New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-24
FACING THE SUFFRAGE DANGER
An "An,i" Fears the Gains Of Rampant fem'ni'm
and Calls for Action.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: Feminism is rampant now and sufragists are
boastng of alleged successes all along the me II
Is time to face the danger. The solid olocK OF SUI
frsga states west OF the great river with one Eastern
state added at from the suffrage map rou'
more Senatorial votes result OF the November
elections Woman suffrage has been made the sub
ject Of serious debate in Congress, with evidence OF
the result that was inevitable after the California
election in 19l1-the weakening Of time serving poll
ticians Some Northern states have, with political
foretbought cast votes on what they think may be
the winning side, and the Southern states are
not now standing solid against measure OF utmost
danger TO them In every community 1t VIII be fouhd
that the time serving politicians keep shrewa eye
on the possible advantage OF supporting Po"tos'
women in time. They see no Danger from '"e "o'
political women if suffrage fans .
An appeal must be made to the good Judgment ana
the conscience OF the intelligent and moral citizens
mo are vet in a large majority. There is no way
~ staying a movement in which politicians nave
everything TO gain and nothing TO lose except py
showing the people that II Is no longer only NaEg
Of hvsteria" but a wave Of hysterla well organized
and shrewdy conducted demand Tor rgnts
ii. e.. power made by comparatively small group
Of selfnterested men and women. The hysterlGal
type is now largely kept III the background ana te
suffrage organizations are being managed BY pracu-
cal politicians, Is evidenced by tnelr success III
getting before Congress question which i've years
ago would have been thrown out with dcrsion ,
Suffrage, as tool OF ieI9n'sin, III tnr nan s Mrs.
Rnjta Biock has we'll said the right Of women to
their vocation of motherhood and profession at the
same time" The fight OF the mother-teachers, she
said, was a fight for feminism. SO IS the hght TOT
suffrage The female teachers gained their equal
pay" demand. Then, having won equality they ae-
mana more than equality they demand special priv
iege-the right equal pay with leave OF absence
o. demand, TO carry their own personal vocation
of motherhood They DO not propose that man VINO
il under contract 20 20 to the North Pole a. the
same time contract TO teach school IN New / ORR.
They do not admit that marriage as contract binds
haar OH
law which declares refusal 10 bear children 70 De
ground for annulment. Femnlsm is gaming the right
Of the woman to Give her own life IN actual practice
/ and before the law while at the same time women
are more and more demanding support from men
Widows pensions increased latitude in divorce with
heavier demands for allmony equal pay WIN conCcs-
to women on the ground OF physlcal dISauVan-
tage; equal suffrage, with the power OF sex added 10
tie power OF vote, but yet no equality OF response
bility-never do hear OF demand for an accept
ance of equality of responsibility. Look at the police
militia, jury and tax records. If you would be con-
The anti-sufragists say: "See how we are defeat
ing suffrage" The optimists say: "Out Of femnism
will come new virtue" Every sane man and woman
should say: Let stop this drvel and get TO work
out the cancer that is eating into the national
That suffrage states begin 70 measure their blunder
il shown by open admission Of the failure OF the ex-
pertinent. Colonel John r Irish the famous opponent
of Bryan in the free silver debates, writes from Call
f,rnla: There is increasing pressure from non
voting women here reinforced By thinking men, for
on initiative measure canceling suffrage out OF the
constitution Il has been fat failure and the cspers
cut by the women who favored II have dsgusted all
sensible folk
THE San Francisco Chronicle" Of January says
editorally: "The Constitution Of the United States
makes granting the elective franchise state func
ton Each state may determine for itself VINO may
and who NAV not vote Under the influence OF the
sectional hatred growing out of the Civil War, by
. amendment 20 the Constitution, conferred the
right of suffrage upon the negro, with more disas-
trous and permanent results the negro than
Other class Of Southern people. The negroes do not
vote, but they prevented from voting partly by
terrorism and partly BY laws which the supreme
Court does not dare 10 declare unconstitutional, al
though they accomplish indirectly that which could
not DE accomplished directly The Fifteenth Amend
nent could not be enforced in the Southern states
according 10 its real meaning without producing
another rebellion. And that IS fully recognized by
the government and the courts
/ The advocates Of woman suffrage seem determ ned
70 force the adoption Of their fad upon all the states
whether desired by the people not. There is
tainly Northern state, and possibly no Southern
state, in which the suffrage will not be granted 10
women If a majority Of them will ask II. In this and
other states the franchise has been given without
waiting for the request OF majority of the SEX and
ss the event has shown. without the desire OF
majority. IL is than probable that were the
question Of the Withdrawal of the right submitted
vote in this state. with the women voting. the right
would be withdrawn. There are mutitudes of women
who would register for such election for the sole
purpose OF getting rid OF duty which they detest
and whose obligations they refuse 20 fulfill
Let Us pause before following further the lead of
states who admit their own folly.
MRS. WILLIAM FORSE SCOTT
! Yonkers n. y Jan. 49, 1915.