The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-29
Your husbands will make the
They will see that the moral


home are not unlearned when they
leave home don't accept such
doctrine because / know it isn't true.
Concerning the electorate. then,
you believe in numbers, as we'll as IN
quality?"
"The United States is a democracy,
and democracy means numbers. II
never have thought that too many
men are voting in this country
He Knows When 1t Hurts.
But are not a good many voting
ignorantly?"
Senator Clapp, still sitting, wheeled
his chair, on its casters, close to me,
digging into the rug with his feet.
and, sticking his index finger almost
into my eye. said: ANY man knows
it, when somebody is standing on his
cornS.
Society he went on. 'fs composed
of the good and intelligent. and Of
the ignorant and the bad. The class
that outnumbers the other class gives
it's own color to the Government. II
would be WELL some assert, to separ-
ate these classes and esta
standard. A standard having been set
/ up, however, who is to Judge? What
| tribunal could apply the test? l say:
You are not worthy to vote. You re-
| ply: L am fit, but you are not. SO
| there is a deadlock.
4
read Latin and work out a problem in
algebra are eligible to vote, then there
| would be test workable in practice.
The United States however, would no
longer be democracy. Tests OF var1-
Gus kinds have been suggested by
those who seek to increase their own
authority.
Wants No Ruling Glass.
.sI do not believe in a ruling class.
In our country the good aid the in
telligent. as we'll as the ignorant and
the bad stand at the ballot-box side
by side. We have no test. but we
have a task. The task is to give good
men predominance in our Govern
ment.. We have done so, generally
1.-The practicability Of democracy
is being shown in the United States.
We have not gone far enough, how
ever to feel positively that it
will be permanently successful. Some
changes, / think, are necessary in our
instrumentalities The people must
have power to enact laws which the
Legislature refuses to give them
Also they must have power to repeal
laws which imperil their interests.
likewise, the people must be given
power to end the emplOymeEt-aS Is
the rule in private business-of ar
elected officer who betraJs them
With such protective measures on
, the books, I, for one, can see no dis.
aster to our democracy"
, "Have women, in the United States
, where they have been permitted tt
vote, accomplished any noteworthy
results ~
> "Your inquiry" Senator Clapp an
swered, "detracts from the dignity o
$ the main question. I can't answer i
! specifically. What women have don'
+ frage cannot be detached from tha
which both sexes have accomplished
by working together.
VI Il think however, that lnduStrta
1 laws helpful to females and law
| against child labor can be trace.
everywhere to the influence. il no
the votes, of women. Some STATE
have better laws than others, thougl
women may be voting in all of them
:, Women, l know, have raised the ag
! of consent, and that is a tremendous
: ly important matter. In England
: formerly, a girl could barter away he
e sell horse until she was 1S.
ITO take a yardstick and go ou
and try to measure what woman ha
actually done with the ballot woul
) be impossible. A measurement Of he
9 deeds is not the issue. A prophecy Q
y her probably deeds is not the issue
9 The real issue is to give woman wha
: belongs to her. That having bee
8 done, I am sure her innate moralit
> and her love Of justice will cause he
7 to use her vote for the benefit Of SC
n ciety."
x "But wouldn't women, as a rule
u vote with their fathers and their hus
: bands? 2"
"Oh, that may be so. but you ar
q again wasting your time along tn
/ edges Of very grave question. n
% matter how she uses it, the right t
!e vote belongs to woman. Property ca
l. not be withheld from a lepal heir he
d cause eau Of a Fear that it YOU'D Sl, Iei be en- NJ
y ployed imprudentry.
= Coming to the real substance {
IS your inquiry. though I think the II
y quiry is trifling, I would guess ths
g many women who have suffered woul
q, not vote to license saloons, even
n, their husbands and fathers did so"
re A Wornon Mo-, ~ n-ee:Ie.x