Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-01


~ often unavoidably imperfect but the
strangest are those which are formulated IN
support of q weak argument. In circular
issued by the Pennsylvania Association OPP
posed to Woman Suffrage a conception of
government, which fortunately is not held
by the majority of American men and
women, is put into the following words:
As long as we MUST HAVE Government.
though, to physically FORCE some people
to be good-let leave it in the HANDS
OF THE MEN.
Government is not a soclable Sunday
school matter-but great organization Of
LAW and FORCE to protect HONEST per-
from CRIMINALS. A woman has less
place in politics than she has in mining
coal, running trains, sailing ships, or build
ing bridges.
Nowhere has the force theory of fitness to
vote been better stated-the theory which
survives from the period of ancient history
when man arrogated to himself the privilege
of the ballot by sheer brute strength. It's
modern protagonsts delight In challenging
the woman suffragists to show themselves
approved as good policemen and good SOL
diers-"If you are to vote" they say, you
must be able to back up your ballot with an
effective bullet" Apparently they have never
heard of division of labor and certainly
their idea of government Is relic of the
time when, in Doctor Claxton's words, "the
State was primarily military organization
and was best symboized by the marshal's
baton and the headsman's axe" Today we
have a term, police power" which means
something very different from the power of
the police! Or of the army and navy.
War and Welfare
In his recent book on Organized Democ-
racy," Doctor Cleveland, after grouping the
functions and activities of government ac-
cording to welfare relations. comments on
one item in the list as follows:
Both sexes are concerned In questions
pertaining to national defense. While in case
OF war men drawn into armies and
incur the greater personal risk. the increased
burden of civil life falls more largely on
women. The ability OF nation to survive
when at war depends as much on the one
sex as on the other Both are equally con-
cerned in international relations. in the pro-
lection and maintenance of friendly relations
with foreign powers in obtaining informa-
ton abroad in the interest of extension of
trade. and in providing for international CO.
operation concerning matters OF health, edu-
cation and morality"
This is only the truth. 1t reflects the com
munity OF interest which exists among men
ana women IN lne conservation or the State
Ardent idealists. however, have asserted that
If women were armed with the ballot war
would become Immediately impossible. They
are wrong If they are thinking of less than
all of the great nations OF the world They
misread history They misnterpret the quail
tiles of womanhood. They forget that women
stand nobly with men in patriotism and in
national defense. They forget that not all
wars are materialistic. Yet they are right IL
they are thinking of the socializing proc
esses to which the ballot in the hands OF
women would give new impetus.
While honoring women for their part In
the promotion Of peace, and working to the
end that they have a more effective part. LET
us not neglect to pay tribute to the part
which they are playing in the present war.
and which they have played in past wars. In
wartime they have shown qualities OF citi-
zenship which are at least consistent with |
the qualities desirable In voters. We NAV
say that woman's place is not In the army
or navy, We may say that the heroisn OF a |
Joan Of Arc or a Florence Nightingale. or OF
q Molly Pitcher or Sister Julie Is nor a |
title TO the ballot. but we cannot say that |
women have failed country In the dut,as |
and obligations OF wartime. Doctor cleve- |
land was merely quoting history when he |
said that the ability Of a nation to SURVIVE |
when AZ war depends as much on the ons
sex as on the other"
Even the war spirit may animate woman
70 their everlasting glory An tilumanatin. I