1563^' 
 
 ^i>T 
 
f Mp=dF======3F======1 BB[ ==JI I E 
 
 Votes For Men 
 
 A COMEDY 
 
 ^ 
 
 H i 
 
 -DY- 
 
 NasHville Woman's Literary Club 
 
 Maude Clasner, President 
 
 ft 
 
 COPYRIGHT 1913 
 
 By 'Woman'* Literary Club 
 
 of NaaHVille. Mich. 
 
 L I 
 
 Si n— ■— =i f=i nn F==ii iF==fil 
 
©CLD. 332-84 
 

 
 SCENE — State Senate, lady senators. 
 CHARACTERS: 
 
 President, 
 
 Clerk, 
 
 Page, 
 
 Sergeant at Arms, 
 
 Twenty or more Senators. 
 
 Lady from the 13th (a bore, who rises every time 
 any one else does, says, "Mrs. President", is not recogniz- 
 ed, but remains standing until next speaker is recogniz- 
 ed, sits down, getting more and more disgusted each 
 time.) 
 
 Time — 1951. 
 
 Place — Senate chamber. Curtain rises, showing 
 senators seated and president and clerk in chairs behind 
 desks. President rises and uses gavel to call senate to 
 order. 
 
 Pres. — "The Senate of the State of Michigan is in 
 session for the transaction of business. The clerk will 
 call the roll." 
 
 Clerk. (Calls roll names of members arranged 
 alphabetically. Members answer, "here.") 
 
 Lady from the 5th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 5th." 
 
 Lady from the 5th — "Ladies of the Senate: I wish 
 to remind the President that the hour fixed by the senate 
 for the consideration of the special order has now ar- 
 rived." 
 
 Lady from the 20th — "Mrs. President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 20th." 
 
 Lady from the 20th — "Ladies of the Senate: I move 
 that the resolution to be considered be advanced from 
 general orders to third reading, and that the bill be read." 
 
 Pres. — "The question is on the motion of the lady 
 from the 2 0th. Are there any objections? As many as 
 are in favor of advancing this resolution to the third 
 reading, say 'aye.' (Members answer 'aye'). As many 
 as are opposed, say "no" (no response) "the motion pre- 
 vails. The clerk will read the bill." 
 
 Clerk — "Senate Concurrent. 
 
 RESOLUTION NO 5. 
 FILE NO. 15. 
 Introduced by Mrs. , January 5, 1951. 
 
 Referred to the Committee on Revision and Amend- 
 ment of the Constitution. Reported favorably, January 
 19, ordered printed and placed on the general orders. 
 
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION. 
 
 Proposing an amendment to section 1 of article III 
 of the constitution, relative to the right of men to vote. 
 
 1 Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives 
 
 2 concurring. That the following amendment to sec- 
 
 3 tion one of the article three of the constitution, rela- 
 
 4 five to the right of men to vote, is hereby proposed 
 
 5 and submitted to the people of the state. 
 
 1 SECTION 1. In all elections, every male or female 
 
 2 inhabitant of this state being a citizen of the United 
 
 3 States; every male or female inhabitant residing in 
 
 4 this state on the first day of January, nineteen hun- 
 
 5 dred fifty-two; every female inhabitant of foreign 
 
 6 birth with her husband who, having resided in the 
 
 7 state two years and six months prior to the eighth 
 
 8 day of November nineteen hundred fifty-two, and 
 
 9 having declared his or her intention to become a citi- 
 
 10 zen of the United States two years and six months 
 
 11 prior to said last named day, shall be an elector and 
 
 12 entitled to vote at any election, but no one shall be 
 
 13 an elector and entitled to vote, unless above the age 
 
 14 of twenty-one years and has resided in this state six 
 
 15 months and in the township or ward In which he or 
 
 16 she offers to vote twenty days next preceding such 
 
 17 election. Provided, that there shall be no denial of 
 
 18 the elective franchise at any election on account of 
 
 19 sex; be it further resolved, that the foregoing amend- 
 2 ment be submitted to the people of this state at the 
 
 21 general election, to be held in the month of Novem- 
 
 22 ber, in the year nineteen hundred fifty-two. The 
 
 23 Secretary of State is hereby required to certify the 
 
 24 foregoing amendment to the clerks of the several 
 
 25 counties of the state as required by law. It shall be 
 
 26 the duty of the board of election commissioners of 
 2 7 each county to prepare a ballot for the use of the 
 
 28 electors for voting upon said amendment, which bal- 
 
 29 lot shall be in substantially the following form: Vote 
 
 30 on amendment to section one of article three of the 
 
 31 constitution, relative to the right of men to vote. 
 
 32 Yes ( ). 
 
 33 Amendment to section one of article three of the con- 
 
 34 stitution, relative to the right of men to vote. No ( ). 
 
