Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-05-04
SUFFRAGE DEMONSTRATION
Mrs. Anna Weeks Answers Ar.
guments Made by the Ants.
Declares THAT Women's Votes Would
in n Measure onset Ballots Cast
by Men who Are Morally
Delinquent

| Equal Franchise League of this city was
held on the roof garden of the Hotel
I Vermont Tuesday, the speaker OF the
evening, Mrs Anna Ross Weeks of New
York, being greeted by large audience
of Burlington women. The meeting was
presided over by Miss Joanna ID. Croft.
president of the league. The high school
orchestra furnished music, and back of
the raised platform in large yellow letters
ON n green background were the words
Votes FOR Women
Mrs. Weeks gave Il very interesting
talk on equal suffrage, an important part
of her discourse being the capable man
ner in which she took up many of the
arguments brought forward by the anti
suifragists and one by one reduced them.
Mrs. Weeks who has been here before
in the cause of equal suffrage, has very
pleasant personality and speaks with
understanding and force on her subject.
She spoke in part as follows:
At one time the antis owned the world
but now they are fast being wiped away.
The ants claim the large population who
are entirely indiferCn to the cause, the
people vino are neither for nor against
equal suffrage. because such an attitude
is mentally inexpensive. There is no such
thing as honor bright anti-sunrage. There
is "a group of women who are opposed
to the further extension of suffrage, but
they cease to exist rs soon as the women
get the ballot, they only being opposed -
the further extension Of suffrage
What people really mean when they say
that there are already too many voting
is that there are now too many of the
wrong kind of voters. The equal suf-
AZ
though they are willing to qualify along
moral financial or educational lines.
If immigration statistics are looked
up 1T will be found that there are at
present eight times more men than
women coming into our country. If the
argument he that these immigrants are
not as desirable as those who arrived
years ago it would appear that fine
way to offset this evil would be to give
women in this country an opportunity
to vote Referring to the police records
one finds one woman criminal to every
% men. so that if the women We're al
lowed to vote an Improvement would
he made. The qualification against
ignorance would also be overcome with
the ballot in the hands of women, for
there are more educated girls than boys
in the country.
The ants also bring forth the argyll
ment that the chivalry of American
men will he menaced when the ballot
is given to the women. The American
gentleman cannot be made or unmade
by legislation. The American man does
not ask a woman on New York street
car what State she comes from and if
she happens TO he from California let
her remain standing while he keeps
his seat which he would he chivalrous
enough to pass over for her use If she
should unluckly be a New Yorker.
The cost of election has also been
brought into the argument. the ants de-
Claring that the cost of this necessary
mart of government would be raised to
the nth power when women obtain the
ballot Mrs Weeks who was a watcher
, at the New York election, found that
ballots had been prepared for 500 when
only 200 voted. Therefore there would
he no extra expense in this line and the
one ballot box and the one set of clerks
etc, would take care OF the extra vot-
crs.
The argument that men are not fit to
| vote with women was rdiculed, the
e. speaker during her watch at the poles
. finding nothing offensive, What the
; women have done along legislative lines
: in States where they have received the
e ballot can easily be ascertained by those
, Interested The millennium has not been
reached where women have the ballot.
G but In every State where there IL equal
!, suffrage a distinct Improvement in leg
. islation is noted and they will do more.
= While tho women voters like to stand
: upon their fine record. there is no rea-