Evening star., 1924-10-12
Non-Voting Held Perilous
AS Treason to America

women. and having eliminated sex in
the management of politics and the
control of public affairs. certain
women are making it known that
they are not content, even though
they are citizens and voters.
The National Woman's Party pro-
poses an intensive campaign for the
purpose of electing 100 women to the
House of Representatives.. What the
real idea behind such IL movement is
passes the comprehension. of mere
man. 1t would. perhaps. be untrue to
say that it is wholly question of sex,
and yet what else is it? 1t is. not d
movement to elect the most compe-
tent candidate in each congressional
district. 1t is not based on the theory
that woman candidate is better fit-
ted for public service than q man can
didate. 1t seems to be a movement to
elect women just because they are
women. If this is so, it is an interest
ing development in our political life.
| find myself wondering if 100 wom-
en- are to be elected in as many con-
gressional districts, not because they
are better qualified or fitted than man
candidates, but merely because they
are women, why should the number
not be enlarged? Why should a wom-
Sional district in the United States?
Fenrs MaIe-FemnIe Division.
1t is to he hoped that the sensible
women of America will frown down
this movement. BY and large, women
are just as competent to >unders tand
political principles as are men, and
they are far keener than men in de-
tecting the weaknesses of candidates
The comforting of the ballot on them
was justified upon the theory that
they would bring to public life their
own high ideals of personal morality
They must. therefore, fight shy of
voting for women just because they
are women. They must disclose that
the ballot was properly bestowed
upon them. and the way for them to
do this is through their support of
the best candidates for office regard
less Of the sex of the hest candidates.
Society has had trouble enough over
the sexes in other than political re-
lations. The sex question has broken
up homes innumerable, divided
churches, unfrocked preachers, ruined
lawyers, raised merry old cain since
Cain was first raised by his mother
Eve. Bad as is the State of politics,
always it will he infinitely worse if
we begin to divide the voters of
America into male and female.
Envy as Check.
This proposal, however, is not like
ly 10 get far. No one except the
cornet blowers and the heaters of
bass drums are taking much inter
est in it apparently. For one reason.
envy viii hold it back The envy
which ono man holds toward another
has done as much 10 block good
things for the world as anything
that ! know Of. yet the envy which
men entertain for each other is as
mild as d Summers breeze as com
pared with the norther of women's
envy. They Will deny this statement
and may abuse me for making II, but
l take my chances on the prediction
that while the women may gather
around d woman candidate when she
makes her first fight for office, they
viii not regathcr around her when
she seeks a reelection. She is very
apt to disclose she does not know as
much as the women who voted for
her. This Will hold her back the
second time.
Copyright. 1924. by 2lst Century Press.)