Sharp County record., 1918-08-16
AGAINST WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Delegate Watson Presents Argument
Against Women Voting.

tuC Ouiy luCluUCi vi tuC Souseitu
tional convention who voted against
woman suffrage, sent up The follow
ing explanation TO be spread on the
records, which is good reading
whether you agree with him or not:
In giving women the right to
vote we give them large power i'll
governmental affairs without any
reciprocal act on their part in re.
turn, such as bearing arms in time
of war, manual labor upon the pub.
lie highways, serving on juries ano
all other duties that are required OF
men and which they are unfiue0
to perform by the laws Of nature.
The political combats in which
they will be required to take part
in the exercise of their privilege as
voters will, in a very short time,
take from them their feminity,
which is their glory and the admir-
alton OF oil chiyalrous men. They
cannot mix with men in the Cess.
pool ot poli.ics Without becoming
contaminated with llie virus which
turks there, aud The argument Ui-
tered thai they will false the stand.
ard OF politics is faliaciOus. Upon
the contrary they will. of necessity,
be dragged down 10 the base level
by The slroneer will aud PERSONAL.
ty of men, who are by nature the
aggressive rulers of political parties
and political questions.
From the beginning in all civil.
lied governments, woman h S
reigned as queen OF The home. Hel
throne has ever been erected at the
tireside, tree from the cares, strife
and vexations of the outside world.
Without this position and power
being accorded u her, society woul1
become a hellish chaos and govern.
ment would cease TO exist. We
now Call upon her 10 abdicate this
thrOne AMI surrender her majesty
ani power. lnere Can be no dlvr
slon Of this sovereign power OF hers
She cannot reign at home end al
The same time FIGHT the political
battles of the country. As icono,
clasts. we have 0verthrown the
beautiful temple OF home and have
placed Lothins in its stead but tn.
hldc0us monster of strife. We owe
II to the women themselves, as d
great duty on our part, to protect
them from the consequent evils
that will follow from this ret.
Granting to them the highest
order of intelligence, they can Of
by the exercise Of 1t overcome the
natural consequences that will flow
from the conditions that will SUI
round them as voters. And as the
right of suffrage is not an Inherent
right Of the citizen, expediency de
mands that ii should not be giveL
wnere the good of the state will MOI
be advanced thereby. And II !,
appears in the least that the state
Or society or the individual upon
whom it is conferred will suffer al
injury, il should be withheld.
The demand Oh the part Of the
women Of this state for the right Of
suffrage Is OILY partial 1t is not Of
such volume as to variant this
great innovation upon the estab.
llsiied order Of government since
the discovery oi America until very
recently
The race question that has vex.
ed the people VI this state, as well
as other Southern States, has no,
been settled, Tins article seeks I,
enfranchise thousands Of ignorpnI
negro women whose vote will b,
matched against that of inteIigen,
white women Instead Of smooth
Ing out the turbulent seN Ia thi,
regard, we lash It into u fury, ont
that at a time when every exped
iencv demands n perfect noliiica