Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-20
THE DEFEAT OF suErRAnr
BY Anne Nathan Meyer.

SStNic tHe eyes Of
the world. or course, 1t does moth
Ing OF the sort. and II 1t did il Wo,.
scarcely be patriotic for an Anna,
can TO point this out with such sv,
dent satisfaction at the time WIN,
Americas enemies would be only a..
glad IL the irate lady happened h.
chance to be right.
People seem 10 think that Prs,
dent Wilson by bringing his graz.
prestige and influence TO Sear I'M,
this measure could decide the qu.,
tion once and for all. leaving IN.
nations legislators to go abou, thai,
legitimate business of Carrying A.,
the war. II would be a consumn,
tion devoutly to be wished II II V.,,
possible. l am so anxious that IN,
entire country should be united An.
uninterrupted in this serious buE.
ness Of winning the war (seriou,
even with the Hun on the rum th,,
l would be willing to see the Unh,a
States saddled with the dlsadvant.
age OF woman suffrage, the problem
OF the colored women's vote, IN.
problem OF the "I-didnt.raIse.my.
boy-to- be- soldier" and the J.
cannot-vote-for-w war" vote, the prob.
lem OF oversentimentally and un.
trained vision. q am talking OF ma.
jorities, not minorlties,) the problem
OF the foreign wife OF the natural.
lied citizen, and the foreign-bor
woman this becomes all the NOR,
acute since the defeat. so to 80, o.
Senator Frelinghuysen's amendmen,
forbidding the suffrage to alien WON.
EN- whose citizenship was dependen,
only upon marriage to American
men) the problem OF sex hatred. ser
hysteria, the problem OF the woman
who nags and will not accept deies,
in short, all the problems that
must be solved with the vote OF WON.
en-. would willingly suffer all tha,
II the country could have peace--ln.
ternal peace! But what is this won.
derful war service which the pres!.
dent has begged Of the senate? No,
to bring peace, not to bring unity.
but disunity, conflict! The senate Of
the United States cannot settle this
question. Even II, after the bitter
experience once before OF ignoring
states rights. the country wishes
to try 1t again; II congress passes an.
other force bill and imposes Its will
upon the individual states, neverthe.
less, even under the terms OF the Su.
san B. Anthony measure, the ques.
tion OF woman suffrage must still
be thrashed out In each individual
state legislature.
Now, may / ask. 10 this the time
for each state in the union-all u.
at once--to be seriously divided up.
on an important local issue? Is this
the time for American Statesmen
to yield their time to any issue save
the great, the fundamental one Of
winning the war? The loyal SUI.
fragists-there are others who are
beyond shame-should feel unspeak.
ably humiliated that the question Of
suffrage could not have waited for
the end OF the war. II they only
could have emulated the example Of
their English sisters! Mrs. Pank.
hurst has been finer and truef
shown a real craftsmanship when sh~|
begged American women to forget
everything but winning the war.
The suffragists may make all man.
ner OF claims in the conduct Of war
work, but nothing would have been
so effective. so liberating OF the great
power OF American womanhood u
to have accepted the truce the anti.
suffragists offered them-to with
hold all discussion. politics and prop.
aganda until after the war,
The president failed because some
OF the senators knew that 10
yield to pressure at this time meant
plunging the country into even
greater turmoil, knew further that
the splendid loyalty of the south /
must not he impaired by waging
bitter struggle at such a time upon
an issue that only In academic "
sentimental minds (the two oppo'
sites) does II seem so really import
ant. The presidents language would
be eloquent and full OF serious mean
ing we're women a class that is really
in need either Of protection or sell
expression. Women are not clasN
but a sex Not one class will %
strengthened at the polls, but ever
class-few women are unexpresseo
today at the polls, and none nee'
protection. individuals do not coun'
In scoring the needs Of great NJ"
ton, The sex can wait, will willing
ly wait. even II individuals chafe
il highly doubtful II single woman
in all this great land Of ours suiien
from a single disability that the Vo"
will overcome. therefore II Is diHn
genuous to try to link the cause
woman suffrage with the cause
the wronged nations-wlth the neeO'
of the Czecho- -Slovaks. the Juso'sa"
and those Of Poland and Belgium,