 35 It shall be the duty of the board of election commis- 
 
 36 sioners of each county to deliver the ballots so pre- 
 
 37 pared to the inspectors of election at the several vot- 
 
 38 ing precincts within their respective counties within 
 
 39 the time ballots to be used at said election are requir- 
 4 ed to be delivered to such inspectors under the gen- 
 
 41 eral election law. All votes cast upon said amend- 
 
 42 ment shall be counted, canvassed and returned in the 
 
 43 same manner as is provided by law for counting, can- 
 4 4 vassing and returning the vote for state officers. 
 
 Lady from the 5th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 5th". 
 
 Lady from the 5th — (Given with great earnestness 
 and fervor) "Ladies of the Senate: We have an op- 
 portunity such as comes to but few; the power to right, 
 a wrong, to correct an injustice, to recind the act that, 
 was the greatest crime of all history; the act that dis- 
 
franchised men just because we were numerically strong- 
 er and were impatient for the reforms good men were 
 willing to bring about. 
 
 "When they took from man the ballot, and power 
 to rule, they took from him all that made him a man 
 worthy to stand on equality with woman. What have we 
 left him? He is Samson shorn of his locks. Moses, the 
 law-giver, without his laws. He is on a level with the 
 washerwoman's husband who lives on the earnings of his 
 wife: with the commercial woman's errand boy; or the 
 worthless duke bought by the millionare for his daugh- 
 ter. 
 
 "What true woman could ever respect a man so de- 
 void of manhood? Let us give him the ballot so we may 
 again reverence his law-making power. 
 
 "How can government of any kind represent society 
 if it does not represent the masculine viewpoint? The 
 franchise for men is essential to the hghest development 
 of the race. Without his judgment, his energy and his 
 will, vital and pressing problems cannot be settled. 
 
 "We ask you in all candor. Ladies of the Senate, 
 how has the loss of the ballot affected the man? Life 
 is full of possibilities and while the great majority of 
 people will not be called upon to accept conspicuous po- 
 sitions, every one should live on a high plane of thought 
 and of action: but men having been forced out of poli- 
 tics have centered their minds on the mere getting of 
 money and the result is easily forseen — a dwarfing of the 
 once fine intellect — a contraction of the once powerful 
 brain; for it is a fact that the constant attendance upon 
 business, incident to the getting of money, is a menace to 
 the mind of man, just as the strain on woman under the 
 old regime even in well-to-do families was intolerable. 
 The mind of either will fail to measure up to the highest 
 standards if the little, petty details of life are permitted 
 to warp a sense of the value of things and destroy a sense 
 of humor. 
 
 "Men need the ballot to restore the mental status 
 of a Clay, a Webster, a Calhoun, men who, in the trying 
 time of the history of our nation, the Compromise Period 
 could handle matters of great moment. Who, we ask but 
 this 'great trio' — the three great statemen of that turbu- 
 lent period— could have dealt with such great issues? 
 Who, but men, have been upholders of the principles of 
 the Monroe doctrine? Men like a Root and a Knox hav- 
 ing the power to say: "Thus far and no farther!" Who 
 but the great minded, large hearted Lincoln, could have 
 tided our nation through the years when disruption seem- 
 ed imminent. And crowning act of his long career — the 
 act by which he will be chiefly known through all future 
 time — the Proclamation that decided the war; wlio, we 
 ask, but a Lincoln could have faced that issue? 
 
 "Who in the early history of our state — in the most 
 critical period of its history — who but a Lewis Cass could 
 have brought our state to a prestige out of all porportlon 
 to its population and industrial importance? 
 
 "Who but a great war governor, Austin Blair, could 
 "have gained that recognition of patriotic service that 
 ■brought about the erection before our State Capitol of 
 
his statue in deatliless bronze? Witli the men who have 
 figured conspicuously in the later history of both state 
 and nation, we are all familiar — so we urge the ballot 
 for men that they may be restored to their rightful posi- 
 tion — then woman, by dividing the burden which the 
 ballot has imposed upon her, with the husband, can again 
 become the ministering angel in the home. 
 
 "Ladies, let us remove this stigma from the fair fame 
 of our loved ones. Let us not class college presidents, 
 poets, philosophers and authors with idiots and children. 
 If we love our husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, let 
 us prove it by giving them full citizenship, admitting them 
 to the councils of government, restoring to them their 
 rightful heritage of honor and fame that they may once 
 again occupy the seats of the mighty. Vote for this 
 resolution because it is right, it is fair, it is justice!" 
 
 Lady from the 7th — ^"Mrs. President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 7th." 
 
 Lady from the 7th — (Given with great spread — eagle 
 effect — extravagant gestures.) "Ladies of the senate: In 
 the early dawn of the 17th century the people who were 
 scattered along the eastern edge of the North American 
 continent were loyal subjects of Great Britian. They were 
 industrious and prosperous, and as their wealth increased 
 they were burdened with excessive taxation for the sup- 
 port of the crown while they were denied any representa- 
 tion in the British parliament. 
 
 "There could be but one result from such oppres- 
 sion and that was "Revolution." 
 
 "When countries or men or measures cease to be of 
 benefit to the world they are denuded of their power. This 
 is an inexorable law. It is as inevitable as the rising 
 tide. The Revolution came and England lost her Amer- 
 ican colonies. 
 
