The labor standard., 1918-09-01
WEN CENTS
 OR DEMOCRACY
NANCY M. scHooNMAKER.

NANCY M. scHooNMAKER.
 Executive Secretary, Department of Citizenship
 Conrecticut Woman Suffrage Association Democracy is not cheap. It never has been. Blood and treasure almost beyond count have been spent to win and to keep the precious privilege of the ballot. And yet in the long years of their fighting for it, the people have not often wanted to turn back. They have felt that even at this high price, democracy was worth while.
 But perhaps none of us knew just how precious democracy was to us until Germany threatened it. Now we know that we would sacrifice any, thing for it, that without it life is hardly worth while.
 And yet there comes a new cry from the anti-suffragists, that women must not now be enfranchised because the election expenses would be too much. And they feel particularly virtuous in urging that the 10000, ,O0O women of voting age in the United States be denied the franchise in order that some fictitious sum which presumably would have to be spent in providing additional polling places for women be turned into the war this war which we are fighting for democracy and which is securing this right to vote for both men and women in Europe. One SfQrm which the democracy we are winning in Europe has already taken is the enfranchisement of women, 4O,000,OOO women in the allied coun- tries granted the franchise within the last three years. How will our sold iers feel when the war is over if we solemnly present to them our conclu- sion that democracy is all very well to die for but that it is quite too expensive to practice.
 The calculation of experts shows that if as many women were added as there were men voting at the last nayoralty election in New York city, the cost would be lifted from $500, ,000 to $350,00O, or about seven cents each for the women to vote as against the forty three cents each which it has cost for the men to vote. This { ferent hours from those at which men vote, and is also the working out of a perfectly familiar ratio of pro- portionate decrease in cost as to in- crease of use or output. But it is surely hardly logical for anyone to decide that the seven cents each for the women and not the forty-three cents each for the men shall be the limit beyond which the price of democ- racy may not go.
 Fortunately there are not many men in our democratic world who of fer to die for democracy and then want to save seven cents by refusing to practice it. If there were any such, we might present to them the two following observations: 1. If in order to win the war we must pour into our war fund the money it would cost to provide voting places for wo- men, why not save still more money by asking men to renounce their fran chise and closing up the polls en- tirely? 2. The present and past ex- penses of elections are and have been paid out of the taxes. In paying their taxes women have contributed their full share of the cost of mems voting. Isn't it time that men be asked to pay their share for women's voting But it is not alone money that the anti suffragists boast of saving. They are Saving the country from de- struction" and they are saving two men from political burdens and jury duty"
 N Not if Ohio can help it. That anti suffrage state is seriously considering a bill to require women to serve on jury duty not as privilege or as a punishment but for the very home1y reason that men are scarce. And for the same reason, and also because the American woman has, the Ameri- can woman whether they want it or not, will have to take up their share of the political burdens.
 And in the end they will do it without complaining even as the Anti Suffrage Voters League is doing in New York.
 The spirit of democracy is abroad in the world. We know that our dream is to be fulfilled.
 Under the "work or fight" order many persons are going to learn the f ~F +Inv> rnJx