News Articles

[ 7 ]

The result in Washington was brought about by a ballot title which
did not advise the voters of the State of the purport and effect of the
measure on which they were voting. Woman suffrage went on the
official ballot in Washington in November, 1910, under the following
title:
    “For the proposed amendment of Article VI of the Constitution
relating to qualifications of voters within this State.”

    There was a similar attempt to mislead the voters of Oregon by a
false ballot title, but the attempt was exposed in the official pamphlet
and by the press of the State, with the result that the amendment was
defeated by the above quoted vote.
    In California the amendment providing for woman suffrage was
voted on at a special election held on the 10th of October, 1911. The
measure carried by the meagre plurality of 3587. The entire vote cast
on this question at that election was only 246,487. This was only 63%
of the vote cast in November, 1910, when a governor of California was
elected. The woman suffrage amendment received 28,798 votes less than
the Democratic candidate for governor received at that election and yet
the Democratic candidate for governor was defeated by a plurality of
22,356. There is always an active and zealous minority in favor of
woman suffrage and this minority can be trusted to get out and vote.
The majority of the electors opposed to woman suffrage are less zealous
on the subject and less certain to register their votes. We are confident
that on a full vote the measure would have been beaten in California
as it has been so often beaten in Oregon.

DEMOCRACY NOT A FAILURE.

    There is a suggestion in the argument presented by the advocates of
this amendment that in the absence of woman suffrage democracy is
a failure. No American woman with a proper pride in the history of
her country would advance this contention. American democracy, with
its century and a quarter of constitutional government, with its Wash-
ington and its Lincoln, with its security for personal rights, and its
expansion of national power, is the most glorious success of the ages.
Woman has had her part in all this, she has had her work to perform,
and her burdens to bear. She has done her part in the home and not
on the hustings, and her power for good is the greater because she has
been content to be a woman and has not striven to be an imitation man.

    IDA M. TARBELL ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

    Few women of our day have accomplished more than Miss Ida M.
Tarbell. In an article in a recent magazine Miss Tarbell says:
  “Human society may be likened to two great circles, one revolving
within the other. In the inner rules the woman. Here she breeds and
trains the material for the outer circle which exists only by and for her.

[6]
(On Official Ballot, Nos. 300 and 301.)
ARGUMENT
(negative)
SUBMITTED BY
OREGON STATE ASSOCIATION OPPOSED TO THE EXTENSION
OF THE SUFFRAGE TO WOMEN
opposing the measure designated on the official ballot, as follows:
PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
Equal suffrage amendment, extending the right of
suffrage to women.                                                          Vote YES or NO.
300.      Yes.
301.      No.
ARGUMENT AGAINST WOMAN SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT.
To the Electors of Oregon:
    Notwithstanding the repeated and emphatic defeat of woman suffrage
amendments in Oregon, the proposition is again on the ballot. It was
submitted to a vote in 1900 and beaten by a plurality of 2137; it was
submitted again in 1906 and beaten by 10,173; it was submitted again
in 1908 and beaten by 21,649; it was submitted again in 1910 and beaten
by 23,795. Notwithstanding this repeated expression of the will of the
people we note in the argument offered in support of this amendment
a contention that those who favor it represent the large majority of
the women of Oregon. We submit that this adverse vote rolled up again
and again with increasing emphasis at each election is the best possible
evidence that woman suffrage is not wanted in Oregon, either by the
women or by the men. The fact is that the agitation for woman suffrage
is carried on by a small minority of the women of the State, who make
up in activity what they lack in numbers. Let any man ask the women
of his acquaintance, and particulary the women who are doing woman’s
work in the world, the women whom he most respects, and he can satisfy
himself as to whether women want the right to vote.
WASHINGTON AND CALIFORNIA.
    It is true, as suggested in the argument in favor of this amendment,
that woman suffrage has been adopted in Washington and in California.

