Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-09
SUFFRAGISTS PUzzLEk
BY ARTICLE ON CAUSk
BY WILLIAM H. TAFT
Difference of Opinion as to just
Where Former President
Stands on Issue-Accused
of Attempt to 'Straddle'
cRITIcIsE IDEA OF DELAY
"Not Yet, but Soon" Attitude La.
beled as Usual Expression of
an Ultra Conservative

Gratifcation and elation and SOM.
little dissatisfaction. too. at former Pre,,.
dent william Howard Taft's article on
woman suffrage in the Saturday Evening
Post. was expressed in the suffrage camp.
here today.
Although many Of the women regarded
his enunciations as a distinct suffrae,
victory, others looked askance at his
mot yet but soon attitude, and wers
inclined TO regard him. despite his asser-
tions. as an anti rather than a pro.
suffragist. ...
Mr. Taft is a conservative" said Miss
Mary II. Ingham, vice president OF the
Equal Franchise Society. "and It is ever
the habit Of conservatives TO put of any
radical changes TO some distant date, but
he overlooked the fact that the women
in the west are voting and that the
women Of the east who have not tn.
ballot really. have more need for II be.
cause our problems are older and very
much greater. -.. tAe
His whole argument for woman suf.
frage is good, and that is gratifying
Every reason that he gives ia a good
one, except, Of course. the argument that
the time is not ripe and that women
need more time in which to educate
themselves to vote intelligently.
YEAR TO GET READY.
"A boy who votes for the first time At
the age of q does not give much Serious
consideration TO the question until, let
us say, his Goth year, or year before
his first participation in an election We
women of Pennsylvania, should we be
granted the franchise at the November
election, would have a year in which to.
prepare ourselves. But the majority Of
us will not need it, because. in our an.
ticipation Of an ultimate victory, we have
already familiarized ourselves with civic
matters and political conditions .'s
Then, too the education of women Is
practically the same as that OF men, but
the women of this State who have taken
such an active interest in civic affairs
have a larger experience than the aver
age man." .-... e . 'zf1ls.
DR.. Eleanor NJ Heistand- Moore, OF the
Woman Suffrage Party, however. was In
clined to wax sarcastic over what She re-
CARDS as the former presidents spineless
views.
"Straddling an ISSUE" she said ''and
that is what Mr. Taft has done, is all
ways a precarious thing The greater
ones weight, physical or moral, the more
dlfflcnlt the attempt becomes.
II doubt that former President Taft 70
either physically or politically equipped
for such exercise, but we suffragists In.
tend to take our seats in the grandstand
and watch the performance with much
interest"
ONE SUFFRAGIST AMUSED.
Mrs. George A. Dunning. leader OF the
4th Legislative District. expressed muse
ment at what she called the formef Presi.
dents frank attempt to please all the
women. ants and pros alike.
'I also take issue" she said, with his
statement that we women of America
have not had the ballot for 125 years ant
have not suffered thereby. contend that
we have suffered, particularly along the
lines of industry. and do not regard MI.
Taft as pro-suffrage, IL his arguments are
carefully examined