 "On the 4th of July, 1776, the clamor of the old lib- 
 erty bell shook the continent and its clanging was heard 
 across the sea. It proclaimed the birth of a nation. A 
 nation conceived in patriotism, born through the blood of 
 its heroes, and cradled in the arms of liberty. 
 
 "Once again we drove the red flag of England from 
 our shores, and the new nation speedily became a world 
 power. Prosperity perched upon her banner, new terri- 
 tory was acquired and new states were formed. 
 
 "In 1837 a state was born, a new commonwealth en- 
 tered the union, another star was added to the flag, and 
 it was destined to become one of the brightest stars in the 
 galaxy. 
 
 "Many years of quiet prosperity came and went. The 
 sturdy pioneer was valiantly disputing the territory with 
 the wild animals, and the still wilder savages while he 
 was wringing a competency from the soil. 
 
 "But there were others. The wily politician, the 
 man with the glad hand, the human molasses factory, the 
 nineteenth century American Shylock, was making himself 
 felt. 
 
 "Unscrupulous men had possessed themselves of pol- 
 itical power and were in control of the legislature. Dark 
 days followed, and from 1896 until 1912 the political 
 
conditions which existed in tlie grand old commonwealth 
 of Michigan were a disgrace to a civilized nation. 
 
 "But the handwriting had appeared upon the wall. 
 They were weighed in the balances and were found want- 
 ing. 
 
 "In the winter of 1913 the United States congress 
 passed an amendment to the constitution giving to wom- 
 en the right of suffrage. The obnoxious conditions which 
 existed were a stench in the nostrils of Michigan's loyal 
 daughters, and in 1915 they courageously asserted the 
 right of their womanhood, and backed by the might of 
 the ballot, they took from unworthy hands the citizenship 
 which had been abused. 
 
 "The years which have elapsed since then have been 
 years of clean government. And now we are asked to 
 restore the ballot to men. And why not? Shall we 
 
 make the men of the present time pay the penalty for 
 sins which were committed by men who lived two genera- 
 tions ago? The precedent of clean government has been 
 established and cannot be overthrown. But it is not for 
 sentiment I plead, it is for justice. 
 
 "The rock upon which the foundation of this gov- 
 ernment rests is equality. It was declared that all men 
 are created equal and that they are endowed by their 
 Creator with certain inalienable rights among which are 
 life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And that to 
 secure these rights governments are instituted among 
 men, which shall derive their just powers from the con- 
 sent of the governed, not from the consent of the women 
 of the nation, but from the consent of the governed. 
 
 "Ladies of the Senate, it is the old, old question of 
 taxation without representation. The men of this state 
 own more than one-half of the taxable property, and al- 
 though we were chosen by the voters of this common- 
 wealth to represent them in the legislature, what right 
 have we to levy taxes upon the property of any individual 
 who is denied a seat in the lawmaking body of this state. 
 
 "If any man commits an act which the legislature of 
 his state has declared to be a crime, he is punished ac- 
 cording to the penalty prescribed. What right have we 
 to penalize any individual for breaking a law which he 
 has had no voice in making? 
 
 "We give the ballot to the most illiterate kitchen 
 maid, who is unable to sign her name except with a cross, 
 and deny it to a man although he may be of superior in- 
 tellectual attainments. I ask you, is this justice? 
 
 "It is said that men are incapable of guiding the 
 Ship of State, that their attempts would be absurdly inad- 
 equate. So were the "Articles of Confederation" ab- 
 surdly inadequate. It was only after experience had 
 taught the needs of the new nation that the constitution 
 was promulgated. 
 
 "The Constitution of the United States was the pro- 
 duct of the ablest minds of the 18th century, and it was 
 expected that it would shape the destiny of the young re- 
 public tor all time. But did it? There have been twen- 
 ty-five constitutional amendments already, and it took 
 four years of civil war to settle a question which the 
 constitution left open. 
 
6 
 
 "It is also said that even if men were allowed to 
 make the laws that they would not have the power to en- 
 force them. It is true that new conditions require new 
 laws, and new laws require new methods of enforcement. 
 The American men through long years of experience have 
 made a business of rising to every emergency; and it is 
 not for us to say that our fathers, and the fathers of our 
 sons and the sons themselves, the boys whom we have in- 
 structed in the art of good government, are incapable of 
 handling affairs of state. 
 
 "Some years ago in obedience to the demands of 
 justice and right we partly enfranchised men. We allow 
 them to vote upon all matters pertaining to the conduct 
 of the public schools, and upon all matters pertaining to 
 the raising of money. That is, we give them near suf- 
 frage, we make them near citizens. In other words, we 
 give them a whistle, and tell them to run around the cor- 
 ner and blow it. It is something like a story I read the 
 other day. A young man had his best girl out for a 
 
 drive. They sat in the carriage listening to the band or 
 something like that, and it happened that they had stop- 
 ped near a popcorn stand. The young lady sniffed the air 
 for a moment and said, "O! my, how good that corn 
 smells." The young man gathered up the reins and an- 
 swered, "All right, Sail, I'll drive up close so you can 
 smell it better." 
 
