The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
A Credit to American Womsnhood,

IN all cases send stamps for that purpose.
A Credit to American womanhood.
Day after tomorrow the male citi-
xens Of New Jersey are to vote for
or against a constitutional amendment
which II adopted viii extend the
right Of suffrage to every female citi-
zen Of the State under the same con-
ditions as to age and residence as
those which now qualify men to vote;
except only that a female who has he
come n citizen by marriage must have
lived Ave years in the United States
to he entitled to vote.
If this suffrage amendment Is re-
Jected on Tuesday by the male citizens
Of New Jersey the question Of the X
tension Of the suffrage to women can
not be submitted again to the people
until the month Of October in the year
1920. Another amendment which is
to he voted on next Tuesday is in
tended to clarity the somewhat am
blguous language OF the Constitution
regarding the process OF effecting
changes in the organic law but even
II this second amendment should pass,
while the suffrage amendment failed.
five years must elapse, Just the same,
ieforc the suffrage question can 60
TO the polls once more.
In this Empire State. likewise. the
qualified male voters are asked to re-
ply Yes or No OF November .. a fort
night after the New Jersey vote on
Tuesday. to the same momentous Ques-
ton. The New York amendment, IN
stead of adding the words "every
female citizen" as in the case Of New
Jersey. accompllshes the extension of
the suffrage by emitting the word
male before the word Citizen and
adding 'or she" where "he' now oc-
ours. If the amendment Is defeated
week after next In New York It Is pos
sible TO bring it before the voters two
years hence.
In Massachusetts and PENNSYLVANIA,
also. the question Of equal political
rights is to be determined at the regu-
lar November election.
Thus four great Eastern States, the
foremost In population, in wealth, in
civilization, in intelligent citizenship,
will decide within a few days by the
votes Of their male citizens whether
to Join the twelve sister States where
in female suffrage already exists. 1t
ia a question only OF speedy or of
more or less retarded adhesion. No
candid observer of the progress of
events now believes that there will be
any recession of the female suffrage
tide. Few such observers Of tendon.
cies, we are quite sure, doubt that
one or later conditions will be uni
form in all the States.
THE SUNS position has been and Is
that American women should have the
vote II they want It and as soon as
they want It. If the demand Is a
majority demand, the Justice of grant.
ing It fortnight Is obvious. If the
demand proceeds from a small mi
nority, II the education Of the female
citizens to a perception Of their rights
and an appreciation OF their public
responsibilities advances more slowly
than the enthusiasm Of a few would
indicate, then il is manifestly unjust
to force the suffrage upon the sex
prematurcly. 1t Is a question of fact
Unfortunately, the difficulty OF ascer-
tanning the fact has been very great
and there are two reasons:
/. There is no provision in any Com.
monwealih for the reference Of the
question to the women themselves
that Is to say. for the official and sci
cntitic asccrtainment Of their views
and wishes prior to the actual extern
sion Of the suffrage to them;
2, The main opposition to woman
suffrage. the active opposition, the or,
ganized opposition, the only opposi'
ton worth speaking Of, at least In
New Jersey, New York. Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania, zones not from the
men already In possession of the vote
but from among the potential women
voters themselves.
The intellectual quality Of the cam.
\ paigN to defeat woman suffrage The