Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-02-04
WOMEN DO NOT
WANT THE BALLOT,
SAYS MRS. GEORGE


secretary OF the Massachusetts Society
Opposed to Woman Suffrage, was the
speaker Mt n large anti-suffrage meeting
in the chamber of the House OF Repre-
sentatives tonight. The seats of the
legislators were reserved for them. so
moro were able to hear than in the case
of the suffrage meeting.
Her two main points were that women
do not want to vote and that where
they had voted they had not improved
conditions. The methods of the suf-
fragists in many legislative fights, she
asserted, did not augur we'll for the
conditions which would result when
women got into politics In the future
under n suffrage regime
In showing that the majority OF women
were Indifferent to woman suffrage in
many States and under all circumstances
Mrs. George laid It down as a general
proposition to which all would agree
that 1t was a great political evil II the
ma jority of the voters were Indifferent
as to their political obligations When
men stay away from the polls it Is
inevitably a hindrance to good govern
ment. This opinion was quoted from the
San Francisco Chronicle. and she read
a clipping TO the effect that no one
denies the ability of women to vote,
but the question Is do they want tor"
The Chronicle concluded from California
results that they did not.
She considered the history Of woman
suffrage in States Of limited and I'M
limited suffrage, Vermonts vote on
school questions was noted, Here women
with a property qualification could vote
hut have seldom exercised their rights.
In Massachusetts, they can vote on school
questions without any property qualifica-
ton. and of 10000 eligible women in the
last election in Boston, 31.0S6 went to
the polls. The number who have voted
in Massachusetts has been smaller and
smaller proportionately. In Brookline.
for example, 1874 out $500 II the record
number OF voters.
AS to the women who have municipal
suffrage in Illinois they have not bettered
conditions for women, for children IT
for good government The suffragists.
Mrs. George reminded the legislators.
quote figures as to the number that vote
In Illinois. A good proportion of regis
tered women voters did vote, it is true,
but a very small proportion Of them reg
istered The Chicago commission OF cleo
tons said that a smaller percentage of
women registered in October than in the
previous March. and it was necessary
to re-reGister In October in order to vote
in November. Everything was done to
bring out a big registration, but there
Taylor. social worker in Chicago. in ex-
bnr b. 40, :
register the cause of woman suffrage
will be set back a generation" They
did not register and the women cand-
dates for municipal housekeeping posi-
tons the care of the insane, almshouses,
etc, We're defeated. And So, said Mrs.
George, Il claim that the cause Of
woman suffrage was set back a genera
ton
THE CASE IN ENGLAND
In England they have had municipal
woman suffrage since the COS. Women
who are not otherwise represented may
vote in municipal elections Yet the mil
itants have recently destroyed five mil
lions of dollars Of property in their eff
fort to obtain parliamentary suffrage.
There fewer and fewer women are exer-
!
fewer and fewer women are being elect
ed to the boards to which they are
eligible. AS the result of the mad pranks
of the militants neither men nor women
will vote for women in municipal cleo
tons.
| Mrs. George compared laws in suffrage
and non-suffrago States to the disadvan-
tage of the former AS for prohibition
this movement got long start and
swept the nation before the suffrage
movement gained Roadway. North Da.
kota, a prohibition State. recently turned
down woman suffrage. And Montana anC
Nevada, the ''wettest' States, accepted
it.
! WOMEN AND LAWMAKERS.
! The methods of the women in thu
| legislatures does not give promise O.