
advantage over the other in deter
mining conditions under which both
SHALL live Objections raised to Wo-
man suffrage appear to me to be in
valid, while the arguments advanced
in support of the proposition in my
Judgment are convincing.
the first objection | remember to
rave hearo was that as woman can
not bear arms she should not have
voice in deciding questions that might
lead to war or in enactment CT
laws that might require an army
officer to enforce. This argument is
seldom offered now, for as civilization
advances laws are cbeyed because tney
are an expression of public opin-
ion. AS We look back over the past,
we may well wonder whether the
peace movement would not have
grown more rapidly had women been
consulted before hostilities began.
Woud Relieve Her.
Second, some urge that woman's
liz already is full o. care and that
the addition of suffrage rather would
overburden her or turn her attention
away from home duties The answer
made is that the exercise of the fran
chise might result in a change OF
thought and occupation that would
relieve the monot1ny OF woman s
Ssprk Surely the home will not suf-
if the mother, tee child's first
eacher, is able to intelligently dis
Yeuss with her family the science Of
government and the art Of success
fully administering it
Third many we'll meaning men and
women affirm that suffrage would
work harm to woman by lessening
the respect in which he is held This
argument would have more weight
had it not been employed against
every proposition advanced in .avor
of tie enlargement o, woman's sphere.
This objection once was raised to
the higher education OF woman, but
it no longer is heard.
These objections, however, honestly
advanced, have proven imDotent to
retard wi1man's progress.
"And are not the second and third
objections refuted, TO some extent at
least, but the fact that in the States
whiC., have adopted woman suffrage
(and in the otter nations that have
adopted it, there is no agitation for
a return to the system unGer which
man has monopoly Ct a right to
vote. 1t is fair to assume an effort
would be made 70 correct ne mistake
Il woman's suffrage really had failed
to give satisfaction to the people,
where it has been tried"
1T is not my purpose to discuss the
subject with elaboration at this time,
but l desire to present the argument
to which 1 give the greatest weight.
Without minimizing other arguments
advanced in support of the extending