 "The grey sky which has hung like a pall over the 
 years of this 20th century is passing away, and we behold 
 the dawn of a bright future when husband and wife, 
 brother and sister will have equal rights, equal oppor- 
 tunities and equal responsibilities. When the privileges 
 which have been bestowed by the Michigan Legislature 
 shall be the admiration of the world, and the history of 
 which shall go ringing down the centuries, proclaiming 
 to the generations which shall come after, the patriotism 
 of the sons and daughters of the old Wolverine state who 
 perpetuated the words of the great emancipator by 
 helping to make this "government of the people, by the 
 people and for the people. 
 
 Lady from the 9th. — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 9th." 
 
 Lady from the 9th. — "I say, let men use their in- 
 fluence. A man can have but one vote, while he may 
 have a mother, three or four sisters, a wife and several 
 daughters, to all of whom his word is law. Moreover he. 
 can use this influence without any loss of dignity or self- 
 respect. 
 
 "Women have always lived to please the men. Their 
 houses, gowns and manners are the result of this natural 
 inclination. 'Tis indeed a poor specimen of mankind 
 who has not mother, wife, sister, or sweetheart whom he 
 can influence to vote as he thinks best. By using this, 
 indirect influence in politics he will not be subjected to- 
 the hardships and annoyance of public life but can live 
 in the safe shelter of his dwelling or business edifices. 
 
 "If man has as his heritage in life the power to per- 
 suade, inthrall, and subjugate woman, he has no need to. 
 come down from his throne to mingle in political frays. 
 All that is necessary for him to do is to visit several in- 
 
fluential women in their homes, beg for a few minutes of 
 their time, explain his desires, and persuade them to carry 
 out his wishes. Thus he will not lose his graceful charm 
 of manner nor lower his manly ideals. 
 
 "We are told that still waters run deep. There are 
 few thrones of power behind which does not stand a man, 
 and his influence is tenfold greater if he is a quiet home- 
 loving man than it would be if he were a loud mouthed 
 politician, for it is out of the question for a man to en- 
 gage in politics without losing his native modesty. 
 
 "If he were a voter he would sacrifice for one vote, 
 the privilege he has, as head of his family of forming the 
 opinions of his daughters, his own wife, and possibly 
 some other man's wife. In fact by contenting himself in 
 the capacity which nature has fitted him to adorn, he pos- 
 sesses himself of the wonderful fabled lamp of Alladin by 
 rubbing which all things beautiful and desirable are 
 brought to pass. The hand which provides the home for 
 those voluntarily taken under protection is the hand that 
 rules the world. 
 
 "History is full of examples which show the power 
 of man's influence over woman. Ever since Adam in 
 the garden persuaded Eve to divide with him the apple 
 he coveted but dared not taste first, or Cleopatra left her 
 happy home to fight the battles of Antony, until today men 
 have exercised a fatal attraction for woman's romantic 
 nature. Men never have had any diflRculty in finding 
 women to do their bidding. 
 
 "So they have the consolation of knowing on election 
 day that they possess in place of the ballot, something far 
 higher and greater so immeasurably better that when they 
 realize fully its power they will never again mention the 
 ballot. I refer to this boundless influence, the influence 
 of a good man. If men do not see that this is true 
 they must be educated to understand what unlimited pos- 
 sibilities lie hidden in this influence. 
 
 "Let our dear brother use this heaven sent influence. 
 Cn election day let him take his female relatives and 
 friends gently by the hand and earnestly entreat them to 
 Tote as he himself would if he could. Let a man walk 
 part way to the polls with his wife and tell her that he 
 is only a man but he loves his country and takes an interest 
 in her welfare and won't she please vote as he wants her 
 to? Let him tell her it would be extremely nice of her 
 and he would appreciate it. 
 
 "Then when this wonderful influence works, and 
 liis wife votes as she pleases let him hum for his peace of 
 mind a verse of that grand old hymn, 'Thy Will be 
 Done.' " 
 
 Lady from the 11th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 11th." 
 
 Lady from the 11th — (With mock solemnity) "La- 
 dies of the Senate: It has been said that a woman's 
 heart is like the moon. No matter how often it changes 
 there is always a man in it! So I beg that you will do 
 nothing that will lower the man in our esteem or cause 
 him to lose his self respect. 
 
 "The question resolves itself into this: Will we re- 
 spect man as much if he votes? 
 
8 
 
 "I fear if this measure carries that he will lose some 
 of that elusive impalpable quality of manliness which now 
 commands our respect. 'Twill be like rubbing the bloom 
 off the peach. 
 
 "We will lose our chivalry and protectiveness to- 
 ward them if we allow them to shove ahead in the crowd- 
 ed streets and jostle each other rudely on election day 
 when they go to the polls. 
 
