Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-22
THE VOICE OF
THE PEOPLE
Anti-Suffrage Argument - The
Reign of Terror in Philadel-
phia Politics
ANTI-sUFFRAGE ARGUMENT
o the Editor Of the Evenina Ledger:

To the Editor Of the Evenin1 Ledger:
Sir-In your editorial on the Result in
Maine" in the EVENING LEDGER for Sep
tember IA, you say. "why should the fact
that some women are opposed to their own
emancipation carry any weight? There
were slaves who opposed manumission."
From what are we to be emancipated?
Political freedom bought with blood, purified
by the fires of war, is the proud inheritance
of every citizen of the United States ire
spective OF sex or age the right to liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness, free church,
equality before the law, protection to life
and property, a. due share in the moldng
of public opinion through free speech and a
free press.
If you mean that the opposition of women
to the present extension of the electorate
should carry no weight, this is certainly a
novel argument. The passage of law is
under consideration affecting one large class
In the community; the EVENING LEDGER,
which supports the law, announces that
the opinion of those who oppose its passage
Should carry no weight" There is re-
freshing naivete in the pronouncement
The opposition to woman suffrage comes
from three general sources: First, from
the Indifference and apathy of the great
body of American women. The saner suf-
fragists recognize this and frankly say,
when the generality Of women want the suf-
frage, and want 1t insistently enough to give
assurance that they will exercise 1t, 1t will
be given without arduous striving.
The opposition comes, in the second place
from the women who believe that they have
always had especial duties, privileges and
rewards. Supreme among these is that Of
motherhood. They feel that the entrance of
women into the dust and heat, the dissen-
sions and contentious and turmoil of the
political arena cannot but modify their
acceptance of their present duties as pre-
eminent claims, and may affect their ability
to fulfill them with single-hearted devotion.
For everything in life we must pay price.
The compensations of politics would not,
in their judgment counterbalance their
losses. They are not willing to pay the
price.
The opposition comes, in the third place,
from women who regard the proposal to
extend the electorate as purely a measure
CT political expedlency. Stripped to the
stark fact, the question that presents itself
to them is: Is It expedient to extend the
present form of the electorate-a part of
the apparatus of government which by a
general consensus of opinion has come to be
regarded as inadequate and in need OF re-
foTm-to a large new class OF citizens, in
Disseminated by any qualifications other
than that Of sex? Is II expedient to make
the electorate SO numerous that II would
almost double the present electorate, and
through the fortunes of war might soon
outnunber It? Every patriotic woman can
have but one answer to this question. No,
it is not expedlent to do this.
win you tell me why the opinion OF the
millions OF women representing the opposi-
ton should not be given equal dignity and
weight with those of the White House pick
cts the members OF the National womens
party, whose bond Of union is suffrage
Hrst no matter what my country has at
stake; the members of the Peoples Coun-
ell of America for Democracy and Terms
OF Peace, the Socialists. the anarchists ;
ali OF whom are suifragists?
]. p. MacKAY.
PHILADELPHIA, September II.