The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-10-16

POoC0y Ooi oloO y lit OON 1Odo III
tice Of a social order hat forces wom-
en- into all the activities of the state
In competition with men and then re-
fuses to place them on an equal foot
ing with their competitors.
Supported by Justice.
Third.-We believe that not only jus
tice, but expediency, dictates that the
amendment should be adopted. Dur
ing the past thirty-five or forty years a
marked change has taken place in the
attitude of the people as to the true
functions of government. Formerly 1t
was the general belief that the govern
ment was fulfilling its purpose if it
protected the life and property of its
citizens. Now We expect it to do much
more. Without becoming paternalis-
tic or infringing upon our liberties, we
expect the government to protect the
interests of the people in their personal
and domestic affairs as well. 1t is
called upon TO supervise the working
conditions in factories and the living
conditions in tenements. 1t Is called
upon to regulate in some measure the
cost of living, TO guarantee a pure sup
ply of food and by both constructive
and preventive methods to guard the
health and morals of the young.
While this radical change in the rec
ognized functions of government was
in progress another movement of equal
Importance was pressing forward, and
that was the gradual emancipation of
women from much of the drudgery of
the home. When steam came to be
utilized for weaving and spinning and
when much of the household food came
to be prepared in factories millions of
women were released from some of
their immemorial and traditional du-
ties.
The effect was twofold. Among the
poor it drove the women out IF the
hhome into the workshops and facto-
ries. Among the well to do it gave the
women more time to participate in civ
ic affairs and community interests. In
both cases it produced a demand for
the ballot. The women driven into
the wage earning class demanded it as
a weapon of self defense. The women
released from some portion of their
home duties demanded it to secure
more power in dealing with those func-
tons of government that had invaded
the sphere peculiarly their own-the
home and all that affects the home.
Readjust Basis of Franchise.
1t is the conjunction, then, of these
reciprocal tendencies, the tendency of
the government to deal with matters
affecting the government, that makes
it necessary, both in the interests of
justice and the welfare of the state,
for us now to readjust the basis for
granting the electoral franchise.
Fourth.-We have examined the ar
guments and statistics presented by
Senator MARITIME and others who are
opposed to the adoption of the amend
ment to prove that women do not want
the ballot, that they do not vote when
the privilege is granted, that woman
suffrage has done no good in states
where it has been tried and that it will
tend to break up the home. destroy the
finer qualities of womanhood and dou-
BILE the ignorant and criminal vote.
In answer to these statements we
can only say that in our opinion they
are not supported by the facts. The
truth would seem to be that the num-
Der of women demanding the ballot in
the United States today is greater than
the number of men who have ever ask
cd fn- nnufhino In tho hicforu nf tho
country and that in states where wo-
men have been given the ballot the
women vote In quite the same proper
ton as men. What is more, W find
no evidence to prove that it has done
harm in any state where 1t has been
tried. On the contrary, we find much
conclusive evidence that in many of the
equal suffrage states it has resulted in
broadening the outlook and vision of
the women, in quickening their intelli-
gence, in increasing their self reliance
and In raising the whole tone and
standard of political life. Furthermore,
the evidence is cumulative that legisla-
ton dealing with matters of special
interest to women is secured more
promptly in states where women have
the ballot than in states where that
privilege is denied them.
Two ISLANDERS Refuted.
The fact that in our churches rs per
cent of the members are women and
that in our prisons 70 per cent of the
inmates are men would seem to dispose
of the argument hat it will double
the criminal vote, while the fact that
in our high schools two-thirds of the
pupils are girls is a complete answer
to the charge that it will double the
ignorant vote.
We do not claim if women are en-
franchised in New Jersey that all the
beneficent results above mentioned
will at once be apparent. The laws of
evolution work with irresistible mo-
mentum and power, but not in haste.
We do believe, however, that woman
suffrage is the next great forward