Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-05-27
Prize Essay on woman Suf-
frage," Written by Miss
Martha Bell.
published by Request. }

published by ReqCest.)
Resolved That We Should Have Wo-
man Suffrage in South Carolina.
We come to you tonight with this
worldwide subject, and hope after
YOU hear what I have to say, you will
agree with me. The first thing shall
;say-what would this world be if it
were not for a woman, or what does
a man marry for if he doesn't expect
to make his home better, then why
shouldn't the laws be better if wo-
men could vote? 1t is true, we have
some bad women, but we have more
good ones than bad ones. There are
more women in the churches than
men, and more men in the jails and
penitentiaries than women. The
vicious and criminal class is compari-
lively small among women. In the
prisons of the United States, as a
whole, including those for all kinds
of offenses, women constitute only
five and one-half per cent. of the
prisoners, and the proportion is grow
ing smaller. Equal suffrage would in
crease the moral and law-abiding vote
very largely while increasing the
vicious and criminal vote very little.
This proves htat women, as maJorl-
ty, are better than men. This is not
matter of conjecture but of statis-
tics.
Women of one-fourth of the United
States voted for president in 1916,
these were Illinois, Montana, Wyo-
ming, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, Ne
vada, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Cali
fornia and Arizona. Women should
have the same right to vote in South
Carolina as in other states. There has
never been a man or woman of re-
speciality and prominence in one
of our Suffrage States who has pub
lie, said that woman suffrage has
not been a success. No state or coun-
try which has ever extended suffrage
to women has taken it away, a fact
which would not be true if it had IN
any way injured women or men or
the home or in any way harmed the
community interests.
In Colorado where women have vo-
ted for twenty-three years, the people
are enjoying a period of greater pros
perity than ever before in her his
tory. She has grown steadily by long
strides from poverty to great wealth
under woman, suffrage. Since women
had the vote in California, one legis-
lature passed more constructive leg
islations than had been passed IN the
previous decade. At the same time,
though these laws necessitated new
government activities, government ex
penses increased at five per cent
lower rate than in the previous five
year period. Extending the franchise
to women actually increases the pro-
portion of intelligent voters. There
is now, and has been for five years,
according to the report of the COM
missioner of education, one-third
more girls in High Schools of the
country than boys, and according to
the last census, the illiterate men OF
the country greatly outnumbered
women. Extending suffrage to women
also increases the moral vote. In all
states and countries that have adopt
ed equal suffrage the vote of the dis
reputable women is practically neg
ligible. The slum wards of the cities
invariably having the lightest woman
vote, and the respectable residence
wards the heaviest. Only one out OF
every twenty criminals is woman.
Women constitute minority OF
drunkards and petty misdemeanants,
ard for every prostitute there are at
least two men responsible for her inn
morality.
In all the factors that tend to
handicap the progress of society, Wo-
men form minority, whereas, In
churches, schools and all organza-
tions working, for the uplift of hu-
manity, women are in the majority.
Do you know any sound, logical
reason why women should not have
the vote? You can have no such rea-
sons, for they do not exist. The rea-
sons why women should vote are the
same as the reasons why men should
vote. Just the same as the reasons
for having a republic rather than a
monarchy. 1t is fair and right that
oho1y tho laws