 "Contact with politicians will reduce them again to 
 the old servile attitude, and they'll become what they 
 were when Kipling said of them, 'Man's timid heart is 
 bursting with the things he must not say'. Now we ask 
 their opinion on public questions, but if they get the 
 ballot they will become bold designing creatures of whom 
 we will be ashamed. 
 
 "I tremble to think of a timid home loving man be- 
 ing obliged to go to the polls on election day to smell 
 the beerladen breaths of the patriots he meets and even 
 condemned to smoke a vile-smelling campaign cigar. 
 
 "Women of the Senate, I beg of you not to expose 
 our Fathers, Husbands, Brothers and Sons to such un- 
 speakable degradation. (Speaker wipes eyes with hand- 
 kerchief, other members do likewise, while one is over- 
 come with grief and wails audibly). With tears in my 
 eyes I plead with you to remember the modesty and puri- 
 ty of our men and not oblige them to associate with any 
 undesirable element." 
 
 Lady from the 4th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 4th." 
 
 Lady from the 4th— (With bombastic speech and 
 extravagant gestures) "Ladies of the Senate: Look over 
 this fair land of ours which we women have made to blos- 
 som like the rose. There is no inharmony or unrest, in 
 all this broad land, naught but peace and prosperity. Let 
 us look back a decade or two to the conditionof our coun- 
 try when we took it from the hands of man. There was 
 fraud and corruption on every hand, and the whole coun- 
 try was in a political muddle; Democrats, Socialists, Re- 
 publicans, Standpatters or Insurgents, all fighting for 
 their own personal advancement, and the almighty dol- 
 lar, until our country became more corrupt and more 
 foul than the Agean Stables; and by the stench that arose 
 therefrom we might have been mistaken for a colony of 
 Polecats. Did not we women find it more than a Hercu- 
 lean task to cleanse it? Has man the right of suffrage? 
 Would we sink again into that mire of degredation out 
 of which we women raised the country? No, a thou- 
 sand times no. Poor weak man has shown his inabil- 
 ity to rule; he was never made to govern, he has not the 
 capacity; his place is in the home; and what will become 
 of that sacred institution if we give man the right of 
 suffrage, and who will tend and rear the children, and 
 look after the interests of home? 1 tell you. Ladies of the 
 Senate, we would have more rents in our garments and 
 fewer buttons on them than we have now if we take man 
 from the home. And man is not capable of voting. He 
 has not kept himself informed on political questions, and 
 he knows nothing of the great issues that are before our 
 country today. If we give them the ballot, but few will 
 
avail themselves of the privileges and those that do will 
 vote just as their wives do. But few want it and the few 
 are more or less effeminate. Is it right to force upon 
 the whole what but few want? Man has seen the utter pol- 
 itical failure of his ancestors, and majority care not to 
 take the burden upon themselves. Is it right to endan- 
 ger our country? and corrupt man? Let us look back 
 in history when men of honesty and integrity were placed 
 in positions of power. They soon became corrupt. I 
 
 tell you, man's love for money and power is too great, and 
 he is morally too weak to withstand temptation. The 
 masses are happy and contented as home keepers, and 
 they can do no harm to themselves or their country there. 
 Ladies of the Senate, stop and think before you vote. Let 
 uncient China be a warning to you. Once China was a 
 highly civilized nation, but man took the power from 
 woman and the country was crippled, and she sank from 
 civilization into barbarism. Man has now become 
 sweet, wholesome and domesticated, let us not drag 
 our brother into the mire, out of which we women have 
 raised him." 
 
 Lady from the 15th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 15th." 
 
 Lady from the 15th. — (Points with pride.) "Ladies 
 of the Senate: This is a very serious question under consid- 
 eration. 1 doubt not that every member of this body 
 would much prefer to remain in her home rather than 
 bear the political burdens of a great State, but the Lady 
 from the 7th Dist. has cited the deplorable conditions 
 of the country prior to 1912, when we were forced to 
 take the reins of government into our own hands to pro- 
 tect our homes, our children and yea, even the men them- 
 ■selves. Now after 3 5 years of continuous administra- 
 tion let us look at some of the results of our efforts. 
 
 "First, let us point with pride to our civil service 
 system where every man or woman wins his or her posi- 
 tion on the merits of his or her efficiency, and trust-wor- 
 thiness without fear or favor of the Political "Boss." 
 Let us point with pride to our civic improvements: our 
 streets and alleys are as neat and orderly as our parlors 
 and kitchens; our sidewalks unspattered with germ laden 
 refuse, for we enforce our expectorating ordinances. Our 
 factories, schools and tenements are kept in splendid san- 
 itary condition and our highways would give joy to the 
 heart of old Horatio Earle, if he were here today. 
 
