The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-28
SALOON To BLAME
"BilIy" Morgan Tells of Defeat
of N. j. Suffrage.
Lieutenant Governor
Quoted in New York.


suffrage in New Jersey is maintained
by w Y. Morgan, lieutenant governor
of Kansas, who did some efficient
campaigning in the interest of equal
franchise during the week preceding
poll day.
Mr.. Morgan has returned to his
home in Hutchinson.
The saloons are responsible said
Mr. Morgan in an interview to re-
porter of the New York Tribune at
the Vanderbilt. land this is fact
which ought to be recognized. Were
1t not for the inimical attitude of bar
tenders in New Jersey and the wide
influence entailed by this attitude, the
women would be rejoicing now. But
%iquor carried the day, as it has car
ried so many other days. And thus.
so far as New Jersey is concerned, the
suffrage battle will have to be waged
all over again.
Il think the male element opposed
to woman suffrage may be divided
into two sections The first section
contains those men who have an
honest feeling that the women them
selves will suffer through the privi-
lege for which they are contending.
Doubtless a good many men feel that
women would be coarseneG through
becoming involved in politics. The
other section of opponents comprise
those men who fear an unpleasant
curtailment of their own personal lib
erty. There are certain prerogatiVes
which have so long been esteemed in
lance men look upon the chance that
these precious prerogatiVes may be
jeopardized. These are the two major
divisions of the male opposition, ex-
elusive of the purely political consid-
Grafton.
First by Argument.
Now. the first class can generally
be reached by argument. But the
second class of men, being so largely
actuated by. selfish principles, is very
much harder to get at. 1t is easier to
argue the women out of the shadow
of opprObrium than to argue away the
fear of personal loss to men them
selves.
As to the defeat in New Jersey,
do not look upon it as anything sur
prising. Most political experts ex-
pected such an outcome And, all
things considered. the defeat itself is
not very bad defeat. l understand
that fourteen out of every thirty-two
voted in favor of suffrage. 1t ought
not to be an insuperable task to raise
this ratio to an extent which will rem
der the next voting triumph. Two
years ago 1 don't think even the op-
timistic dreamed that so high a per
centage even as this would be posi- |
BILE in 1915.
New York Better Organized.
The state of New York is. much
better organized for suffrage than
New Jersey L do not care to venture |
any prophecy about the vote in New /
York at this time, but that the foun- !
dation is firmer seems to me a GER 1
tainty. 1 believe the people of New |
York are for the greater part really |
course, a strong conservative element. |
But I do net think it would deter any |
action which seemed calculated to |
produce the highest good.
c-re. L.,
Der of them, have demonstrated a /
good deal Of fearlessness in legisla- /
kion which is looked upon with some 4
doubt here in the east. There is still |
a tendency here, I think, to consider |
the west, to a degree at least wild and |
1voolly. But this attitude is wearing |
off. In the west much has been ac- |
which the east will GER
tainly come to sooner or later.
Kansas Guard Citizens.
so far as woman suffrage is con- |
cerned, you have merely to ask clti- |
zen of Kansas how the new order |
works there to be assured that in |
practice equal franchise is perfectly |
sound No Kansan who talked |
against suffrage outside his state |
would ever dare go back home again.
He would simply be mobbed. And |
if any one should voice sentiments |
fines of Kansas his words would be es-
teemed mere jest. This may be
whimsical way of public opinion.
Women who were originally opposed /
voters. And the men who stood out
a gainst it are equally ardent advo-
Gates today No bad results at all |
have ensued. There has been no rush
of women for offices. Women have
not deluged the jury boxes, though
it would be an excellent thing if wom-
en- did serve on juries.
"As for alternating the sexes, dis
many other evils which have so long
and so groundlessly initiated against
suffrage, I am glad it is possible for
me most emphatically to say that in
the middle western and western
states where the thing has been put
into actual practice nothing of the
sort has resulted. In every way suf-
fra ge has proved an excellent thing
family ties. 1t has raised the wife to
a new position of equality with her
husband, and this has opened up
fresh avenues of comradeship.
Il am afraid that those who raise
the cry Back to the Home,' if given
their way would really drive women
ut last Back to the Plough And
has surely evolved too far
to countenance any such return to
as that!'
Allen Talks OF Kansas.
Henry ]. Allen, editor of the Wich-
ia Beacon, who is now in New York
o aid in the campaign for woman
dropped into humorous
Elm long enough during a talk at the
Astor hotel to tell how suffrage has not
Effected the women of Kansas. His
l.cst striking point was made when
no asserted that the taking part in
oclitics has not cause Kansas women
o take UP the style of growing boards
n chewing tobacco"
The news dispatch, sent out today,
cling of Aliens talk is as follow
New York. Oct. 25.-Col. Henry