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Show WHY SHOULD 111 VOTE? WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE FROM THE ! VIEWPOINT OF LEADING FARMERS. Why should women vote? That Is the question that is ringing from ocean to ocean and reverberating iroui the Canadian boundary to the Mexican Mexi-can border. It is the mission of a uewpaper to give the news and the action of the Texas Farmers' Union in opposing woman's suffrage when that question was recently before the Texas legislature is significant as representing the attitude of the organized or-ganized plowmen. We reproduce in part the argument presented by Hon. W. D. Lewis, president of the Texas Farmers' Union, in opposing the bill: "It is gratifying to note that it is not the farmer's wife who is clamoring for the ballot. She is too busy trying to make happier homes, molding mold-ing the minds of future citizens and sharing with her husband the cares of life to indulge in political gossip. The ballot will give her no relief from drudgery, give no assistance in clothing cloth-ing the children or bring to the home additional comforts, conveniences or opportunities in life. It is, as a rule, the city woman promoted to idleness by prosperity, who is leading the suffragette suf-fragette movement. "From many standpoints, perhaps a woman has as much right to vote as a man. So has she as much right to plow as a man; she has as much right to .work in a factory as a man; she has as much right to shoulder a musket as a man, but we would rather she would not do so from choice and we regret that necessity ofttimes compels her to earn a living by engaging en-gaging in gainful occupations. We do not consider misfortune a qualification qualifica-tion for suffrage or a business accident acci-dent a reason for granting franchise We are opposed to woman at the ballot box the same as we are opposed op-posed to woman in the field, in the factory or in the army" and for the self-same reasons. We had rather see her plant flowers than sow wheat; gather bouquets than pick cotton and rear children than raise political issues, is-sues, although she may have as much right to do one as the other. Opposed to Unsexlng Humanity. "Sex qualification for suffrage may have its apparent inconsistencies. No general rule adjusts itself perfectly to all conditions. It is a favorite argument ar-gument advanced by the proponents .of woman's suffrage that many cultivated and noble women are far more capable capa-ble of intelligently exercising sovereignty sov-ereignty than a worthless negro, but the South never was anxious for negro suffrage, and while culture and refinement, and even morality, are desirable virtues, they are not the only qualifications for franchise. "The primary, inherent and inseparable insep-arable fitness for suffrage is supporting support-ing a family. The plow handle, the forge and the struggle for bread afford af-ford experience necessary to properly mark the ballot. Government is a great big business and civilization from the very beginning assigned woman the home and man the business busi-ness affairs of life. "There has been much freakish legislation leg-islation enacted during the past decade de-cade that no doubt appeals to woman's love for the ridiculous, but to undertake under-take to unsex the human race by law Is the height of legislative folly and a tragedy to mankind. "We are opposed to the equal rights of woman we want her to ever remain re-main our superior. We consider woman's desire to seek man's level the yellow peril of Twentieth Century civilization. "Woman is the medium through which angels whisper their messages to mankind; it is her hand that plants thoughts in the intellectual vineyard; it is through her heart that hope, love and sympathy overflow and bless mankind. man-kind. Christ the liberator of womankind woman-kind was satisfied to teach the lessons of life and He was a man. He chose to rule over human hearts and refused re-fused w orldly power and men followed after Him, women washed His feet, little children climbed upon His knees and the Ruler of the universe said that in Him He was well pleased. Can woman find a higher calling?" |