Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1910 — WOULDN’T IT BE INTERESTING [ARTICLE]

WOULDN’T IT BE INTERESTING

On* Man's Pine Arsnment Against Vote* for Women* Chicago boasts among its wealthy residents one man—a cynic—who has arisen with a new argument against votes for women. Recently he wrote a little “piece” for a newspaper which, setting forth his views, is not uninteresting. He starts in graciously conceding that the “average woman has sense enough to caßt a ballot,” but goes on to say: “Those Legislatures ■which grant to women at large the suffrage will not be adding anything to the sweet calm of the family fireside, but they wUI be Introducing into many households a nice, bright, inno-cent-looking can of nitroglycerine, which sooner or later will receive from some member of the family a swift and hearty kick.” How equal suffrage may work is pictured by him as follows: “Suppose lam an old-time Republican, living in a Republican ward and in a precinct that usnally goes Republican by a small majority. My wife knows that I vote Republican and that we usually win. She also knows that in our neighborhood there are many undesirable things, from a woman's point of view. There are too many saloons. The school is not Just what she likes, the butcher’s and grocer’s bills are altogether too high. The Republicans rule the land. My wife reasons the Republicans are to blame. Therefore, my good Bpouse, being now a voter, thinks a change would be a good thing and. being a social woman of ready speech and great persuasive powers, she talks and argues with our neighbors’ wives on all possible occasions and persuades them, too, that a change would be beneficial. This kind of electioneering goes on until election day, when the whole bunch marches to the polls and votes the Democratic ticket The morning after election I see by my daily paper that the Republican candidate in my precinct was beaten by a small majority. Do I go to breakfast with a smiling face and congratulate my better half on the success of her campaign? Well hardly!”