Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-10-09

Eleven of the great Western States have already
granted the franchise, and the question is to
be voted this fall by four of the original thirteen
States of the Union-New Jersey the Il 9th of this
month and New York, Pennsylvania and Massachu-
sets in November The first comprehensive poll of
the press of the country this issue taken has
been completed by the Literary Digest, which sent
letters thousand newspapers requesting that they
answer two questions one to determine the editorial
attitude toward the proposition the other to discover
the sentiment Of the community represented Every
State responded freely and the ayes seem to have
II. An overwhelming majority of editors personally
favor suffrage. Out of total of 526 replies
891 we're affirmative. 81 negative and 38 undecided 1t
is reasonable suppose that the half thousand who
did not reply represent the large fraction of the people
who view the subject with Indifference While the
sentiment of communities represented is far from
duplicating the attitude of the editors the former
also favor votes for women, although the yeas are
not in clear majority. The community figures are;
Yes, 237; no, 1856; undecided, 1873.
In their attiture toward the proposed change the
States fall into logical divisions. There are the suf-
frage States including Illinois, which has virtually
conceded all the sutragist points; campaign States
comprising not only the four Eastern ones already
named, but Arkansas and Louisiana, where the ques
ton of referendum the subject is soon to be con-
sidered: Southern States, including Maryland and
Delaware AMI the broad belt of undecided States bor
dering the Great Lakes and extending down the
Missouri and Mississippi valleys to the Mexican border
In the suffrage States the figures are SO editors and
1O3 communities in favor, 2 editors and communi-
ties opposed and editors and communities doubt
ful Out of 12S editors in the campaign States 9S
are in favor 16 opposed and IA the fence, while
In the community group 62 reported in favor 21
opposed and 46 uncertain In New Jersey Just one
editor vouchsafes emphatic no., and the only two
others who do openly advocate equal suffrage
fess neutrality AS the community interest, large
part of the State is reported either divided
trail although many the localities declared to be
favorable In the Southern States the opposition
the part of the entire community is overwhelming,
even though large majority Of editors line up on the
affirmative side Forty-eight out of seventysx local
tiles are reported In the negative with nine In
favor and eighteen doubtful. Yet forty-seyen ed
.itors indorse the proposition, twenty-nine OPP
pose 1t and six the fence. The belt of unde-
cided States is subject influences from both East
and West Out of 163 communities reported forty
four favor equal suffrage, sixty-nine oppose 1t and
fifty are doubtful But among the editors the major
ity of ''ayes is overwhelming. 121 voting that way,
thirty-three mo- and nine uncertain.
Apparently, In the view OF the Literary Digest, the
whole problem is resolved into psychic contest be-
tween radcasm In the West, conservatism in the
South and cynicism in the North and Middle States
Only In the South another great issue involved the
fear of reviving the negro question. curious fea-
ture the contiguous spread of the movement in the
West is that with slight break, each succeeding
State to adopt equal suffrage borders on another
where 1t was already in practice.