Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-29
Woman Suffrage
and MOrmOnism

While woman suffrage has never
accomplished anything for child la
Dor reforms or any other beneficial
| legislation, 1t has been OF great prac-
| llcal benefit to the system Of which
senator Reed SmOot Is an integral
fhciOr. Indeed, the Mormon iq tn"
only beneficiary OF woman suffrage
IN the United states up 10 The pres
"nt time. If We except the few women
6flcohoIdcrs in the suffrage states
| scarcely more than have been ap-
pointed TO lucrative positions under
exclusive manhood suffrage
Attention Is frequently called 10
the fhct that woman suffrage flour
ish"d first In those states either di-
rcciIly under Mormon control or in
which MormOnIsm held the balance
Of power. In fact one eminent au-
thority on woman suffrage makes
the following statement; "The voice
which ia heard IN suffrage defeats
iS not mans hut woman's; while tAe
voice which has spoken most loudly
IN suffrage victories In this country
10 date is tho voice OF the Mormon
priest.
The Mormon suffrage alliance
cited by the antis is conclusive be-
cause II can hc demonstrated that
woman suffrage in practical opera
tlon does materially assist Mormon
ism II is obvious that man with
five or six wives and perhaps twenty
daughters voting Eolidly at his
c"mmand-wlll have great advant-
age over the man with only one wife
and a normal number OF daughters
on whose obedience he cannot so
surely count.
Naturally tho Mormon Influence
is not present TO assist woman suf-
frage 10 n victory in Oklahoma. But
there are present more sthan n score
OF paid workers from out OF the
state who belong to movem ent
which has for It's strongest sponsors
MormonIsm and socialism. These
women have been able TO convert n
few good women In Oklahoma who
believe that all that In involved In
woman suffrage is pure milk for the
babies" and n test Of their own in
telligence. These good women OF
Oklahoma lose sight Of the fact that
n cause must he judged by Its lead
ers and not the rank and file. Just
because your Oklahoma mffragist
says she does not believe in social
ism orDfeminlsm In no proof that
the leaders Of her party do not stand
for these very things.
II IL ensy TO disguise the fact
that the pro-German element in this
country have desired and worked
for woman suffrage by saying that
those oklahoma women who have
been duped by the sophistry OF suf-
frage arguments are not pro-Ger-
man. hut the fact remains that II
these women succeed in effeminiZ-
ing our government through wom-
an suffrage they will play the game
pro German influences desire. No
one who looks at woman suffrage
Finland or Russia where the govern
ment broke down completely--or
at woman suffrage Australia where
conscrlptlon was defeated, can deny
that these countries give aid to the
enemy when they became effemin-
lied.
If there was no falscness OF logic
no fundamental wrongness about
woman auffrage-the good citizen
should still be suspicious OF It be-
cause OF forces which are backing
II. Every interest back OF woman
suffrage In selfish one, each one
has some particular point TO gain
WnlCn experience ms lhukHt NhH-
not he secured under male suffrage
In country with the record of
sane progress and good government
OF the United StateA-these inter-
ests which are afraid TO trust the
American man voter are to be
viewed with suspicion.
Remember, MIR. Voter, you are be-
ing asked to indulge in a risky OK
pertinent, to try something which
after 25 years trial In Colorado has
not single merit 10 It's credit. A
few "wllful" women have picketed
few OF our public men until they
have yielded against their better
Judgment A few Of these same
women will attempt to picket the
polls on November s and coerce
you. Mr.. Voter, into voting against
the best interest OF your self, your
wife and family. But when the
charming lady asks you for Votes
for women" look over her shoulder
at the hosts Of Mormoulsm, social
ism, and femlnlsm and remember
the things which lurk behind that
simple slogan. Take the word of
your leading suffragette for the fact
that "the ballot is not the end we
doaIra h,tt r,prolv tho Tnnnna To the