The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-05-25

sound mind not convicted of crime
without regard to sex, but no law
extending or restricting the right t
of suffrage shall be in, force until
adopted by majority of the eIec- /
tors of the state voting at gem
eral election"
Notwithstanding the plain language
of the constitution just quoted a few
suffragists induced the legislature to
pass this act. to take effect on July 1,
next and without a vote of the people.
The reason, without doubt, for disre-
garding the constitution, lies in the
fact that in 1912 they had a statute
passed which was properly drawn and
provided for submission to the voters.
It was submitted in 1914 and was vot-
ed down. They now want a law with
out submitting it to the voters, and
the legislature gave It to them.
Men Voters of the State.
This act was passed by the legisla-
tive body composed Of $50 men. In
1914, S9,419 men voted on the question
and decided against it by q majority
of 9401. Thirty-five of our so counties
gave majorities against it. The first
congressional district gave 1902 major
ity against it, The second congressional
district gave 5062 majority against it.,
and the third gave SS7. There has
been no later expression of opinion,
and there is no ground for claiming
that there has been a change of opin-
ion.
.lt Disregards the Wishes of the Wo-
men of the State.
The overwhelming majority of the
women of our state do not wish to be
forced into political life. They have
repeatedly demonstrated this. They
are more interested in school ques-
tions; upon which they have had the
right to vote for twenty-five years,
than in other questions, In North Da-
kota and other states generally speak
ing not more than two per cent of the
women have availed themselves of the
educational franchise. Even at our
1914 general election when the Woman
Suffrage amendment was being voted
upon and Shere were active contests
on educational offices, very few women
voted. The following official figures
will illustrate. In Cass county 4T0S
men voted and only 1876 women. In
Grand Forks county 1895 men and only
290 women. In Stutsman county 247S
men and only So women. In Ramsey
county 2051 men and only AZ women.
In Trail county 1923 men and only
A women. At the 1916 general cleo
ton in Fargo 2840 men voted and only
119 women.
Within the last six months an actual
poll of women was made in the cities
of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati,
Circleville, Chillicothe, Dayton and
Lancaster, Ohio. The canvass showed
10l,9 ,905 against suffrage, and only 7lOS
for it.
This Act Represents Minority of
Men and a Small Minority of Women
In all free, self-governing and dem
ocratic countries decisions are made
by majorities. 1t is the primary right
of majorities to decide. It is the right
of the minority to agitate and endeav-
or to develop itself into majority,
but until it has done so its duty is to
submit to the majority decision. The
suffrage question should be settled by
this method. A majority of the male
electors should be required. And II
the men are not competent to decide
question concerning our sex (and II
is our sex as a whole which is con-
cerned), in the interests of fairness
and Justice it would seem that the
women themselves should first decide
in a proper way, by a majority vote
whether they are desirous of taking
up the general political burdens which
have heretofore been borne by the
men. 1t is undemocratic and unfair
to force upon the majority of women
these public duties for they can not
abdicate their primary duties to- their
families and homes for the political
arena.
We, therefore, ask you as a matter
of right and justice to the womanhood
of our state, to refer this act to the
people and to defeat it at the election.
Respectfully,
North Dakota Association Opposed To
Woman Suffrage.