 "Again we point with pride to our segregated colonies 
 for the incompetent, where the sexes are separated and 
 ■each one given such employment as he is able to do, thus 
 keeping the colonies on a self supporting basis. Com- 
 paie this, ladies, with the old Lapeer asylum, that is still 
 within recollection of some members of this body. When 
 the third Hague conference convened in 1915 and the 
 congress was over-whelmed with petitions that could no 
 lorger be denied who sent the majority of petitions, who 
 demanded the arbitration and got it? Woman. Who 
 more than a woman realizes the meaning of war? Sher- 
 man said way back in 1864, that 'war was hell.' If it is 
 that for the man, what must it be for the woman? She 
 :fi.ghts the bravest battle when she sends to the slaughter 
 
10 
 
 the pride and joy of her heart. Look what arbitration 
 means to the country at large, no string of million dol- 
 lar Dreadnoughts to parade around the world, no com- 
 missioned officers to strut around in gold lace and clank- 
 ing sword, no standing armies to support, no big appro- 
 priations for naval and military schools, and no new pen- 
 sion lists. To-day we point with pride to our beautiful 
 Panama canal, the gateway of the nations, unguarded 
 by fortress or gun, but calmly o'er-shadowed by a statue 
 of liberty whose smile bespeaks 'Peace, good will to men.' 
 
 "Again, if you please, we point with pride to the re- 
 fining influences woman has brought into public life; ev- 
 ery business office, store or factory, every court-room, 
 in fact, every place where woman is employed has been 
 made clean and decent by her presence. We remember 
 the old voting booth or poll as near the saloon as possi- 
 ble with its disgusting ward-healer rounding up his vic- 
 tims, and setting up the drinks; today the women are 
 voting in libraries, church parlors or their club rooms 
 and they cast their votes Intelligently and independent- 
 ly. No woman has ever sold her vote or bought her 
 nomination, and no corporation has ever dared to offer 
 her a bribe. 
 
 "Let us again point with pride that the young wom- 
 en are no longer obliged to marry the first man who 
 comes along, for by means of the equal wages for equal 
 efficiency regardless of sex, she is able to maintain her- 
 self in comfort and respectability until she condescends to 
 love and honor some weak man. 
 
 "There was a time when man had one standard of 
 morals by which to judge a woman and another by which 
 to measure himself. Today we point with pride that a 
 double standard of morality is a thing of the past; the 
 women of Michigan have brought light where there was 
 nothing but darkness, have eliminated the places of vice 
 and crime and demanded equal purity of man and woman. 
 
 "Again, if you please, look at our greatest triumph, 
 the state wide prohibition law; today our streets are un- 
 shadowed by glaring signs of Budweiser and Silver Foam, 
 nor are we compelled to pass the open door of a saloou 
 from 'Which floated the foul smelling odor of stale booze 
 nearly intoxicating the passers-by. Words cannot ex- 
 press what this has done for women and the home, and 
 the generations to come, but it has done infinitely more 
 for the men. Think of the men who were bound by the 
 habit they could not break because the temptation was 
 ever before them, how many wended their way home- 
 ward at night with empty pockets and irregular foot- 
 steps. Today one of those men may be seen walking 
 along with head erect, a prosperous business man or per- 
 chance behind the steering gear of an aeroplane. Look at 
 the increased out-put of all our great factories since 
 their money provides for the comforts and conveniences 
 of the home instead of going into the breweries' wallet, 
 and Ladies of the Senate, this old liquor octopus is not. 
 dead, he is just lying in wait to get the chance to bribe 
 some weak man to introduce the license again; dare we 
 take the risk, ladies? We point with pride to the bright 
 
11 
 
 and healthy children romping in the home today since 
 the passing of the Glasner bill. 
 
 "Again if you please, look at the mother's pension 
 bill providing for the mother that she may remain in the 
 home mothering and educating the children; thus re- 
 ducing the number of delinquent and degenerate. We 
 point with pride to our economy of time and money in 
 conducting our adminstration; look if you please at the 
 amount of work we have accomplished in this session of 
 about four weeks because we have worked faithfully 
 ten hours in a day while men have required four months 
 for a session and have not done much of anything but 
 keep their heels on the desks, kill the bills and move to 
 adjourn. If men conducted their business with the same 
 laxity and extravagance as they did their politics there 
 would never have been a Rockefeller, Morgan, Carnegie, 
 or Frisk. Look how we have limited the profits of the 
 monopolies so that the commodities they have gobbled up 
 are within the means of every working man. 
 
 "Look at the splendid growth of timber that adorns 
 today the old Michigan tax lands. Who has compelled 
 the lumber and logging companies to take care of their 
 brush heaps, thus controlling to a great degree the aw- 
 ful devastation of forest fires? Who, I say, who? 
 
 "The lady from the fifth has pointed with pride to 
 the men who have swayed the destiny of this nation, all 
 honor to them, but we, too can point with pride to wom- 
 en who have fought shoulder to shoulder with men, and 
 fought alone to keep this nation off the rocks. Who 
 waged battle against intemperance, the worst enemy 
 that ever assailed this nation, and fought until she fell? 
 Frances Willard. Whose pen kindled the fires of indig- 
 nation against the slave holder of the South? Harriett 
 Beecher Stow. Who roamed the bloody battlefield and 
 fought hand to hand with death and disease and did 
 what General or President had not time to do? Clara 
 Barton. The reforms that have emanated from Jane 
 Adams through Hull House could never have been con- 
 ceived in the brain of man, and no man has ever smash- 
 ed as many saloon windows as Carrie Nation. And I 
 might point with pride to dozen other things that men 
 have talked of or dreamed of but were never brave 
 enough to carry out. So ladies, we have nothing to 
 prove that these high standards will be maintained or 
 the good work under consideration ever carried out. 
 Iheretore, Ladies of the Senate, we cannot and must not 
 allow this bill to pass." 
 
