New-York tribune., 1919-06-06
Victory for Women

victory for women came as it should,
calmly, quietly, by overwhelming vote.
Those who still see some chance Of de-
feating suffrage in the states lose sight
Of this inevitable sweep of public opinion
which has forced the measure through
our most conservative legislative body by
a two-thirds vote. If the change rested
upon a small propaganda, however in
tense, or the Vaccinations of politicians,
there might yet be doubt. But the ire
sistible force of the popular will is un-
mistakable. Women will gain their full
rights, not because of any group of men
or women, but because the whole nation
is ready for the move and persuaded of
it's necessity.
1t is far cry from those first eager
woman's rights pioneers to the present
broad resolve. A distinct fattening of
enthusiasm is the obvious accompani-
ment of such success. So runs the time
table of debate in every popular move
ment. First come the tense forerunners,
visionary and pdomitable In how
many cases are they following false
trails and perish, leaving no trace! A
breed apart in every case. To few plain,
everyday mortals is it given "to hunt
upon their shining trails" The simile
of the pioneer carries through with ac-
curacy. Only if the bold adventurer dis
covers a habitable and worthwhile land
Will the trek of settlers follow first the
mere adventures, finally the great
stream of open-minded folk, till only the
hold-fasts and sit-by-the fire immovables
are left in the old places.
Now that the day is practically won it
IS easy to be lenient and generous with
the unbudgeable conservatives. Per-.
spective is very hard to get in the making
of a reform and absurdly simple when
the height is gained. We need every ele-
ment in popularly ruled nation to Sc
cure debate and prevent error. Turn a
nation over to its pioneers, however sim
cere and high minded, and it would not
last generation. We must have every
quality of human brain contributing it's
testimony. Modern psychology helps ex-.
plain why. Reason, sheer thought, can
Of itself decide hardly any of the great
human problems that determine an indi-
vldual's or a nations success or failure.
observed facts and reasoned conclusions
can carry US part way; always there re-
mains no mans land that we must cross
by instinct, by deep faith and underlying
emotion, relying upon those tides of will
and Judgment which are our innlost
selves OF character and race. In form
ing the considered judgment of nation
on any such fundamental issue as s1f-
frage we must act not only upon theory
and fact, but upon the trend of our whole
people, conservative and radical alike.
Looking backward, it is easy to see
that suffrage could not have come much
sooner than it did-or would have
amounted to little if it had come before.
1t is to the everlasting credit of the first
sutfragists that they had the practical
wisdom to fight not only for the distant
goal but for the taking of each small DO
sltion logically needed on the way. The
higher education of women was the foun-
datlon Of much later progress. As new
generations Of trained women came to
maturity IN increasing numbers the task
became increasingly easy. The women's
clubs movement gave another vast i'm
pulse. And underlying all these surface
advances was the great economic shift Of
women into the wage earning classes,
which the war brought to a sudden and
patriotic fruition.
The enthusiasm of the contest is dying
out as final success draws near. We
nave left only another sure but slight
gam In the long struggle Of peoples to
order their ways more wisely The pio-
neers have passed on to other ventures.
10 the nation falls the slow task of turn
ing the new territory to account and
drawing from it the best that in it lies