The Washington herald., 1914-11-08
DROP POLITICS,
APPEAL ANTS
Leaders Say Women, Instead,
Should Help U. S. Solve
War Problems.
POINT TO THE ELECTIONS
Foes of Suffrage Declare United
Patriotic Women Can Remove
Business Depression.
By MRS. AUSTIN NJ. PURvEs,

tChairrnsn Wonen's Relief Committee Pennsyi-
T1nia Association oppOsed to Woman sufrSge)
The overwhelming defeat OF woman
suffrage last week is another marked
victory scored for the women who want
TO keep out of politics. The sufragists
long have claimed that votes for wom-
en-" are surely coming, and with fatalis-
tic fantasy, they have attempted to make
the people believe that woman suffrage
is only a matter Of time. But this years
decided defeat, coming in addition to
those OF 1912 and 1913 in Ohio, Wiscon-
sin, and Michigan, is all the evidence
any one needs to convince him that the
franchise for feminists. like free silver.
progressivism, free trade and other pass
ing political theories, has been repudi-
ated by public opinion to such an extent
that IL amounts to rout.
Suffragists always have contended that
suffrage must work WELL otherwise
suffrage would not be adopted In nearly
every case by neighboring States" They
do not mention the fact that woman suf-
frage has never been won by a popular
majority in any State, that II slipped
through the election in California three
years ago by $500 votes, while 350. 1000
qualified voters neglected to cast ballots
on the issue, nor that the total plurali-
ties by which woman suffrage won in
and Arizona from 1910 to 1872 amounted
to only 1900 votes, whereas IN 1912 and
1913. Ohio defeated suffrage by $500
votes, Michigan by 1900. and Wisconsin
by $1,000, or an average Of more than
twice as many votes in each OF the
States that defeated sunrage as in all
i've that passed 1t.
The Last Election.
Disputed figures on the last election
up until the the time this goes to press,
made it inadvisable to quote the returns
in numbers, but out Of the seven States
that voted on woman suffrage, Ohio, Mis-
souri,, North and South Dakota, Ne
braska, Nevada and Montana, Il Is
known that at least six, and possibly all
seven Of these States defeated votes for
women. The defeats in Missouri and
Ohio are described as Overwhelming ''
several counties in Nebraska are said to
have gone over two to one against suf-
two against il.
Mrs. Eva Morley Murphy, candidate for
Congress in Kansas, where women vote,
was defeated so completely that she
was only third In the race, a dire disap-
pointment to the suffragists who hoped
to have a woman representative in the
National House. Another feature tending
to bear out the antl-sunrage argument
that women viii not vote when the fran
chise is granted them Is the report Of a
great falling on in the woman's vote in
Illinois. Although nearly 9 per cent of
the women In Chicago voted In the first
election last April only 4 per cent Of the
registered women, and L5 per cent OF the
women over twenty-one, voted In the
primaries on September 10. 1914 The
marked difference on the part OF women
at the recent primaries was accounted
for by the suffragists as due to 'nonpar-
tisanship," but how wiz they explain
now the great number of women who
would not vote at 4 final eIection7 The
registration Of women IN Chicago fen
from 207. 900 IN April to 1S5.0o0 in November,
and the vote from $4,000 In April to 5000
in September. with the November figures
not yet available. but described as show
ing a marked decrease Of woman's inter-
est in politics.
It must be remembered that the peo-
PIE sf Illinois- did not get q chance to