The Washington herald., 1915-02-07

open union with its radicals And the
vote in 1914 showed the sentiment against
suffrage stronger than the stoutest-heart-
ed anti would have predicted
Then, too. woman suffrage was defeated
in Congress by majority that left no
room for doubt as to where and why it's
members took their stand on the ques-
ton. The suffragists claim. of course
that it was a victory for the cause" to
be defeated in Congress-even to get be-
fore Congress. But this claim is only as
good as one that the actress who fails
in grand opera can make in having got
ten chance to demonstrate her inCom-
potency before a more select audience.
And it certainly hurt the bound to come"
theory, as it did not get anywhere near
the backing given TO national prohibition.
Neither can il be maintained that State
rights defeated suffrage-when seventy
two men who voted for prohibition, ac-
COrding to the suffragist historian, voted
against woman suffrage. What defeated
woman suffrage is the public sentiment
against it. The suffragists would rather
issue their 'blacklists" and call the men
who voted against them "hypOcrites"
than admit to the public that these men
are actually opposed to the principle of
votes for women"
Question of Democracy.
Where the majority of women want to
vote. they will vote But where the ma
jOrity of women do not want to vote, it
is becoming increasingly evident that
their ardent sisters who seek the ballot
will not be permitted to force it on them.
Suffragists believe that voting is some
thing they ought to get If only ''one wOm-
an in the world wanted it, but in a
democracy We cannot legislate to give a
small minority a privilege that would be
a burden on the overwhelming majority.
II the suffragists had practical instead
of a theoretical belief in democracy. they
would try to win the majority of women
before asking for the vote. but their
scheme is to get votes in spite of the
majority. Their desire is to absolutely
CirCumvent the desire of the majority of
women in this respect. 1t is really the
women who have been the stumbling
block to suffrage. Realizing this. it has
become such a sore spot to suffragists
that they attempt TO belittle or becloud
the opposition of women at all times. The
machine" the ''breweries." Capital
the corporations" and anything else
within the limits OF feminist imagination
are always held accountable before the
public for the defeat OF votes for wom-
en-" 1t would be poor advertising to ad-
init the truth, and the suffragists are
nothing if not good advertisers. In fact,
a visiting militant from England recent
ly declared that il they had gotten as
much publicity" in England as suffrage
does here the spectacular activities of the
Pankhurst followers would not have
been necessary.
But the quiet statement, My wife
doesn't believe in woman suffrage" and
the anti-suffrage proof that Women do
not want to vote" are the real reasons
why woman suffrage lost
And there is no more undemocratic
before the unblic today that
the proposal TO enfranchise women at the
behest of the few who want to vote, in
spite of the convictions of the majority
that they are BETTER represented in the
State by moral and educational influence
than they would be by political partisan
ship. On no other political question would
any one pretend that the minority wishes
should outweigh the majority will. Votes
for women and its ally, Socialism, have
the unenviable distinction OF being the
only political movements with a program
to carry out a minority theory on a'basiG
that the majority Ought TO want" II,
and should be excluded from considera-
ton II they do not. And they both have
the idea that II is fundamental democ-
racy they want, merely because II would
weigh equitably on individuals.
That II Is NOT democratic to force a |
new burden of expense, taxation, and ex-
pertinent on country in spite Of the ma |
Iority's will-even though the proposed |
changes would affect every one alike |
Is something their conception of democ-
racy cannot grasp. Forcing women to |
neglect a duty-is an unwar-
-anted interference with their real rights |
10 remain free from political service to |
The State and a blow at the corner stone /
'f the democratic principles on which our |
is built