The Dickinson press., 1914-09-26
0. D, OLIPHAN7
ANTI SUFFRAGE

.I' MTl-SUfERAGE
Mrs. o. D. Oliphant, speaking I'M
der the auspices Of the National As
.sociation opposed to suffrage adj
dressed a good sized audience at the
opera house Wednesday evening. The
exact date Of her coming had not been,
known in Dickinson until the day Of
her arrival. Mr.. Oliphant is an en-
.tertaining,' forceful and convincing
speaker and held her audience well,
Notwithstanding the fact that she
spoke at considerable length.
The speaker was introduced by
Judge Fred Maser, who said that in
asmuch as the Dickinson people had
heard one side of a question of vital
Importance to voters, he believed it
only fair that they should have an
opportunity to hear arguments on
the other side. Mrs. Oliphant vas
preceded by Mrs. Judge Young Of
Fargo, president of the State Anti
Suffrage association which was or
ganized in June Of this year.
Mrs. Young gave figures to show
how few women use the school ballot
in the state, and, according to these
figures, the vote has been getting
smaller at every succeeding election.
In 1900 when there was a mar and
woman candidate for state superin-
tendent, $1,000 men recorded their
choice on the proposition, while the
returns showed but 5000 women yot-
ing. At the last general election
10000 men voted and 1000 women.
Coming down to county figures, Mrs.
Young said that Stark showed 1853
men voting on state and county edu-
%cational choice. at the primaries in
June and 81 women. The official rec
ords for Cass, she said, showed
1925 men voting and only 80 women.
For Morton county, the speaker said,
1.-THE record was still more surprising,
showing that but 10 women had voted
on county and state matters in three
Years. She said that a large indiffer-
ent vote was the thing to be feared.
It was Mrs. Young's contention
that but 10 per cent of the women
wanted suffrage and she did not
think it fair for the remaining 80 per
cent to have a state wide vote given
them when they did not want it. 1t
was this reason which prompted her
and other women of the state to or
ganize this year.
Extracts Of Mrs. o. D. Oliprant's
address are given as follows:
No Injustice
There is no injustice in man-made
rule, said Mrs. Oliphant. There is
nothing which women could attain if
they had the ballot which they do not
now, enjoy. Laws for the benefit of
the women are being placed on the
statute books faster than laws for
the benefit of men, and they are be-
ing placed there by the men.
The women who advocate suffrage
do not consider that the business. of
being a woman is a business greater
and finer than any benefit which she
she car gain through the ballot. They
fail to consider that nature has spec
Iialized the functions Of men and of
women and that women in their
present sphere have as great an in
fuence in shaping progress as they
could well have.
Feminist Movement
The modern feminist movement is
one closely bound up with suffrage,
said the speaker. It is the cry of the
suffragists and it is aimed at the
homes Of the land, to seek the econ
omic independence of women, and
would bring about a condition of af-
fairs where women are absolutely in
dependent of men for financial sup
port, earning their own money in the
marts of trade, on even terms with
the men in wages and conditions of
labor. The speaker quoted the state
ment of one noted s%uffragist, that cit
is ,unwholesome for any woman to be
supported by any man." She also
quoted Mrs. Charlotte Gilman as
saying that "home is a check on hui
manity."
Success or Failure
She took UP at considerable length
DR.. Shaw's argument that suffrage
must be a success or states in close
proximity to Wyoming, which was
the first to adopt it, would not have
followed suit as they did.
Mrs. Oliphant maintains that this
is no argument at all. And she went
on to outline the reason why the
various suffrage states in the west
fell in with the movement. When
Wyoming gave its women suffrage
said the speaker, there was only one
woman to about SO men, and the men
gave the women the vote when they
asked for it because they felt tina,
it wouldn't make any difference one
way or another SO they might al
well have it. It was the populist
movement which carried suffrage in
to Colorado, said Mrs. Oliphant
And the Mormons succeeded in intro.
ducing it in Utah and Idaho. q Il
Washington the socialists and the
Mormons, leagued together, carried
the state for suffrage.
Mrs. Oliphant then challenged DR.
Shaw's assertion that Mrs. Oliphan'
had corporation connections in New
Jersey. She stated that her husband
is a military instructor in the Bor
dentown Military institution and i
Observation-Disclosures Of any corpor