Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-08-03
CAN'T BEAR ARMS
BUT BEARS ARMIES
WOMAN HAS ALWAYS BORNE
BRUNT OF THE BURDEN AND
HORROR OF WAR.
BLOODSHED NEVER ENDS
West Virginia Surgeon Would Rather
Welter in Tortures of Trenches
Than Bear One chlld-Some
Little Known Figures.

extending the franchise to women
that they cannot bear arms. A cur
rent cartoon very happily answers this
objection. A soldier in all the glory
of his dress parade uniform is address
ing a woman who has small chllu
in her erms. The soldiers says, Win
naughty scorn: What, you want the
vote? But you cannot bear arms.
NO" proudly replied the woman
but | can bear armies!"
And in this bit of repartee lies the
answer to all the arguments to woman
suffrage which are based on the phys
ical differences between the work OF
men and women. OF course, there are
differences and 1t is because there are
such differences that the vote of the
woman is needed to make complete
and most effective the results OF the
ballot.
A few years ago one OF the best
known and most skilled physicians
and surgeons who ever practiced in
this state was in conversation with
friend. The question Of woman SUI
frage arose and the doctor was asked
his opinion on the subject. He under
stood that his opinion as physician
was desired and so answered. At the
time the Russian army in Manchuria
was coOped up in the trenches and
Notifications OF Port Arthur. They
were weltering in their own blood and
were starved for food and parched
with thirst. Drawing upon this fact
for an Illustration, the doctor said:
You want to know what l believe
as to woman suffrage. That is, you
want to know what my observation
has been as to the power Of women
physically to bear at least an equal
portion Of the burdens Of citizenship.
Well, have travelled these mountains
for many years. In that time 1t has
been my fortune to assist many scores
of my people into this vale Of tears.
Many times the difficulties Of the
mountain roads have delayed me so
that | came after the arrival Of the
little stranger. Many times there has
been none to sooth the agony OF the
new mother during her terrible ordeal.
At other times there has been present
only some unskilled mountain woman,
kindly but ignorant and full Of super
stition. Knowing that her life was in
the balance; knowing that she must
suffer agony that she must shed tears
and her very life's blood for the
stranger yet to come, still have new
er seen any but the supremest cour-
age, the most unfaltering heroism in
any Of our mountain women. | tell
you, my friend, that | had rather right
now be suffering the tortures Of hell
in the beleagured walls Of Port Ar
thur; had rather be starving and
thirsting and weltering in the blood
and slime of the trenches, than to go
through such an ordeal even once.
Take all the suffering, all the terrible
agony of hunger, and of wounds and OF
death itself, add to these all the blood
shed in that awful siege, and you can
not equal the agony, the pain, the suf-
fering the bloodshed OF the women
who were the mothers Of those ar
mics! And that is not all the women
must bear in time like this. What
must be the suffering Of the thousands
who are widowed? OF the thousands
who are made childless? Is not their
position during the dreadful slaughter
as pitiable as that Of the soldiers? Is
not their dark and hopeless future full
er of grief and despair than is the
portion of the bearer Of arms" who
dies gloriously for his country? Yes,
my friend, if the qualification for the
franchise is to be placed on physical
basis and the free giving OF blood for
ones country is necessary for the In
telligent casting OF the ballot, we men
are hopelessly outnumbered."
And after this conversation the
friend looked up the statistics Of the
Civil and Spanish wars. 1t was found
that more than half Of the young men
who volunteered for the latter conflict
were rejected for physical disability.
1t was found from the records of the
United States that during the Civil
war, of journalists 740 in every 1000
were found unfit; Of preachers, 975;
of physicians, $50; OF lawyers, 544
Grave divines in many instances are
Mortified at the thought Of admitting
women to vote when they cannot fight,
though not one in twenty OF their own
number is fit for military service II he
volunteered. OF the editors who de-
nounce woman suffrage, only about
one in four could himself carry a mus
ket; while of the lawyers who fill Con-
gress, the majority could not be de-
tenders Of their country, but could
only be defended.
How many women who have reach
ed the age of 45 have failed TO 60
down into the valley of the shadow Of
death? But few statistics are at hand.
In 1910 the United States Census Bu-
reau reported 1,1S7616 births In the
% states forming the registration dis
trict. The same year and in the same
area there were almost 10000 deaths
suffered by women while not bearing
arms" but while bearing armies"
Which burden would you rather
bear, Mr. Male Voter?