The daily Alaskan., 1915-05-08
WHERE WOMaN's CITIZENSHIP
 Is TESTED

In the LdS- oOSEOlA S4bJ SAS~- the number Of women voters regis tered and qualified to vote for members of the school committee vas s412; the number that actual ly cast ballots was 2s4s, or about fl per cent, says the Christian Science Monitor. In Chicago at the recent city cleo ticn the percentage of regis tered women voting was about S6. These figures come very near touching the extremes. Of course, the registration of women in Bos- ton at the last city election repre- sented only a fraction of those en- titled to the limited franchise. In Chicago the proportion of women to men voters was better. But 1t may be accepted that throughout the country, except iR the suffrage states, where interest among wo- men in public affairs is fresh and active, there is neglect of such vot- ing privileges as the law allows.
 Yet this is not the main question as We view 1t. Gradually, 1t is to be hoped, women's interest in poli- tics will increase. It may be as- sumed that their interest in short time in community affairs will be equal 10 that of men. But this will not suffice if the benefits promised 10 result from equal suffrage are 10 be realized. Women's strong est plea for the ballot is founded on the admitted fact that men have not fulfilled their duties as citizens, We are told that If women are granted equal political rights with men the former will rise to the moral obligations that 80 with the privilege; that they will not be content simply with periodical en- thusiaSm, with the perfunctOry cast ing of their vote, with delegating 10 a machine, or to machine in- strument, powers which they them selves should exercise.
 l. Is regrettable tuSt we are in ;he main without proof 80 far of women's ability or of their deter mination to better things iS this particular. Allowing the dispro- portion between the wJmen entitled 10 vote, the women who registered, and the women who actually yot- ed !n Boston at the last city cleo lion to pass altogether, the fact remains that nearly 4Q00 women did go- Q the polls. These may, we think, be put down as women hay ing he welfare of the public school system, the public schools and the public school children of Boston largely at heart. Let the circum- stance that they took the trouble 10 go to the polls b. accepted as prima facis evidence Of this fact. But this, it appears, is all they have done. There Is nothing else to support the belief that their inter est n the pulic scnools is con- stant It Is not In evidence that any considerable part of the 40O0 attend meetings of the school com mlttea. It is not 'n evidence that any considerable part cf the 1000 displays an interest in school com mittee politics. We do not hear that any considerable number of the 40OO may be called upon when necessary to stem or defeat the machinations of those who would use the school committee for un- worthy purposes. In short, 1t ap- pears to be the case that the wo- men voters in this particular are not to be relied on 10 any greater degree than the men voters.
 While Boston condition Is tax eh TOT a LeStr the matter IS OHe OL general. and not of merely local importances, and the lesson 1t teaches may have the very widest application. If the country is to gain from equal suffrage, it must be because women shall perform a part in civic affairs that men have failed to perform. Even a frac- ton of one per cent of the propor- tion Of women who vote in Boston attending school committee meetings as observers, intelligently inform ing themselves with regard to school committee proceedings, active