Grand Forks daily herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, 1914-11-02
Men Will Give Women the Suffrage
II They Xant It.

Again, one of the chief arguments
OF the aEitators is that government
without the consent of the governed
Is opposed to ~inalienable right. But
most women, including those OF the
best capacity and worth. fully. consent
that their fathers, husbands. brothers
or friends. shall be their political rep
resentatives; and nc exhortation or
teasing has induced them to withhold
their consent. Nor is this surprising;
In a far truer and more intimate sense
for a woman Is generally represented
by her male relative than Is this rela-
tive by the candidate to whom he gives
his vote, commonly without knowing
him, and often with dissent from
many Of his views.
Nothing Is more certain that women
will have the suffrage IL they ever
want It: for when they want it, mel
will give 1t to them, regardless of con-
sequences. A more than readiness on
the part of men to conform to the
wishes. Of the other sex is a national
trait in America. d,
Most Women Aversc to 1t.
The %agitators know we'll that, in
spite OF their persistent importantly.
the majority of women are averse to
the suffrage. Hence. the ludicrous
terror which the suffragists showed at
0SSAy pAOpO0Ni " SUpILllL liz 4UCSllOll
to a vote of the women of the state.
Woman Suffragists Have Not Shown
Fitness for the Ballot.
, A small number Of women have
spent their, time for several decades
In ceaseless demands for suffrage, but
they have lost their best argument In
falling to show that they are prepar-
ed to use the franchise when they
have got 1t. A single sound and USE
full contribution to n side or the 9TH
er of any question of current politics
the tariff. specie payments, the sill
yer bill, civil service reform, railroad
score of other matters-would have
done more for their cause than years
of empty agitation.
Permanence of the Relations of the
Sexes.
All usages, laws and institutions
have risen and persisted, and risen and
persisted again. Their history is the
history of mankind itself. But from
the earliest records Of mankind down
to this moment, in every race and IN
every form or degree, of civilization or
full Jealousy. and hate against the
wives and daughters of the rich, far
more vehement than the correspond
ing passions In their husbands and
parparism, the relative position Of the
sexes has been essentially the same,
with exceptions so feeble, rare and
transient that they only prove the
rules Such permanence in, the fQun-
dation of society; while all that tests
upon it has passed from change to
change, Is proof in Itself that this
foundation. lies deep in the essential
nature of things. It is idle to pirate of
the old time that has passed away and
the new time that is coming. The
new time" q no more stir the bas-
is of human nature than it can stop
the movement of the earth.
The cause Of this permanence is OBJ
vious. Women have great special
tasks assigned them in the work of
life, and men have not. To these
tasks their whole nature, moral and
physical, is adjusted. There is scarce
ly a distinctive quality Of women that
has not a direct or indirect bearing
upon them. Everything else in their
pensable functions Of continuing and
rearing the human race; and. during
the best years Of life, this work, fully
discharged, leaves little DON for any
other. It Is a work dignified and es-
sential. It is the root and stem of
national existence, while the occupa-
lions of men are but the leaves and
branches. On women Of the intelligent
and instructed classes depends the fu-
in body and mind, import this sound
ness to a numerous offspring, and rear
them to a sense of responsibility and
duty, there are no national evils we
cannot overcome. II they fail to do
this their part, then the masses OF the
coarse and unintelligent, always of
rapid increase, will overwhelm us and
our institutions.
Is Woman Suffrage . Right or q
Wrong?
1T has been claimed ~as a right that
women should vote. 1t is no right,
but q wrong. that q small number of
political duties which there is no
cause for their assuming, which they
do not want to assume, and which. II
duly discharged, would be q cruel and
intolerable burden. This pretense Of
the female ~suffragists was; reduced to
an absurdity when some OF them
gravely affirmed that, II a single wom-
an wanted to vote. all the others
ought to be required to do SO
What would be the result OF the
general application of the so-called
right to vote. q right which, It It ex-
lists at all, must be common to all
mankind?
There r but a few Of the most adj
vanced nations In whom the universal
exercise of the pretended "inalienable
to vote would not produce po-
litical and social convulsions. The
truth 10 this: II the exercise Of the
suffrage by any individual or BODY Of
individuals involves detriment to the
whole people, then the right to exer.
else it does not exist.
1t Is the right and duty OF the peo-
pie TO- provide itself with good gov.
eminent; and this great right and
practical duty II. imperative and par.
amount: whatever conflicts. with It
must give way. The air blown theory
Of inalienabie right Is unworthy the
good sense Of the American people.
The most rational. even OF the suffra-
gtsts themselves. have ceased to rely
on It. ~>,,> :, X ~.
Woman Suffrage Not Progress.
Many women Of sense and intelN.-
renee are influenced by the fact that
woman suffrage movement boasts
ITSELF q movement Of progress, and by
wish to be on the liberal. OF pro-
Eressive side. But the bosst 10 M.
founded. Progress, To- be genuine,
must be In accord With natural Law:
It e not. It ends d faatnrS and IN
r~etrosression. 70 give women q thor:
body and mind; to rear them In more
Ierious Views Of life and its rAsponsi-
are alIyin the way Of normal
Ind healthy development; but to
plunss them into politics, whore they