Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-15
ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY

! THERE is no such thing as sex vote
and there never will be. The history
Of woman suffrage in the political organ
lsms where it has been at work is a rec
ord Of soul and heart read into legislation
n history of opportunities for social i'm
provements embraced, and an evidence
of new inspiration and new purposes IN
government we may run the gamut
of social legislation, and we shall ma
everywhere In It the influence of woman 8
optimism and woman's ideals.
Both great parties are now dedicated
to support Of woman suffrage in prin-
ciple. The individual candidates differ
as to the mode of securing H. Mr'
Hughes is for taking the bull by the horns
and reaching a quick, final decision oF
means of a constitutional amendment. Mr..
Wilson, still impregnated with the doc
trine of state Rights. holds that that eX'
tension of suffrage must I've by action OF
the individual states. But both profess
to he ardent advocates of the cause, and
into line behind them fall all that lesser
horde of politicians, the little leaders
who must be dubbed into progress and
driven into the acceptance of anything
new.
We find in Philadelphia, for instance,
that Mr. Ware thinks that Mr.. Hughes Is
altogether right. Fine! Was it not in the
Ware wards that the suffrage amendment
was defeated last November? Pennsyl-
vanIa. outside of South Philadelphia, was
in favor Of giving the women fair deal.
II was in the Ware territory that enough
ballots we're dumped into the boxes and
enough other ballots thrown out to as
sure the bactwardness of Pennsylvania
for another four years. But If the Wares
now are to follow the leader and hew
straight to the line, there is no reason to
anticipate anything but an enormous ma
ioritv for suffrage in 1919 provided wom-
en- have not been emancipated before that
time by Federal action.
May it not be that even Mr.. Penrose
will see the light and fling into the bal
ance his tremendous influence with the
louor and other people? We trust so, for
obviously, with women suffrage a future
certainty, no politician who believes in
getting votes can afford to antagonlze
hundreds OF thousands of potential
ballots. There is not, we believe any
student of public affairs who is in any
doubt as to the ultimate place Of woman
in American government Our institu-
tions and our modes of thought are
sufficient augury OF the outcome.
1t is unfortunate that so many voters
have failed to inform themselves of the
history of the movement for the political
emancipation of women. They think of it
as an Innovation, an experiment. whereas
in truth, women have been taking part in
government, in different parts of the
earth, under all sorts of conditions, for
many years, with a record for efficiency
that would put to shame many male cleo
torates. When nine millions of women
were forced into the business world, it
became sure that they could not be kept
out of the political world.
A triumph for Mr.. Hughes will mean
a distinct Fastening of the achievement
for which so many women so ardently
have worked. His declaration in favor
Of a constitutional amendment will. in
fact, give a distinct push TO the move
ment in the individual States, We take
it that If It was proper to extend the
franchise to the negro race by constitu-
tional amendment, it is entirely right to
bring women into the full communion
of citizenship by the same method. The
matter is of too much Importance for the
splitting Of hairs.
The fight for votes for women has
reached the third and final stage.