The Washington herald., 1914-09-20

raking and calamity howls were the reg
ular stock IN trade OF politicians and
magazine writers. The suffragists who
had been floundering around Congress
I ional committees begging for amend
ments for forty years were invited to get
on the radical band wagon. Every man
who had a better notion about running
the government than the House Of Con-
gress or the two great political parties.
thought that his theory would be much
benefited and his platform REINFORCED IL
he invited the politically inclined women
to help him reform" the world. On the
strength Of this boom, women suffrage,
with the help and announcement OF
Socialist and Progressive organization,
succeeded In getting through FIVE States
from 1910 TO 1872 by a total plurality Of
less than 1900 votes for all nve States.
Then a campaign was begun in. I'LL
nois. the cradle of Progressivism Backed
by great newspapers and Golfers Of Pro-
gressive gold. the ''woman's party start
ed out to canvass the community Prizes
were offered for good work, and prices
put up for lists Of names. At last IL
went before the voters OF Chicago in a
primary election-and woman suffrage
lost by almost twice the total of the
pluralities by which II was won in Ave
States! The suffrage leaders were sur
prised and shocked. but not beaten. A
committee was sent to use every method
known TO woman and politician TO get
the State legislature to enfranchise
women in spite Of the will of the ma
jority. Legislators were button-holed
and card indexed. sent letters from
home and subjected TO feminine per-
suasion at the capital At last they
were bluffed into believing that women
really wanted to vote. and the plan
which succeeded with them was christen-
ed slipping through woman suffrage
The Illinois Failure.
The suffragists thought that Illinois
would prove absolutely whether women
will vote when the ballot is given them.
II has-completely. Illinois was the frst
suffrage State in which the votes OF
women were kept separate from those OF
men. The suffragists were ashamed of
the women who did not vote in the old
suffrage States. and always liked to con-
ceal the actual number under a blanket
OF figures including both men and wom-
en- But in Chicago they were not afraid
they had money. and automobiles: train
ed nurses and baby stations were ar
ranged to accommodate the wohnen who
was engaged at home. Society leaders
gave suffrage teas at which the
'working-girl' could freely enter the
homes OF the elect IL she would only in
dorse votes for women" Charming fem
mime workers were engaged in great
numbers to persuade the reluctant, they
even told women that they were out OF
style" II they would not vote. The fasci-
nation OF novelty. OF appeal to the spec
tacular. was added to the regulation suf-
rage arguments to get women 10 the
polls TO prove that they wanted the
ballot"
In April 1914. $4,000. or approximately
81 per cent. Of the Chicago women over
twenty-one cast ballots At the same
election IS per cent Of the total number
or mature men voted. The suffrazists
claimed 1t great victory to get one
woman in every three or four to vote
and the "antis" called il a Door show
ing under the circumstances Not un-
til September .. when "Chicago's big
gest primary election was held. could
either side claim a real victory
The Last Chicago Election.
The "woman's party" the EQUAL
Franchise League and every Suffrage
organization in Illinois strained every
nerve and spent every effort to prove
that women want to vote. less than
two weeks ago. Election booths were
brought into suffrage homes, and poll
ing places made out of family parIors
Suffrage watchers and workers were
appointed more frequently than ever
to encourage voting. Telephone ex-
changes were used to supply any
doubling woman with the full and
complete list of the candidates that
the ''womaDis party wanted her to
vote for. The pitifuI result is best
told in the significant figures from the
Chicago News Bureau; September 10
II Is estimated that less than 5000
chicago women voted yesterday. The
total number registered is 207.lT0."
This, then. is the way women vote
under the maximum announcement,
after the novelty wears of-less than
1 per cent OF the women registered
and only IL per cent of the women
over twenty-one, And yet the head
lines said that the last Chicago cleo
tion had marks OF general election"
was a hammer and tongs battle from
start to finish" The mems vote was
81 per cent. The suffragists even al
lowed Brother Bryan's and-picked
to be swamped in suf-
frage State, where the "woman's par
ty' had the mighty ballot to help
every Teformer. But the "woman's
party cannot help anything or any
body. OF course, the women did not
vote in Chicago, say the sufiragists,
because they wanted to be nonpar-
tisan." Same reason anti-suffragistS
want to keep out Of politics altogether.
II you remember. If there is a good
reason why a woman should not go to |
the polls at a primary election. and
thus help to select the very prime ne
cessity for any improvement in gov
candidates for ofnce-
why must she be a partisan after the |
candidates are chosen? Miss Ella Flag |
Young SAYS that is why women did |
not go TO the polls al the recent cleo
ton in C'hcago-they were afraid Of |
or course they are. "a rer cent OF the |
women Of America are afraid OF par
tisanship or participation in politics, Just |
as ~ per cent Of Chicago women were /
afraid of partisanshp and participation l
IN primaries. The man who does not I
vote at a primary is a greater menace (
10 the success Of democratic government !
han the man who neglects 70 vote at
the hnai election. II good candidates !
are selected. II does not matter which /
party wins, We will have q good govern
nent. but II we turn the whole selectivs
avar In TIA paRSss aFl,aanna %