New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-05
AIDING THE ANTS
Mr.. Stimson's Arguments Seem
Bromide to a Suffragist
To The Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Mr.. Henry L. Stimson has emerged
TO render aid and comfort to the retreatns
forces Of the anti-sufragsts.
All the bromdes have been resuscitated ana
spread over the printed page in elegant and
subtle phrases. II it were possible 70 make
a case for the anti-suffragists it is clear that
Mr.. Stimson is the man for the job
In Mr.. Stimson's opinion suffrage is not
natural right. He believes the right 70 life
liberty and property are natural rights. Il
is an axiom of modern political thought that
men instituted the suffrage TO insure pro'ec-
ton to life, liberty and property. II TINS be
true, on what grounds can the vote be den'ea
70 woman. who has the same life, liberty ana
property to protect?
He adds: "If it were possible 20 conceive
that the general interests Of men and women
as classes should diverge in the same way as
different classes OF men DO diverge the same
arguments which were used to support man
hood could likewise be fairly used to support
woman suffrage
Their interests certainly do diverge and
the same arguments are in constant use. To
wit. the interests of a class are better taken
care Of when represented by one OF them
selves than BY one Of another class. no mat
ter how able or altruistic that other may h''
! In other words, mo class has been able 20
Ilegislate Justly, continuously, for any otner
class, and the history of men as a class legi'-
lating for women as a class is no exception
20 this universal rule
Mr.. Stimson also believes that 80 assume
wcmans interests as a class do, or in tbs
future will, diverge from those Of man is %
challenge the fundamental assumption upon
which modern civilization rests, the unity o.
interest Of the family
Woman's chief interests are safeguarding
the essentials Of the home. In our grand
mothers day those essentials were controlled
within her own four walls. They are no"
controlled by the government For any per-
son TO imply that an intelligent interest IN
the government which controls these nece''
stiles is likely 70 destroy the family IS so
far fetched as to render null and void nor
only that particular argument but every ore
the person using it is likely 20 make.
Mr.. Stimson ends his long brief with rms
summary. He is opposed 20 woman Suffrage
because:
First-"It is not needed TO right any sub
stantial grievance or wro0g IN womans pres
ent condition"
The opinion Of hundreds Of thousands OF
women to the contrary is, Of course, lrTe'e
want and immaterial Moreover, women com,
prise onc-third Of the direct taxpayers oil
this state. II working women are included
and they are just as truly taxpayers as AstoI'
the number is more than oae-half To F"
denied a voice in the levying and distrou-
ton of the tax money has been considered
lust grievance" by English speaking people
for many hundreds Of years
Second by introducing a large element %
voters into the electorate who are entirely
devoid Of business training and experience
it would tend toward an inefficient govern
ment when efficiency is most needed
Women have been studying ciyics and IN
Gustrial problems in their clubs fol two gen.
erations. They are a tremendous factor ID
industrial and business life, and II IS con-
coded that when they are given the vote me
will be the best educated class ever enirsh'
chised in the history of the world.
Third Because It would tend TO throw
ldisproportonate amount of political influence
and power into certain localities and classes
of citizens of the state as against other I'-
calities and classes"
II the cities were in position 20 oppfeS'
the government of rural communities this
argument might have weight. To date j.
has worked just the other way. Legislators
from upstate have managed affairs so adroiuy
that New York City pays the maximum o.
taxes and gets the minimum OF service
woman suffrage would tend 70 decrease the
tax rate through increased representation Ia
New York it would have one more argumeh'
in its favor. SARA M'PlkE.
| New York, July ., 1915