 

[5]

The inequality of suffrage has been the basic principle that has ever
oppressed humanity.
    There is always an element that resents change. Many a serf
fought to prevent freedom and many a slave opposed his own liberation.
It should be the obligation of every individual irrespective of sex,
whether householder or not, to have a voice in the making of our laws
both civic and national. Liberty and responsibility for both sexes in
public affairs will improve the quality by stimulating the study of
government. Men and women can never be pitted against each other
in government, because nature, which is higher than human law, has
fitted them for companionship. They must help men in the uplifting
of the world by making democracy and its consequent development, a
realized dream.
    The growth of public sentiment in favor of this movement all around
Oregon has been, as you know, phenomenal.
    Believing that our Beloved Oregon should and will prove that her
progressive spirit is equal to that of the six equal suffrage states sur-
rounding her, and add a seventh star to the galaxy of fully free states,
we rest our case with you at the coming election. In the hope that we
shall not be compelled again to make this expensive and laborious
struggle for equality of rights as voters, we respectfully request you
to vote “YES” for the EQUAL SUFFRAGE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT at the coming November election.
    By order of THE OREGON STATE EQUAL SUFFRAGE
ASSOCIATION.
    MRS. HENRY WALDO COE, Honorary and Acting President and Treas-
urer of National Committee, 841 Lovejoy St., Portland, Oregon.
    MRS MYRTLE PEASE HATFIELD, Member National Committee, Box 151,
Forest Grove, Oregon.
Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway, Presi-   Miss H. L Seeley, Chairman of
    dent and Corresponding Secre-            Fin. Committee, Headquarters,
    tary, 292 Clay St, Portland, Ore.       406 Selling Bldg., Portland, Ore.
Mrs. Elizabeth Lord, Vice-President    
      at Large, The Dalles, Ore.                           AUDITORS.                                    
Mrs. C. M. Cartwright, Vice-Presi-   Mrs. F. Eggert, The Hobart-Curtis,
      dent, 215 7th St., Portland, Ore.     Portland, Ore. .
Miss Elma Buckman, Recording   Mrs. M. A. Dalton, 300 24th St.,
      Secretary, 42 E. 18th St., N.,         North, Portland, Ore. 
      Portland, Ore.         Mrs. Imogene Bath, Hillsboro, Ore.

[4]
(On Official Ballot Nos. 300 and 301.)
ARGUMENT
(affirmative)
SUBMITTED BY
THE OREGON STATE EQUAL SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION
In favor of the measure designated on the official ballot as follows:
_____________________________________________________________________________  
PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
Equal suffrage amendment, extending the right of
suffrage to women.                              Vote YES or NO
_____________________________________________________________________________________
300.    Yes.              _____________________________________________________________________________________
301.    No
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN OPEN LETTER.
To Every Liberty-Loving Voter of Oregon, Greeting:
    The undersigned, representing as we believe the large majority of
the women of Oregon, are happy to remind you that since we last
appealed to you for your affirmative vote for the enfranchisement of
one-half of the people, we have seen the elective franchise extended
to all women on equal terms with men in our sister states of Washington
and California.
    We come to you, believing that you will be glad to add Oregon to
the constantly increasing number of equal suffrage states of the mighty
West, thus making the Coast States a solid phalanx at the head of the
great procession, and by increased representation giving our Coast
more power to aid and protect her great and growing interests.
    Suffrage is a duty that should be performed by every citizen of every
state, otherwise Democracy is a failure; it is a duty that, if shirked,
results in misgovernment, inequality, and injustice. Those who would
evade this responsibility, because it may entail labor, simply plead
laziness. To call a government a democracy when half the population
is barred from participation in governmental affairs is an absurdity.
    The same arguments used in defense of depriving women of suffrage
were used to keep the Romans enslaved, to keep the peasants of Europe
in serfdom, to clog the progress of human liberty throughout the ages.

[3]

 

(On Official Ballot, Nos. 300 and 301.)

SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT.
    Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution of the State of Oregon shall
be and hereby is amended to read as follows:
    Section 2. In all elections not otherwise provided for by this Consti-
tution, every citizen of the United States, of the age of twenty-one years
and upwards, who shall have resided in the State during the six months
immediately preceding such election, and every person of foreign birth
of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall have resided
in this State during the six months immediately preceding such election,
and shall have declared his or her intention to become a citizen of the
United States one year preceding such election, conformably to the
laws of the United States on the subject of naturalization, shall be
entitled to vote at all elections authorized by law.