Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-20
ONLY A TEMPORARY SETBACK

nationwide woman's suffrage Yesterday when
the senate by a vote Of 30 TO 81 defeated the
-Ashnrst resolution The resolution provides for
the submission to the states of an amendment To
the United States constitution, granting equal
suffrage To women.
In the last few years notable strides have
been made toward equal suffrage and it is not
Improbable that within the next two or three
wears ain amendment along the lines proposed
by Senator AslIurst will be submitted for the
necessary ratification by states Had President
Wilson taken a stand in favor Of the Ashurst
resolution, instead of remaining non-committal
the resolution would have passed the senate yes
terday
The strongest argument in favor of equal suf
ffage arises from the experience of those states
where it has been tried. For instance, the ex
perience of KANSAS was lately set forth by Sen
ator Thompson of that state The COMPRESSION
al Record reports the following remarks by him.
and they make interesting reading:
in. about 1900 the women hogan in earnest
10 make their fight for tie strict enforcement Of
the prohibitory liquor law, which had become
more or less a farce by reason of failure to en-
force the law in some of the larger cities OF the
State Ii was claimed by those who we're in
bosses that ii WAS impossible to enforce the Jaw,
and this belief prevailed for several years, and
sort Of an illegal license grating regulation
arrangement was carried ON in some of the cit
les From 1900 to 1910 the warfare against the
liquor joints and dives was continued earnestly
and vigorously until not a single joint remained
IN the state, and it Vas. largely through the in
fIuencc Of women that the law which had been
a.
the hardest law to enforce was demonstrated to
De absolutely the easiest law Of enforcement
when an honest and earnest effort was made to
do so
None Of the objections raised against wo
mans suffrage ever materialized in KANSAS
Only few of the women sought official posi-
tons, but when they did secure them, instead Of
making failures, as was predicted, they almost
Invariably made the best officers We had in the
state Several Of the small towns put their en-
tire local government into the hands of the wo-
men. 1t is conceded that they make our best
county superntendentss and hence are natural.
Is sought for this office by the various political
parties The business record of these women
has been Invariably good, and their Industrious
efforts to improve schools, sanitation, morals
and safe, efficient and economic public utilities
Of their towns have been generally approved
and aided nv the men of their community. The
interest of the Kansas women in their political
rights, SO difficulty secured, has never abated
IN the least, as commonly predicted would be the
result by those opposed TO woman's suffrage. The
proportion of their vote varies in about the same
ratio as that of the men. As the years go by the
general average of the woman vote grows larger.
ssANhen the character of candidates or the i'm
p0rtance of the issue commands especial atten-
ton, great many women go to the polls. Their
main interest however, always centers in ques-
lions which bear upon the morals, education
and welfare OF the children, the environment of
their homes, and the purity and economy i'll the
administration of the laws. Their part in mu-
nicipal elections has completely demoralized the
old stock objections to the presence of women at
the polls. The polling places have heen moved
from barns and livery stables to the public
halls. churches fsclloolhouses and other decent
and respectable places, and instead Of wading
I'm tobacco juice and breathing the foul smoke
from cigars and pipes you now walk upon car
pets and breathe the fragrance from flowers ap
propriateIy placed in the polling places. Men
have learned that women command influence in
The committee on japanese affairs the Honolulu il
~ , central Young Mems Christian! The committee al