The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-07-22

Aecs Every Crisis, Says Secretary of
ssase.
Washington. july 16.-Secretary
Bryan In q formal statement today
csme out for woman suffrage. He de-
clsred he would ask no political right
for himself ne was not willing to
grant his wife. and announced ne
would support the proposed State con-
stttutional amendment extending the
franchise to women to be voted on
In Nebraska next November.
Woman. Mr.. Bryan said. had proved
herself equal to every responsibility
imposed on her. and would not fail
society In this emergency. Above all
other arguments for giving her the
ballot he placed "the right Of the
mother to q voice In the molding of
the environment Of her children"
The mother" the secretary said.
"ean Justly claim the right to employ
every effectivene weapon for the pro-
.tection Of those whose interests she
guards. but the ballot will put within
her reach all the instrumentalities of
government. including the police
power"
AS man and woman are co-tenants
Of tho earth." the statement says.
and must work out their destiny to-
gethsr. tho presumption Is on the side
Of equality for treatment In all that
pertains to their Joint life and It's
opportunities. Tho burden Of proof
10 on those who claim for one 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.
Tho frst objection I remember to
have heard was that as woman can
not bean arms she should not have a
voice In deciding questions that might
lead to war or In enactment OF
laws that might require an army
onscer to enforce This argument is
seldom offered now. for as civilization
advances laws are obeyed because they
are an expression Of public opin-
Ion. A We look back over the past,
ws may we'll wonder whether the
peace movement would not have
g!own moro rapidly had women been
consulted before hostilities began.
second. some urge that woman's
NE already Ia full of care and that
the addition Of suffrage rather would
overburden her or turn her attention
away from home duties. The answer
made II that the exercise of the fran
chise might result In a change Of
thought and occupation that would
relieve the monotony Of woman's
work. Surely tho homo will not suf-
fer II the mother. the child's first
teacher. is able to inteliigently dis
euss with her family. the science Of
government and the art Of success
fully administering II.
Third. many we'll meaning men and
. women af'irm that suffrage would
work . harm to woman by lessening
the respect In which she is held. This
argument would have more weight
had II not been employed against
every proposition advanced In favor
Of the enlargement Of woman's sphere.
This objection once was raised to
/. the higher education Of woman. but
10 no longer In heard.
These objections. however honestly
advanced. have proven impotent to
rstard womsn's progress.
And are not the second and tlird
objections refuted. to some extent ut
least. but the fact that In the Sta tes
which have adopted woman suffrage
land In the other nations that have
adopted iO there is no agitation for
- return to the system under which
man has a monopoly Of a right to
vote. II In fair to assume an effort
would be made to correct the mistake
II woman's suffrage really had failed
to give satisfaction to the people.
whore IL has been tried.
1T is not my purpose to discuss the
subject with elaboration at this time
but I desire to present the argument
TO which I give the greatest weight
without minimizing other arguments
advanced In support Of the extending
Of suffrage to woman. place the en-
phasis upon the mothers right to a
voios In molding the environment
which operates powerfully In deter
mining whether her offspring will
crown her latter years with Joy or