University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1914-10-11
The Open Column
SHOULD WOMEN VOTE? NO.


the supporters of such a change tn
burden of proof. The ardent SUP
porters of votes for women" ar
r under the necessity of proving t
t American women their present evi
: condition, and of proving also tina
universal adult suffrage is the rem
edy.
If We are to give the women tn,
right of suffrage the country will pre-
sent a very unusual and unnatura
: spectacle of women possessing right.
in excess of power" All law is o.
course based upon the suppositior
that back of its edicts is the physica
force that can be summoned to make
its edicts obeyed, whether or no. In
the very nature of the case, if women
claim sovereignty they must call upon
the men for this force-a humiliatins
state of affairs that no woman would
want.
We have often been told of the in
tuition of womankind that would al
ways cause her to vote right, even
though women have not had the DO
litical training of centuries that men
have had. Here is an example of this
intuition in casting the ballot. If
there is any place in the United States
where you would expect women to use
discretion in voting, it would be in
the smaller towns of Massachusetts.
where they have had the right to vote
at school elections, among other priv
ileges of voting. At an election of
five school trustees not long since, it
is said that twenty-four women voted
for nineteen different persons. We
should judge that neither platform or
policy of any kind governed them,
their votes indicating no unity or
common purpose whatever. Statistics
show that less than two per cent or
the New England women, who are
entitled to vote upon school elections.
take advantage of their opportunity.
1t is needless to multiply instances of
the emotional eccentricities of wom-
en-. How much then does such voting
add to the electorate of the country?
II men cannot represent womenkind
at the ballot-box any more than they
can in church choir, who then is to
represent them, if they do not take
advantage of their opportunity to
vote or do not exercise judgment in
their casting of the ballot?
In order to present more than our .
mere youthful editorial opinion, as
to whether or not giving women the
right to vote will have an Injurious
effect on the relation of the sexes and
not be to the best interest of women
We will quote DR.. James NJ. Buckley,
editor of the New York Christian Ad-
Tocate: Should the duty of govern
ng in the State be imposed upon
all members of society would
uffer: children, by diminished care
rom their mothers; husbands, from
he increase of contentious and the de-
lining attractions of the home: :
oung men and majdens, from diminu-
ion or destruction of the idealism
Which invests the family with such
harms as to make the hope of ones
ome."
DR.. Buckley further says: "At pres
MT the morals of society are largely
reserved by the fact that women of
oubtful character are not admitted
the society of women of unspotteo
equation. 1t is easy to maintain
UGH an attitude now; it might be i'm
ossible in general participation of
omen in politics. Log rolling now
lsgraceful will probably become
oubly so. for though many are wom-
who would win the cooperation
men by moral and legitimate means.
lere are not few who fascinate
en- and will stop at nothing to ac-
'mplish their purposes. Should this
: the case, the evil effect upon do
este peace and private and public
orality would be incalculable."
Is it reasonable to think that wom-
can take an equal part in politics,
come party leaders and campaign
anagers intensely excited in polit-
al campaigns without escaping the
huence of the many demoralizing
ements associated oftentimes with
litical life. Will men always have
e same Difference for womenkind If
'men attempt the sphere of politics
lich has always belonged to man.