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The Commoner
OCTOBER, 1914
Support the President's policies by giving him a Congress
in harmony with him.
H
JaneAddams of Hull House
on
Why Women Should Vote
To those of my readers who would admit that
although woman has no right to shirk her old
obligations, that all of these could be fulfilled
more easily through her influence upon the men
of her family than through the direct use of the
ballot, I should like to tell a little story. I have
a friend In Chicago who is the mother of four
sons, and the grandmother of twelve grandsons
who are voters. She is a woman of wealth, of
secured social position, of sterling character and
clear intelligence, and may, therefore, quite
fairly be cited as a "woman of influence." Upon
one of her recent birthdays, when she was asked
how she had kept so young, she promptly replied:
"Because I have always advocated at least one
unpopular cause." It may have been in pursu
ance of this policy that for many years she has
been an ardent advocate of free silver, although
her manufacturing family are all republicans!
I happened to call at her house on the day that
Mr. McKinley was elected president against Mr.
Bryan for the first time. I found my friend
much -disturbed. She said somewhat bitterly
that she had at last discovered what the much
vaunted influence of woman was worth; that she
had implored each one of her sons and grand-
sons; had entered into endless arguments and
moral appeals to induce one of them to repre
sent her convictions by voting for Mr. Bryan;
that, although sincerely devoted to her, each one
had assured her that his convictions forced him
.to vote the, republican ticket! She said that all
'she had been able to secure was the promise from
.one of the grandsons, for whom she had an es
pecial tenderness because he bore her husband's
name, that ho would not vote at all. He could
not vote for Bryan, but out of respect for her
feeling he would refrain from voting for Mc
Kinley. My friend said that for many years she
had suspected that women could influence men
only in regard to those things in'which men were
not deeply concerned, but when it came to per
suading a man to a woman's view in affairs of
politics or business it was absolutely useless. I
contended that a woman had no right to per
suade a man to vote against his own convictions;
that I respected the men of her family for follow
ing their own judgment regaTdless of the appeal
which the honored head of the house had made
to their chjvalric devotion. To this she replied
that she would agree with that point of view
when a woman had the same opportunity as a
man to register her convictions by vote. I be
lieved then, as I do now, that nothing is gained
when independence of judgment is assailed by
"influence," sontimental or otherwise, and that
we test advancing civilization somewhat by our
power to respect differences and by our tolerance
of another's honest conviction.
This is, perhaps, the attitude of many busy
women who would be glad to use the ballot to
further public measures in which they are inter
ested and for which they have been working for
years. It offends the taste of such a woman to
be obliged to use indirect "influence" when she
is accustomed to well-bred, open action in other
affairs, and she very much resents the time spent
in persuading a voter to take her point of view,
and possibly to give up his own, quite as honest
and valuable as hers, although different because
resulting from totally different experience. Public-spirited
women who wish to use the ballot, as
I know them, do not wish to do the work of men
nor to take over men's affairs. They simply
want an opportunity to do their own work and
to take care of those affairs which naturally and
historically belong to women, but which are con
stantly being overlooked and slighted in our
political institutions;
In a complex community like tho modern city
all points of view need to be represented.
- To turn the administration of our civic affairs
wholly over to men may mean that the American
city will continue to push forward in- its com
mercial and industrial development, and continue
to lag behind in those things which make a city
healthful and beautiful. After all, woman's tra
ditional function has been to make her dwelling
place both clean and fair. Is that dreariness in
city life, that Jack of domesticity which tho
humblest farm dwelling presents, duo to a with
drawal of one of the naturally co-operating
forces? If women have in any sense been re
sponsible for the gentler side of life which soft
ens and blurs some of its harsher conditions,
may they not have a duty to perform in our
American cities?
In closing, may I recapitulate that if woman
would fulfill her traditional responsibility to her
own children; if she would educate and protect
from danger factory children who must find their
recreation on the streets; if she would bring the
cultural forces to bear upon our materialistic
civilization; and if she would do it all with the
dignity and directness fitting one who carrieson
her immemorial duties, then she must bring her
self to tho use of the ballot that latest ilnple
"ment for self-government. May we not fairly
say that American women need this implement
in order to preserve the home?
HUSTING OF WISCONSIN
Paul Husting, democratic nominee for United
States senator in Wisconsin, should bo elected.
Men of all parties who believe in the rule of the
people, who hope for public officers who never
sacrifice any essentials of the eternal verities to
the passing needs of expediency, can with confi
dence vote for Mr. Hustling. Mr. Husting has
served eight years in the Wisconsin state sen
ate. He has a record of achievement o.f which,
any public servant might be proud. The ye--markable
work of Mr. Husting in the Wisconsin
state senate is so clearly and pointedly set forth
in a letter written to The Commoner
by State Senator Randolph of Wisconsin,
that it Is reproduced below. Every voter in
Wisconsin should read and study the work of
Senator Husting. He has earned a promotion
and the national legislative branch of the gov
ernment offers a field for Senator Husting to ex
tend his work in behalf of the people. In the
United States senate Mr. Husting could be of
inestimable service to the people of Wisconsin,
he would be a tower of strength to the demo
cratic side of the senate, and another able cham
pion of President Wilson's policies. Tho letter
follows. W. J. BRYAN.
