Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-19
Instructions Are Clear.

In recalling the suffrage concurrent resolution from the house yester
day, the senate redeemed in part it's plain violation of the voters in
strucions when this issue was up sr consideration last week.
The Republican and Democratic parties of this state are emphatical
y on record against woman's suffrage as reflected not only in this state
but in every state of the Union where the issue was voted upon last fall
Our government is supposed to be a representative government
through parties. It is often hard to determine what the people want and
their representatives must upon occasion Use their best judgment in vi
ing upon questions. Never in the history OF the state, however, have in
structions been S direct and emphatic a s upon womans suffrage.
Those senators who hedge behind the defense that the November
vote on the issue va not a true expression Of opinion because so many
failed to oe either n way O. the other are leaning upon a broker
The opposite is true. At the recent election there were s941e votes
on suffrage and 1896 for governor, sc that no question o. candidate be
fore the voter received a larger vote than suffrage. In fact the expires
sion N man Suffrage was more seneia, M 1arreachmg IN us scope
than the vote upon any other issue. IN the history Of this state.
Womans suffrage is part and parcel Of the socialist propaganda. In
every state where it won at the November elections, it was successful by
virtue of socialist votes O. where it wa defeated it was defeated in
spite of the solid socialist vote favoring the issue.
On November l3, 1914, the lconocldst OF Minot a socialist organ, saio
editoualy:
woman Suffrage vas defeated. 1t failed to carry for the same
reason that socialism failed to carrS-preudlce and Ignorance on the
part of the majority and shrcwd manipulation leading it asray in the
interest of special privilege. The socialists voted for woman suffrage
in a body. Socialists had a we'll Gehned purpose and carried 1t out
In South Dakota suffrage a defeated by LISA, while in North Da
kota the majority against the issue was 9,4ol. However, in this state it
was necessary to overcome a socialist vote of 60ls, while in South Da
kota, the socialists poled only 1894 votes.
Carrying the analysis to states where the issue won out. its success
is due to the socialist vote. Montana carried the issue by a majority of
3714 votes. There are 10112 socialist votes in this state. In Nevada
woman suffrage carried by 1878, with the help Of a socialist vote in e:
cess of 5000. 81.
Let tile Democrats and the Repu bicans in both houses consider some
more figures, if they believe that parties impose mandates upon their rep.
resentatves. We hear much these days about the sacredness Of party
pledges. In Ncrth Dakota the returns show that So per cent of the Dem.
ocrats and Republicans II the state voted against equal suffrage. These
parties poned rs per cent of the vote against the issue; Montana "A per
cent and Nevada IS per cent
The members Of the legislature should ponder on these figures.
The sufragiss claim that they never win at the first election. Sta
tsucs go further and show that in the second and third elections, defeat
also has resulted.
In 1898, South Dakota defeated suffrage by s,2se votes, and in 1914, it
lost by 1874. Michigan has voted twice on the issue and each time the
majority opposed has been increased. North Dakota will be 10 exception
Prohibition forces in this state are not advancing their cause by sup
porting suffrage. In fact, they have almost o'scuredoth TIL issue by fight.
ing for suffrage. which, in the light of facts has never and probably will
never advance the cause of temperance. #