Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-02-22
SUFFS SCORED
BY ANTI,SISTERS
Women Opposed To Suffrage De-
scribe Its Many Evils to Law
makers Yesterday
WANT ALL THE BILLS KILLED
Predict Disaster If Women Are Allow
ed To Vote And Declare That
Majority OF Their Sex Are
Bitterly Opposed To 1t.

Receiving round after round of ap-
plause as their telling points against
their sisters who are importuning the
Legislature for the suffrage were scor-
ed, delegation of the most prominent
women of Maryland, headed by Mrs.
Oscar Lesser, appeared before a joint
meeting of the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee and the House Elections Com
mittee yesterday afternoon. The meet
ing was held in the House of Delegates
Chamber and was largely attended.
Mrs. Oscar Lesser, president of the
Maryland Association Opposed to
Woman Suffrage, was the first speak
er, and introduced the other speakers
Mrs. Lesser, said, in part:
I'VE come to tell you why suffrage
should not be forced upon the women
of our State. First of ALL the over
whelming majority of women of Mary
land do not want the vote. Be not
misled by the clamorous sister you
meet around this State House; they
are a part of the small minority who
are crying for something that would
not do them any good in the long run.
A canvass taken last spring has prov
ed that the vast majority of the wom-
en- of this State, your constituents, do
not want the vote. Our women of to-
day are leading very busy lives, giving
the best that is in them for their coun-
try at war, their home and the rear
ing of the future male voters, and
they have no time left for politics.
I'VE believe in woman's indirect in
fluence and have full confidence that
our fathers, husbands, brothers and
sons have no designs against us. Do
you realize that this suffrage cause is
largely one of sex antagonism which
assumes your incompetency? And Y t
the suffragette flirts with you to win
your favor and you fail to see the in
suit and hidden stab at your abilities.
AS man is not perfect, there will never
be perfect government; and as wom-
an is not quite perfection either, a
Jointly managed government will leave
just as much to be desired. In the
woman suffrage states nothing has
been accomplished that could not have
been, and has not, in fact, been ac-
complished in male suffrage states.
CLOSELY allied with the cause is
feminism, which is the ultimate goal
in the program of those most promi-
nent in the suffrage movement. In
few words, feminism is a cult which
aims at the disruption of the family
by substituting the individual as the
unit Of society. Many of these mis-
guided people believe that in this way
only can the full equality of the wom-
an be established, because as long as
we recognize the family as the basis
of civilization we must recognize some
one as the head of the family.
Miss Minnie Bronson, of New York,
showed the alliance between the suf-
fragettes and the socialtistic elements
in this country. She declared that
Miss Rankin not only voted against
war. but was the only member of Con-
gress who had the audacity to intro
duce a hostile resolution directed at
our ally, Great Britain, and told how
Dudley Field Malone had Joined forces
with Hilquit. socialist pro-German pa
cifist. She predicted that the woman
suffrage law, when referred to the
men and women of New York State
would be rescinded by a great major
ity.
Mrs. Lesser closed with an appeal to
the committee to defeat all the suf-
frage bills.
A number of prominent suffragettes
heard the arguments of the antis and
;,,,,,,adiataIv after the hearing con-
cluded got very busy button-holing
and "argufying" with legislators.
Constance Tslmadge, in The
HONEYMOON. riot of fun from start