The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-20
SUFFRAGE IS NOT
CONSTITUTIONAL
In History Of World Franchise
Was Never Granted
to All.
GOVERNMENT Is SPONSOR
An Ants Reasons for Not Desiring
to See the Right to Vote
Given to Women.

The discussion Of all questions growing
out OF the social and family relations
and local economic conditions has no d.
rect relationship to the right Of women
to participate in the political affairs Of
the government.
The right OF suffrage does not attack of
right to the owners OF property. for, II
so, all other persons should be dIsenfran-
chised. II Is not a fundamental right of
taxpayers, for a great body OF men voters
are not taxpayers, and nIne-tenths Of the
women who would become voters II
woman suffrage were adopted would be
nontaxa payers.
It is not an inherent right Of citizen
ehip, for the time never was in the whole
history OF the world when the franchise
was granted to all citizens.
DO Not Go Together.
Taxation and citizenship do not 90 to-
gether. for all persons who own property
located in the United States pay taxes
thereon even though they be aliens. The
tax attaches to the property even though
the owner be a citizen of England or Of
Germany or Of France. II taxation should
only attach to citizens, then our vast
body Of mIIlionaires might escape taxa
ton by taking up their citizenship in
NaAoN6 VI AAA ShbAahu
Franchise is a privilege of government
granted only to those to whom the gov
eminent sees 1T TO grant IT, The extent
or the limitations upon that grant Of
privilege rests in the wisdom and the
sound judgment Of the statesmen who
created and of those who have continued
its administration.
As a law-abiding people, men and
women alike should recognize once for
al haN b.. lob n l.,
natural or inherent right OF citizenship.
but can come only by grant from the
government.
We must also recognize that woman
suffrage is inconsistent with the funda-
mental principles upon which our repre-
sentative government was founded, and
10 accept 1t now Involves revolutionary
changes. The frar1ers of the Federal
Constitution, a body of the wisest men
the country has ever produced. did not
recognize or provide for woman suf-
frage. No one OF Inc original thirteen
States which adopted II provided in their
constitutions for woman suffrage. True,
II was permitted IN New Jersey from
lII6 to lS07, a period OF thirty-one years.
when IL was taken away by statute. by
reason Of unsatisfactory conditions and
results.
Were Admitted Back.
After the close Of the civil war. the
Southern States which had gone into re-
bellion were admIIIed back into the
Union under constitutions limiting suf-
frage to men. These presidents in our
governmental history were never depart
ed from until in recent years
The greatest danger TO the republic Of
the United States tcday. as 1t always
has been In governments where the peo-
r1a il in 70 NJ al
suffrage. II the women OF this country
would always think coolly and deliberate
calmly. II they could always be controlled
and act by Judgment and not under
passion" they might help US to keep our
institutions eternal as the [ounds tons
OF the continent ITSELF; but the phIloso-
piers OF history. and the experience of
the ages past and present tell US in IN
answerable arguments. and teach US by
Illustrations drawn from actual expert
ence. that governments have been over
turned or endangered in periods OF great
excitement by emotional suffrage and
the speech and writings of intolerant
people.
II was In unrestrained and unlimited
democracies. where the populace were
swayed by the power OF the orator which
reached the degree OF frenzy.
that the states OF Greece were prevent
ed from consolidating into a substantial
and which led TO their Anal
overthrow and ultimate destruction.
wonId he In Danger.
1t has been said IL woman suffrage
should become universal in the United
States that in times of great excitement
arising out Of sectional questions or To-
cal conditions, this country would be In
danger OF State instructions and sedi-
tons and that. in less than a hundred
years. revolutions would occur and our
republican form of government would
come to an end. The United States
should guard against emotional suffrage.
What We need is TO put more logic and
less feeling into public affairs.
This country has already extended SUI
frage beyond reasonable bounds. In
stead OF enlarging II. there are strong
why It should be curtailed. 1t
would have been better for wise and
safe government and the welfare OF all
the people II there had been some rea-
sonabIe standard of fitness for the ballot.
During the intense feeling and turbu-
ent conditions growing out OF the civil
war. suffrage was So extended that
many OF the Southern States were turn
ID over to the political control OF those
not sufficiently informed to conduct good
II has taken half a century
II strenuous effort to correct that mis- |
axe. The granting OF universal woman !
suffrage would greatly increase the eX- |
sting evil and put II beyond the posi- !