The Washington herald., 1916-10-01
Is SUFFRAGE IosIKGi
Mary BrinRhurst smith Gives an
Answer to Question.

Answer to Question
Editor The Washington Herald.-The
suffragists through their Woman's Party
having begun a tight against Fresloeht
Wilson, a few observations on theh
previous efforts in that line may be In
teresting.
Before the elections in 1914 they, the
suffragists. Just as they are now doing
made threats against the DemocTatlc
party, saying they would defeat all
Democrats because the party did not
vote for a Federal amendment They
spent time, money and energy in the oou-
bic suffrage States, working against
their best friends. The. result was that
those whom they fought were reelected,
and not only that but California elected
a Democrat to the United States Senate
he being the first Democratic Senator
from that State for about twenty years,
also the three Democrats who were up
for reelection are now in the House OF
Representatives. Arizona, Colorado ana
Kansas followed suit and sent Demo
Gratis to the Sixty-fourth Congress, which
were the only double suffrage States in
which Democrats were up for re-elec-
ton.
The women in the suffrage States do
not and cannot control the electorate OF
those States. AS rule they vote as the
men OF their families do, and not as a
solidarity, and most OF them do not vote
at all
In 1888 South Dakota defeated suffrage
by 2.2Ss. in 1914 by 1874 In 1872 Ohio de-
feated IT by 7,l55, and in 1914 by 1896.
In 1872 Wisconsin said mo" by 81, f7s and
the same year Michigan said the same by
$50 and the next year Qsls) emphasized
turned II down by S,139; Nebraska by TO-
lO4 and Missouri by 1926. In 1915 the
four great Eastern States decided
against votes for Women-New Jersey by
5l.I0S; Massachusetts, by l33OS7; Pennsyl-
vania by 55,6s6 and New York by l94.S%
On June Of the present year Iowa also
said mo" by 1884. after the hardest
fight the suntragists have ever made.
For years they have been working in
that State. more years than the ants
have months.
The majority against suffrage since
1912, only four years, is 9sl, I'll; for sut-
frage IN forty-seven years about e, 900
(s3,l74, not including wyoming
The population Of the States having
double suffrage is SIS6, ,O69. Those hav-
ing turned it down by the vote Of the
people is 4O,464,T25. Add TO these twelve
States the twelve Southern States We
have a population Of G5l3. .995. so the
States in which reside about 60 per cent
Of the population Of this nation are
known to be opposed TO votes for women;
besides the States Of Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont Rhode Island and Con-
necticut, Delaware, Maryland, Ken
lucky. Indiana, New Mexico and Mime
sofa, in all Of which there has not been
enough suffrage sentiment to get the
legislatures TO submit the question TO the
voters. The States in which reside about
50 per cent OF the population Of the
United States are decidedly against the
franchise for women. II is the women in
these States who are opposing it through
the votes Of the men. The great ma iori-
ty of the voters Of this country being
anti-surragists, the fight of the Woman s
Party against President Wilson will be Of
no avail, as those opposed to votes for
women can and will fight as effectively
as the sufIragists and by their action
votes will be made for the Democratic
party.
MARY BRTNGHURST SMITH.