 Lady from the 6th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 6th." 
 
 Ladv from the 6th. (Given very emphatically) 
 "Ladies of the Senate: We view with alarm this present 
 agitation of a question long since settled. 
 
 "We view with alarm the very idea of withdrawing 
 our protection from men and allowing them to form again 
 tie habits of old. 'Twas because men consumed practi- 
 cally all of the tobacco and nine-tenths of the alcohol, 
 and did so many other things injurious to health and 
 morals that women became the stronger sex, both phy- 
 
12 
 
 sically and intellectually. So far we have been able to 
 defend men from weakness within and perils without. 
 
 "We view with alarm the giant devil-fish known as 
 the liquor interests ready to fasten its tentacles upon 
 society. In the days of license this awful traffic cost our 
 state millions of dollars and the money cost is insignifi- 
 cant compared to the cost in manhood. 
 
 "We view with alarm the thought of putting ballots 
 into unworthy hands and cite this instance to prove that 
 disorder will follow: In one of our reighboring cities 
 a little band of citizens were spending a social afternoon 
 at the parlors of the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
 White Mice, which has taken the place of the more clum- 
 sy and now extinct Elk and Moose, when some 
 unscrupulous persons made bold to serve some spirit- 
 uous refreshments, which had been smuggled in from one 
 of the few remaining wet states. And those men, — 
 modest, law-abiding citizens, — fell for it and fell with 
 it, as if a demon lashed them on; those men who had been 
 reared in a prohibition state, under the gentle infiuence 
 of high-minded, honest voting mothers, wives and sisters, 
 felt the fever of King Alcohol that had lain dormant for 
 more than a quarter of a century in the blood of the state 
 partook of the cursed poison and were drunk. You, my sis- 
 ters, do not know the meaning of that sinister word, as 
 did those who lived in the days of the open saloon. 
 But they were drunk, and when their wives, who had been 
 holding a convention at the city hall, drove around to 
 take them home in their aeroplanes that afternoon they 
 were dismayed to find a wrecked lodge room and their 
 carefully nurtured husbands, armed with long necked 
 bottles, careening down the street, driving of the police, 
 smashing windows and shouting "Votes for (hie) Men." 
 
 "We view with alarm such actions; we view with 
 alarm such riots; we view with alarm the spirit behind 
 them that would be upheld by giving votes to men. 
 We view with alarm the spirit of unrest which is sweep- 
 ing over the country, and which will end in disaster, 
 disruption, destruction and death. We view with alarm 
 the expressed intention of the weaker sex to usurp tho 
 authority which is heavens last best gift to wome'.i. 
 We view with alarm this effort to restore the conditions 
 of old time politics, when men fought in conventions un- 
 til police reserves and the state militia had to be called 
 out to preserve order. 
 
 We view with alarm those who favor giving votes to 
 men. We view with alarm the kind of men who want to 
 vote. We view with alarm the kind of women who want 
 men to vote. We view with alarm the whole sorry busi- 
 ness of 'Votes for Men." 
 
 Lady from the 3rd — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 3rd." 
 
 Lady from the 3rd. (Dressed as typical Irish wo- 
 man, with broad Irish brogue.) "Ladies of the Senate; 
 this discussion reminds me of one of Mrs. Dooley's stor- 
 ies. 
 
 (Just before the Irish woman speaks, a member 
 might move to take a recess of five minutes, while an- 
 
13 
 
 other member sings a song. Several pieces of music 
 could be used in this way.) 
 
 "Says Mrs. Dooley to Mrs. Hennesay: 'What's this 
 Oi hear about min votin' agin?' says she. Then Mrs. 
 Hennesay explained: 'Yez see it's this way. Since Rosy 
 O'York wuz married and her husband becomeMr. O'York, 
 she has bin wantin' the wimmen tor let him vote so she 
 could have more power in politics.' 
 
 " 'Yez remember how wimmen finally got the bal- 
 lot because min in the auld parthies took pincel an' pa- 
 per an' figgered out how may votes wuz fur thim an' how 
 manny wuz agin thim an' they says, says they, 'Be ja- 
 bers, if the wimmin don't vote fur us we'll lose our jobs,' 
 they says. So they sinds fur the wimmen an' they says, 
 'Ladies, feller citizens, voters,' says they, "vote with us 
 an' we'll share the fruits in our glorious victory with 
 you," says they. "This party gives you the ballot an' 
 is prepared to be liberal ter its loyal ladies," they said. 
 
