The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-23
woman sufrageg'

y 'AQSWer-SIuCe NY eHlASoIl IoSSsT
lection OF this subject, / have been In
favor OF recognizing the fact that
woman. is in every respect equal TO
man. except perhaps IN physical
strength. and she is therefore entitled
to the privilege Of casting her vote
along with the man. am therefore
in favor of woman suffrage.
mo. 2. What, do you think will be
the result Of the voting on woman
suffrage in West Virginia next No
vember?
"Answer-lf men vote as they talk.
woman suffrage will carry at the polls
next November: at least, this is my
prediction. based upon the Informs
ton which comes to me through con-
tact with other men.
no. 3. 'lf West Virginia women
are granted the right Of equal suffrage
how, in your opinion. will 1t affect
political conditions In the state?
vAnswer-1f the women Of West
Virginia are granted the right to vote,
would certainly not expect any i'm
mediate radical changes In the result
Of our election, but | would expect a
continuous improvement In our COM
ditions about the polls, and tn,the cleo
ton; and a gradual improvement in
the small standards set for our poll
ticians. believe that the Women Of
this country would recognize the fact
that they are not involved In public
questions, and would therefore set
about and make diligent effort to
secure the best possible information.
regret to say that this has not been
the habit Of a great many OF our poll
ticians and voters Of the male sex"
Bishop Peterkin III.
Danger OF the woman suffrage ques-
ton being overshadowed and lost in
the fight on other issues Is expressed
by H. Roy Waugh, prominent attor-
ney Of Buckhannon and candidate for
the Republican nomination for Con-
gress in this district, who writes the
Sunday Telegram as follows:
II have been and am still Of the
opinion that the woman's suffrage
amendment to our state constitution
will carry, and in principle ] can see
no reason why It should not. How
ever, so far as I have observed little
is being said and there Is little In
terest manifested by the voters in
the matter at this time; and there. is
danger of its being overshadowed and
lost in the fight on other issues.'
Defeat for the woman suffrage
amendment at the polls next November
unless the women OF the state take
a much greater interest in the mat
ter than they do at the present time,
is predicted by James S. Lakin, presi-
dent of the state board OF control,
who writes the Sunday Telegram that
he is personally favorable to woman
suffrage.
The moral tone of the body Of
voters in the state would be appre-
ciable raised by the granting Of the
ballot to women, in the opinion OF
Mr.. Lakin, who cites figures to show
that the number Of men in our state
penal institutions Is many times more
than that Of women. There are 1,175
men in the state penitentiary at
Moundsville and only twenty-six wom-
en-, GMr. Iakin says.
Mr.. Lakin's letter in full follows:
an response to yours Of the 18th
inst, requesting an expression Of my
views in regard to woman suffrage,
l desire to answer as follows:
"(D-I am personally favorable to
woman suffrage. Among many other
reasons for favoring it may be mem
toned two. First, as a rule women
are better than men, and the addition
Of the women Of the state to the body
Of voters will appreciably raise the
moral tone Of that body. To show
more conclusively that this statement
is true, attention is called to the COM
parative figures Of the population in
our penitentiary and two reformatory
institutions. In the West Virginia
penitentiary there are at the Present
time 1,175 men and only twenty-six
women. In the West Virginia Indus
trial Home for Boys there are 291
boys, while in the West virginia In
dustrlal Home for Girls there are only
ninety-eight girls. The other reason
Is that as a rule women are better
educated than the men. The records
Of high schools and Of schools Of the
normal or academic grade through
out the state show that the number
Of girls enrolled and completing the
course is double the number Of boys.
The inevitable conclusion from the
above facts is that women as class
can vote more intelligently than men.
"(2)-In my opinion the Proposed
amendment. will be defeated next Nov
ember, unless the women Of the state
generally take a much greater inter-
est in the amendment than they show
at the present time. ! find that large
numbers of them are Indifferent, and
many are openly and actively Opposed
to amendment. The men as 0 rule are
favorable, and this will be especially
true II they are convinced that their
mothers, wives and sisters really want
to vote. This is essentially a home
question. and will not be decided by
public speaking because women will
not 60 out to hear the speakers in any
great number, as compared to the
total voting population, but must be
reached personally in their own homes
or otherwise. The men will lose in
terest and will undoubtedly vote
against the amendment II the Women
in their families remain Indifferent
As an evidence Of how the men feel
the vote when the resolution submit
ting the amendment passed the last
legislature was practically unanimous
"(3)-If the women are granted the