The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-10-29


To the voters | would say. remem-
ber that you are not only voting to
give your wife the right to be a poll
tician, you are giving that right also
to the whole mass of wOmen-the i'm
migrant, the negro, the bad and the
Indifferent, as well as the good. Also
remember that the good, intelligent
women have brought about much ben
eficial legislation by molding public
opinion and by direct appeal to legis-
into political factions. they will no
longer be a united boN of women of
the country pleading for righteous
legislation; their proposals will be re-
garded as attempted advantage for
the party to which they belong. Nor
could they work direct, in fact the
singular directness of their present
methods would be wholly lost, for
they would be compelled to work
through party leaders, and much effort
which is now applied would be buried
in a maze of political intricacies. Elk.
perience in the suffrage states has
shown that the great middle class of
women of family remain Indifferent
to the ballot VIII they always be so
twenty-five years of voting in Colo.
RADIO proves that they haze so re.
manned. With the vicious woman vote
on one hand and the Indifferent vote
on the other, the efforts Of women
who are intelligent enough to be of
benefit in politics are completely null.
lifted. The number of women possess
Ing the time and energy to devote to
the study of political questions will
always be limited. Power is vested
only in the fit. Universal woman
suffrage would destroy that power
and would submerge the one thor
oughly unselfsh, enlightened infiu
ence in the world. This would mean
distinct social calamity. The suf
frage states are now aware of the
fact that it is upon them. Not one
ern history that has tried woman
suffrage has found it success. Re
member the downfall of Rome; anC
| from such downfall there is no reha
bilitation because there is but race
| Of weaklings to build a new race
upon. If the men of America do moi
want to face a prospect of petticoai
| government, of masculine women anC
effeminate men. it is time for then
to close down upon this uprising OF
| the part of women. Men who will weak
| ly give way to the onslaught of few
zealots, no matter how persistent, lacl
the stamina which has made man thu
protector of the race.
Woman suffrage is the most impol
tant to the people as whole of an,
issue to be voted upon. Study it thel
carefully and while you are maxim;
decision do not be misled into the be
lief that you are in voting for sui
frage, acting in accordance with tn
will or wishes of all women. Th
latest official report Of the total mem
bership of the suffrage association
throughout the country is less thai
100000, and not all of the member
are Of age. Thomas Jefferson said
"A democracy ceased to be demoC
racy when those who made law
ceased to be those who could enforc
the laws" We pride ourselves upo
cur democracy. Political justice i
democracy is tie will of the major
ity. Why should we, who are the ma
jority not he consulted? Why shoul
not this measure which primaril
concerns women be referred t
women first? Why should we b
made a political shuttlecock with n
Difference paid to our wishes? Sci
ator Root says that politics is mod
fed war" To force all women int
war because a few want to fight
akin to the militarism we all deplor'
Ninety-seven per cent of the wome
. of this state are satisfied with the
|, position; less than per cent are asl
, ing for the ballot Why should the
, conditions be changed merely
} please the abnormal woman who hs
| elected to live outside the normal III
Of women?
1t is not a question of the gre;
things women will do with the vot
but what have they done with Il
The few women who will go into pc
itics will not do so to improve OF
4 government or to benefit women ar
children, but to advance themselve
. Then let the majority rule.