Manitowoc, Wis.
The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb.: The people
of the 13th senatorial district of Wisconsin eight
years ago handed to Paul O. Husting his com
mission to represent them in the state's upper
chamber. Now he hands back that commission
and asks that his record in four regular sessions
and several special sessions of the legislature
say. for him whether he has rendered faithful
service for them or to the privilege-seeking in
terests that haunt every legislative body.
On the day that he entered that senate
chamber a new influence was felt. Toryism rec
ognized a new and powerful enemy. In skillful
defence and in intelligently planned affirmative
battles Senator Husting kept up the fight. Every
bill, no matter who originated it, that brought
government closer to the people and more di
rectly under their control; every movement to
expose or prevent corrupt political methods;
every bill striking at private monopoly; every
bill to bring corporations under more effective
control; every bill designed in the farmers' in
terests, to better the workers' conditions or to
secure fairer compensation for the wounded up
on the industrial battlefield; every- bill Intelli
gently carrying out the Wisconsin idea of social
welfare he fought for and voted for, and many
he originated. Their enumeration would make
a long list. Towering above them all are his
water-powers movement and the senatorial elec
tion investigation. Senator Husting is one of
the leaders in Wisconsin of the movement to
retain in the .people as much of the -socially
created, and to be created, values of the state's
watqr powers as the fundamental law will per
mit. With a statesman's vision he comprehend
ed the tremendous Industrial power that will be
wielded by those who In the future will claim
to own the "white coal" set by nature to turn
the wheels for the benefit of all, and the cam
paign he waged in paTty councils and In the-leg
islature for his idea of conserving in the people
this unearned increment while at the fiamo time
encouraging tho water'a use by liberal fran
chises until a law was enacted going as far as
tho courts will at present permit, was a cam
paign of constructive statesmanship that far
transcends in its ultimato importance any of tho
many progressive movements of tho past decade
In Wisconsin. Only those in that struggle know
its history. Like another David, Senator Hunt
ing mot and vanquished a Goliath In tho form
of tho most powerful lobby that had gathered
in Madison in years. Harried at every turn,
with every subtle luro that adroit agents could
array against him, meeting evory form of spe
cIoub sophistry, ho struggled on, efficient, pa
tient, untiring and finally irresistible. Then
came tho struggle in tho courts, and defeat. He
went back, began again and bu tided stone ly
stone and made his bill a law with the help of
progressives of three parties. Now ho Is fight
ing for a constitutional amendment that will
permit his task to be completed.
He was the leader of tho movement that com
pelled tho senatorial candidates of 1908 to dls
closo to tho world the facts of the enormous
sums of money thrown broadcast by SQme .of
them, and these revelations resulted in a string
ent corrupt practices act. In this Investigation
he showed a grasp of detail and a relentless in
quisitorial power.
'Senator Husting is a skillful legislator, a con
summate parliamentary tactician and a fighter
who never knows defeat. He has a pleasing per
sonality, an affable manner, and an unusual gift
of holding tho respect of opponent and sup
porter. Should it cause surprise that the people of his
district by overwhelming y6to nave decided to
reward eight years ot faithful service by wider
opportunities for service; that they and the ral
democrats of all parties In Wisconsin wish o
Bond to tho national councils this doughty cham
pion of the peoplo's cause to help hold up the
hands of the peoplo's president in his great
work.
A dreamer who makes his dreams come true,
a new tribute of the people is promised frdm
Wisconsin. His nomination was an augury of
tho continued march of democracy and progress.
SAMUEL W. RANDOLPH.
THE PHILIPPINE: BIIjTj
Tho Philippine bill, now before the house, pre
pared and reported by Mr. Jones, of "Virginia,
represents the democratic position on the sub
ject, and has the endorsement of the administra
tion. Among tho speeches made against it in con
gress, that delivored by Mr. Mann of Illinois, the
leader of the republican party, may be consid
ered as a statement of tho republican party's
position on tho Philippine bill. He begins
with the assumption that we are certain
to have war with the Orient; he hopes it
may be nothing more than a commercial war,
but, in his opinion, we are bound to have a war
of some kind.
Then treating his prophecy as If It were real
ly a fact, he proceeds to advocate imperialism as
a means of advancing this nation's commercial in
terests. He favors the kind of commercialism
that provides war; he puts the dollar before the
man. The democratic party follows a wiser pol
icy when it puts moral and political principles
first and makes commercial Interests subservient
to these; it puts man first and the dollar after
wards.. We are indebted to Congressman Mana
for making the issues plain, but in this matter,
as in almost all others, the right thing is also
the expedient thing. Righteousness exalteth" a
nation not only morally but materially. Inde
pendence for the Filipinos is entirely in harmony
with commercial expansion. A naval base is the
only thing we need in the Philippines. If, to
secure this, we undertake to administer a foreign
government over an unwilling people, we lay up
wrath for the day of wrath, whereas wo shall
make friends of the Filipinos if we give them
independence. Independence and friendship
make better neighbors than enemies. The Jones
bill stands for the doctrine of the declaration pt
independence, and it does not menance any legit
imate commercial interests. W. J. BRYAN.
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