Evening times-Republican., 1916-05-27
GATHERED BY THE WAYSIDE

! Irish had been disciplined, for he APP
pears not to have lifted hand for
equal rights and no discriminations in
| the next session where the proposed
amendment was duly smothered.
| But the votes for women movement
was not wholly ended just because
John p. Irish, who had sprung into
| the limelight as its champion. had de-
| serted 1t almost Immediately: o. no.
There were big conventions Of advo-
Gates Of votes for women in the early
| '70's. There was good deal Of shift
ing about Of parties. The new anti
monopoly party" took over the un-
claimed chattels of the democratic
| party and in 1873 made a big fight for
Senator J. G.. Vale for governor as
against G. c. Carpenter And 1t was
a fight in which Vale came out for
votes for women. He didn't win but
he enormously Increased the vote in
opposition to the republicans. Then
came 1874 and the republicans becom-
ing frightened over the losses from
their party, put this in the platform Of
| that year:
That since the people may be en-
| trusted with all questions of govern
| HtSuIdl TelcIH1 we ldNOT the Ilndl SuD~
| mission to the people of the question Of
| amending the constitution so as to eX-
tend the rights OF suffrage to women
pursuant to action Of the Fifteenth
general assembly"
On the platform stood the republican
candidates of 1874, and nominated on
that ticket were Josiah r. Young. Bu-
rem r. Sherman. John s. Runnels.
David Secor. NJ. E. Cults and others. all
men of high standing in their day, and
they were all elected by big majorlties.
In fact the opposition ticket that year
| showed a decided slump from the pre-
viOus year. Who can tell, at this day.
what effect the women suffrage plank
had on the general situation?
Perhaps there can be some excuse
for the shifting of position by Mr..
Irish about this time. III was chaotic
era in national politics. Men like Hep
burn and Lacy and Weaver were leav-
Ing the republican party and joining
democrats like Irish and Campbell in
an effort to organize a new party. Irish
had become chairman of the democratic
state committee. At one time he, as
chairman, issued proclamation of the
demise of the democratic party and or
monopoly ticket. While he was chair
man Of the democratic state committee
| he got up in a state convention of the
antl-monopoly party and denounced
the democratic party, as well as the
republican party, for gross corruption,
etc. ISlt later he and few others got
the party together and in 1877 John P.
irish ran for governor and was badly
; beaten by John H. Gear. In that cam
paign he never once mentioned rights
Nof women. He got fewer votes than
did Vale in previous campaign.
1t would not be fair to Mr.. Irish
however to assume that because he
proposed a votes for women amend
ment In ESQ that he was even at that
time a believer in the thought that We
the people really means all the people
He had no such notion in his head
even in his callow days. In the same
legislature where he blossomed out SC
ardently in favor of removing the sex
discrimination there was also intro
duced a resolution to strike the word
white from certain section of the
, constitution relating to membership in
the house. If the sex discrimination
was Illogical why retain the color dis
examination In the constitution? Did
John P. rise to the occasion and use
his eloquence for equality? Not at all
he voted against the color amend
ment. and In favor Of retaining in the
Iowa constitution it's worn out Jim
crow" features.
But Of course Mr.. Irish. who left Iowa
q good many years ago. should not be
held to accountability for the vagaries
OF youth. He came back to Iowa a year
ago and had d pleasant visit with the
newspaper boys of today. Among other
things he delivered a speech at a little
olnner IN the Successful Farming din
Ing room. 1t was characteristic of the
man-supremely eloquent and abso-
lutely unanswerable. But this was his
line Of argument: That we have too
much government too many who are
taking hand in government. too much
labor legislation. too much prohibition,
| TOO many voters. He told Of the dire
results OF reform in California and how
the women and the laborers were fairly
running the state with eight hour laws
ana pronib1tory laws and all that sort
or thing. In fact. he delivered an ad-
dress that was the most thoroughly
standpat Of anything ever announced
In Iowa. His real complaint was that
republic is a failure and the experi-
ment Of letting I'VE the people" rule is
on the tobosgan. So 1t is not I all sur
prising that Mr. Irish Is now in Iowa
| opposing women suffrage.
AS to the fate Of the amendment next
month opinions differ very much. There
mas been fine campaign put I'D for
votes for women and some excellent
work done all over the state by a loyal
and determined group Of women, On
the surface it looks like victory, But
the trouble Is that much of the oppo-
sition is keeping still and will be much
more certain to vote than the friends
OF equality. In the view OF a great
many persons removal Of the sex dis
naulunu nm av,v