The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-19
Other Mems Views
An Editorial That May or May Not
Square With The Forums
Opinions.
NAMES VOTE ON WOMAN
SUFFRAGE,

MAINE'S w ON WOmNN
SUFFRAGE.
Christian Science Monitor: There
seems to be some question whether
or not woman suffragists expected
success with their referendum in the
recent Maine elections, but there Is
no question whatever about the
ment was defeated by a vote OF al
most two to one. And whether the
suffragists looked forward to this
outcome or not, they are, as usual,
taking defeat as merely postpone
ment, and are going straight forward
with their propaganda.
Outside of suffrage circles, how
ever there has been some tendency
to see a connection between the suf-
frage decision in the State Of Maine
and the summers activities of that
fractional minority. OF suffrage SYM
pathizers who have been displaying
banners and inviting disturbances at
the door Of the Presidential residence
in Washington. In spite Of the fact
that this faction and the. activities
OF its representatives have been again
and again repudtated by the major
Organization of woman suffragists,
their methods OF putting forward the
cause Of woman suffrage can hardly
be ASSOCIATED in the public thought
from the cause itself; and in pro-
portion as these methods have excit-
ed general disapproval, there is a
tendency in certain quarters to be-
lieve that this disapproval was to some
extent reflected in the recent vote in
Maine.
Whether this is so, or not, the
most ardent believer in personal
exploitation and militancy in the
cause of woman suffrage should
comprehend, by this time, that public
opinion in a nation at war, keenly
intent on meeting the foes within as
we'll as the foes without, is a very
different thing from the public
opinion Of a nation at peace, and
perhaps lethargic with the routine
Of ordinary affairs. Granting that
militancy might have its place in
peace times, there are scores of good
re- sons why 1t could not hope to
have the same place in times Of war.
The nations special need of unity in
support of the Government in time
of war is such that any clamor
against the Government at such a
time takes on undue Significance and
arouses more than ordinary doubt
and distrust. To speak bluntly, in a
situation such as that Of the United
States in the past half year, when
all sorts Of apparently friendly
organizations have been proven to
have been instigated or controlled
for unfriendly purposes by those
directly interested in hindering the
nation in its conduct Of the war, the
action of the militant sufragists in
harassing the President at Wash
ington may easily have aroused OPP
position which otherwise might never
have been manifested.
In the face of inability to clear
up such a doubt, even the militants,
IL sincere and disinterested in their
devotion to the suffrage cause, might
be expected to give over their mill
fancy, at least for the duration Of
the war. That such a sacrifice would
count heavily toward their ultimate
success is intimated by the evident
ly favorable impression created il
Great Britain by the action of Mrs.
Pankhurst, and her suffragist sup
porters, in suppressing all militant
propagandism for the sake of ma
tional unity and success in prosecu-
ton OF the war. The great majority
Of suffragists in the United States
are ready to make a similar sacrifice.
Those who still hold out are, of
course, bringing under suspicion both
their loyalty to the cause of woman
suffrage and their loyalty to the
United States.
The Minneapolis Tribune: Repre-
sentative A. F. Teigen and Senator
r. c. Dunn had a session in st. Paul.
Senator Dunn's son has gone to
France to help win the war; Mr..
Teigen's son is at home and has been
spending his time recently organic
ing the .Nonpartisan league and
making disparaging remarks with
regard to the government and it's
efforts to get ready for war. In
other words, one son Is helping to win
the war and the other is helping to
lose IL.
Naturally this disturbed the cord
iality Of the meeting between these
two we'll known men and some Of
Bob Dunn's picturesque language
filled the air. Mr.. Teigen's reply was
embodied in phrase and manner very
much less vehement than he would
ordinarily employ in speaking Of the
weather, but 1t conveyed the infor-
nation that his son had found out
something that he didn't know be-
fore and that he had cut out the
anti-war talk" and quit the league.
That lets the boy out, who is prob
ably guilty Of youth and lack Of in
formation. But what about the
league? Has II taken any steps to
disavow the disloyaI utterances Of
the boy while he was it's represen-
tative?