The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-19
SPEAKS FOR TWO HOURS, DIS
CUSSiNG QUESTION FROM
ALL SIDES.
Appeals to Large Number Of Men Not
to Thrust Franchise on West
VIRGINIA Women.

For two solid hours Mrs. O. d. OH
plant. the celebrated national anti
suffrage advocate, spoke to an audi
ence of fully one thousand persons last
night in the Market Auditorium. Halt
OF her audience was made up of men
She was introduced by Attorney John
I. Ccniff. The Warwood band fur
piShed the music.
The meeting was the largest Of the
Kind ever held in this city. The big
uutpouriu% 0S men was greatly pleas
irg to the local committee that had
gile speaking in charge. Mrs. OH
I:iany VAS Interrupted many times By
applause.
In preserving Mrs Oiipilaat, Mr.. Co
nif briefly reviewed the Suffra 'QucS-
ton ard stated ina after years OF agI-
tai :on the voters OF West Virginia
would have al opportunity to accept
or reject rhe movement. lie paid a
glowing tribute TO Mrs. Oliphant. say
ing that she was one Of the brightest
and most fluent speakers discussing
the question.
Mrs. Oliphant prefaced her remarks
with the assertion that she would con-
clusively show from fundamental
standpoint why women should NOT
vote. 81 am not attacking women in
making my assertions" she said, but
am attacking suffrage as a prin-
ciple.
For Woman's Sake.
Mrs Oliphant enumerated the many
prominent women Of the country and
of this state who were opposed 10 SUI
frage, the majority Of whom are Civ
ing their time and money in opposing
the movement for woman's sake
- She declared that the anti move
ment was the first in the history Of
the world when women are opposing
franchise or what the suffragisEs con-
tend is a progressive movement.
after SIS years OF agitation there
are more women opposing suffrage to-
day than ever before. The ants are
the real prosresSiyes, while the suf-
frag movement is So years old. After
having the vote in 4 number Of stateS
for many years. We see what they
have accomplished. compared with
states that have not given woman the
ballot"
Voting Bum and Woman.
Mrs. Oliphant asked her audiences if
they had not often heard that good
woman had as much right 20 vote as
drunken bum, but that such was no
comparison; thar each element is in
his or her classification and that by
giving the vote 70 woman il would
simply double the vote. She said that
each person was in 4 distinct element,
that what one man can do success
fully the other cannot do. She de-
clared that many women are good
mothers and wives but that they
would be poor voters. Not for the
lack of intelligence but for The same
reason that one may bn proficient in
one vocation and inefficient in an
other Should the women get the
ballot it will be only Il question of
time until she will be in the political
machine" she said.
The Equality Question.
She discussed the equality question
in detail saying that if women want
the vote that they must bear the
burden with men: that under the con-
stitution OF this state she VIII not be
exempt from serving on juries and
other similar public duty just because
she is woman: that the word male
will be striker from the constitution
and it will be "perSon. They must
be ready TO accept every obligation
that men have 10 endure il they want
euualiZation She declared that 80
per cent of the women do not want
to vote and that if the franchise Is
thrust upon lLfiI tIictI - XVI VI
against the great majority Of the
women who do not want the ballot,
THAT is not democratic" she said.
THE men Of West Virginia nave nov
er failed the women yet, and don
think thew will force Nhis upon them,
raxation without vote.
She said that thor" w:.S II" c"inNari-
son between our t"r"fa;h"rS' fight for
taxation without r.prsS"ntati"n that
they were ready 10 bear m" burden ~
this country are taxpayers: that many
children own property. man. tnr'lSN'rE
who havc not been natura ltZ"d. htii nom
Of these vote. neither Il" Officers ~ IN.
Army and Navy. for 'i;'' reason that u
keeps politics out Of th">" department
tYou do not hear tllrm cryiu:; out about
taxation without representation. Tho
more 7 500 Of this SuffrHS" in"V''''n'
the moro 7 think II is simply ltt!"v "n!'
ttics" said the speaker. 'pf tn" -i."nL
women wage earnsrs in NV Jersey ~
per cent are ats I woutnd II" willing
to vote with the suffragists if they