Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-07-18
Bryan on Woman's Suffrage
Commoner Endorses Issue and Urges People Of Nebraska to
Support Constitutional Amendment This Fall
lis Statement

given her the disposition to bear 1t.
Her life trembles in the balance at
the child's birth; her active years
are given to the care and nurture o.,
Ter. children; her nerve force and vi.
tai energy are expended in their be.
half; her exhaustless love is poured
out upon them. Because the wealth
|of her existence is bestowed upon
them, they r a part Of her very
Ibeing-'where your treasure is, there
will your heart he ALSO When one
considers the cost Of parents. eepe-
cially to the mother, Of raising q
child, it seems impossible that any.
one would attempt to lead a. child
astray or rob its parents Of the price
less regard to which they are en-
titled; and yet there are In every
generation-aye, In every community
THOSE who are inhuman enough to
deliberately lie in wait to make q
wreckage of the ives Of young men
and young women. They lay snares
for them; they set traps for them;
and the men who ply this CHASTITY
trade for gain are allowed to use the
ballot to advanc, their ~pecuniary in
~terests. am, not willing to say the
mothers hand II she thinks that by
the use Of suffrage she can safeguard
the welfare of those who are dearer
to her than her own life.
Can Justly Claim Right.
THE mother can justly claim the
right to employ every weapon which
can be made effective for the protec-
ton Of those whose interests she
guards, and the ballot will put within
her reach all the instrumentalities Of
government, including the police
power. If she is a widow, there Is
no one who is in a position to speak
for her in this matter of supreme i'm
pcrtance; II her husband Is living
she a supplement his influence, II
they agree IS to what is best for
those under their joint care; II they
do not agree, who will say that only
the father should be consulted?
'fFor q time l was impressed by the
suggestion that the question should
be left to the women to decide
majority to determine whether the
franchise should be extended to wo.
man; but I find myself less and less
disposed to endorse this test. Sam.
uel johnson coined an epigram which
is in point here, namely that mo
mans conscience can tell him the
right of another mani Responsible
tiles for the child's welfare rests pri-
marily upon the parent; the parent
receives In largest measure the bios
s0mings that flow from the child's
life, II that life is nobly employed,
and upon the parent falls the blow
with severest force, II. the child's life
is misspent. Why should any moth.
er, therefore, be denied the use OF
the franchise to guide the welfare OF
her child merely because another
mother may not view her duty in tho
same light?
Politics Will Suffer.
Politics will not suffer by wo-
mans entrance into it. II the poltl-
cal world has grown more pure in
spite of the evil influences that have
operated to debase it, It will not be
polluted by the presence and partfci-
patton Of woman. Neither should wa
doubt that woman car be trusted
with the ballot. She has proven her
self equal to every responsibility i'm
posed upon her; she will not fail so
ciety In this emergency. Let her
vote and may that discernment which
has. throughout the ages, ever en-
abled her to quickly grasp great
truths-made her the last at the
Q and the first at the sepulchre-
SO direct her in the discharge ~ hor
political duties as to add new glories
to her and through her still further
bless society.