The Washington herald., 1914-11-08

vote on woman suffrage. that o. partial
vote for women an municipal matters and
for Presidential electors was slipped
tlrpsckS'- as the suffragists call 1t. by
Sne efforts of a feminine lobby on the
State legislature. Previous to the legis-
lative grant Of partial woman suffrage
in Illinois. a straw vote at the pri-
maries in Chicago had shown a majority
of "a, 600 against votes for women-a very
significant indication of what Illinois
would have done to suffrage had II had
the chance to decide the issue at the
polls.
Full suffrage in Illinois is a long way
of yet, and a few more fights between
the various suffrage factions in that
State, such as have recently been ex-
posed, will put the question up to the
votes for women altogether. But the
returns illustrate that the much used
suffrage argument about suffrage sue
cess having been proved by its adoption
in neighboring States must be squared
with the fact that four OF the States that
defeated votes for women" last Tues
day, Nebraska, Missouri, North Dakota
and South Dakota, border on full suffrage
States that have had the ballot for a gen.
Grafton.
Another significant fact worth men
ioning-is that Nebraska, where some
counties went two to one against suf-
frage Is the home State Of our serene
Secretary Of State. MFR. William Jen-
nings Bryan, who climbed on the suffrage
bank wagon last July because he thought
IL would win. Just as he thought in the
forgotten long ago that free silver and
populIsm would win. At the time, the
New York Sun stated that Mr.. Bryan's
conversion to the cause" was a victory
to both suffragists and antis; to the suf-
fragists because OF his prestige, and to
the ants because they could almost af-
ford to bank on the assurance that Mr..
Bryan is usually wrong"
The anti-sufTragists knew all along that
Nebraska was going to defeat suffrage,
and took the trouble to tell Mr.. Bryan
of the conditions in his home State at
the time Of his last blunder in political
forecasts. And now / must tell you what
made our assurance OF Nebraska doubly
sure.
AntI-sunraEe Red Cross Work.
When war broke out in August. Mrs.
Arthur NJ. Dodge, president Of the Ma
tional Association Opposed to Woman
suffrage, gave out a statement saying
that women needed all their energy, time
and money for the relief Of suffering hu-
manity abroad, and promised to raise
money for the Red Cross through the
whole machinery of anti-suffrage organ
ization. few days later, appeals were
made by az the State associations op-
posed to WOMAN suffrage. Massachusetts,
and New York took out typewrfters and
put in sewing machines in their offices,
to aid the work OF the Red Cross, and
women in all of the twenty-four States
where anti-suffragists are organized
Joined heartily in the work.
Although sorely in need Of funds to
keep up the campaign in the seven
States that would vote on suffrage in
November. the national association de-
clded to reduce the appropriation from
$4,000 to $500, and as the collection had
not yet been made, urged its members
to contribute to the Red Cross what 9TH
erwise would have gone to keep up anti
suffrage work At this time, various
representative anti-suffragists belonging
to both State and national associations
asked the suffragists, in view Of the great
war in Europe, TO agree to a truce In the
battle about the ballot among women at
home But-the suffragists replied by
their famous--or infamous-blacklist, and
jumped into the fray with more vigor
than ever. claiming In some cases that
the ''antis' were really giving up the
fight and contributing their money to the
Red Cross because they were unwilling
to keep on spending 1t on a losing
proposition.
Well, the anti-sufragists succeeded in
raising between 5000 and $500 for the
Red Cross, though this does not repre-
sent the amount that has been collected
as the result OF the appeals Of anti-suf-
fragists for aid for the Red Cross. But
the surprising thing was that in less
than three weeks after the first appeal
from Mrs Dodge, little Nebraska, with
less than half the number Of women In
its entire territory as reside In the single
city Of Philadelphia. sent In $3.50 for-fhe
Red Cross work. And this. remember.
was collected by the anti-suffrage asso-
citation in q stat that had no Red Cross
branch; a State too, where Mr.. Bryan
and the suffragists were sure" that
votes for women would be adopted.
That Is how we know the snti-suffrage
sentiment in Nebraska. which was prov