 "They never figgered out that countin' widers an' 
 gurl bachellars they wuz more wimmin thin min. Wall, 
 they voted an' the wimmen says, "Disfranchise the min 
 who nayther read nor rite," they says, an' twuz done. 
 
 "Nixt they disfranchised the min who thought pol- 
 iticks vuz ter durthy fur thim, nixt thim that batted an' 
 eye lash whin a loaded cannon wuz pointed at their 
 brists in the order shouted, "Foire." Nixt thim that 
 wouldn't conform to our kerrect morral standard, an' 
 last, thim as were sindin' out thought waves of bad in- 
 f.ooence, 'till first we knowed iver mother's son of thim 
 stayed home on illection day because he couldn't vote. 
 'Twas a great joke on the min." 
 
 "Now the min hasn't voted in so long and they're 
 an unedicated ignurant lot an' Mrs. O'York says 'They 
 ought to vote agin so they would need to study an' become 
 wance more our ekals intellictually' says she." 
 
 "But I'm agin it for the rayson that 'twould double 
 tte ignorant vote. 'Twould tribble it, fur our native 
 born Americans are incompetint an' ignurrant furriners 
 would need tin years to larn; an' begorry there's enough 
 ignurrant wimmen votin' now without addin' to the 
 country's burden the ballots iv ignurrant min," says Mrs. 
 Hernesay. "I'm more afraid iv the ballots iv the ignur- 
 rant than of the guns iv war," says Mrs. Dooley. Sor- 
 ra a bit the loikes iv thim will iver git a chanct ter 
 vote" said Mrs. Dooley." 
 
 Lady from the 19th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 19th." 
 
 Lady from the 19th — "I have an amendment, I wish 
 to offer." (Page goes to member, gets amendment, 
 takes it to clerk.) (Clerk reads.) "I move that in 
 •every place the word 'male' occurs in lines 1, 3, 5, and 
 S, between the words "every" and "male", the word 
 "married" be inserted." 
 
 Lady, from the 19th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 19th." 
 
 Lady from the 19th — "Fellow members: Why the 
 married male ojily to have the ri^ht of franchise? Be- 
 
14 
 
 cause, we can guide and control our husbands but bash- 
 elors are irresponsible, unreliable creatures. Each of 
 us can attend to her own individual male and see that 
 his vote is placed as she desires. 
 
 "Mothers are often lenient with their sons and give 
 them more liberty than is at all beneficial, but wives have 
 their husbands under subjection from the first; for, 
 since the word "obey" was changed from the bride's to 
 the groom's response, he knows his wife's word is law, 
 and dares not disobey. 
 
 "Another point to consider is matrimony. Sev- 
 eral times lately some of our representative young wo- 
 men were refused when they proposed marriage: this, 
 too, when the girls were receiving good wages and were 
 able to keep the males in just as good style as their moth- 
 ers could at home. So if they want to vote let them get 
 married. 
 
 "The males are getting dissatisfied to keep our 
 homes as they should. They are neglecting their cook- 
 ing and mending and the children are allowed to roam 
 the streets. This will be ten times worse if we allow 
 unattached males to vote. So Madam President, I move 
 the adoption of this amendment." 
 
 (Several of the younger members signify their ap- 
 proval of the amendment in a disorderly manner.) 
 
 Pres. (Using gavel) — "One at a time please. The 
 members are out of order." (Recognizes each in turn 
 except the lady from the 13th. Some second the mo- 
 tion; some express their pleasure.) 
 
 Pres. — "Question is on the adoption of the amendment 
 offered by the Lady from the 19th. Are there any ob- 
 jections?" 
 
 Lady from the 5th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 5th." 
 
 Lady from the 5th — "Ladies of the Senate: I do not. 
 see the object of this amendment. Is it aimed to force 
 men into matrimony? (cries of "yes, yes) I object, 
 to any such foolishness. This resolution should be 
 passed on its merits without having any nonsense tack- 
 ed onto it " 
 
 Pres. — "Clerk will call the roll. Members as their 
 names are called will vote 'Aye' if in favor, 'No' if op- 
 posed." (Clerk calls roll; nearly all members vote aye) 
 
 Clerk — "Ayes 17, Noes 3." 
 
 Pres. — "A majority of the members having voted 
 therefor the amendment is passed." 
 
 Lady from the 12th — ^"Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 12th." 
 
 Lady from the 12th — "Ladies of the Senate: Caa 
 you not see that this law would cause family quarrels? 
 What could be more disastrous to the peace and harmony 
 of our homes than to give men the right of franchise? 
 
 "We have taken time to study literature along pol- 
 itical lines. We have educated our daughters expect- 
 ing them to be efiicient in enforcing laws we have fram- 
 ed. 
 
 "Men have given but little attention to political 
 
15 
 
 questions and differences of opinion that have arisen. 
 They have not taken the trouble to inform themselves 
 so they could vote intelligently. 
 
 "If they are given the ballot, will not those who 
 are now refined and choose their associates with care, soon 
 lower themselves by conversing in public places with the 
 illiterate, the negro, or even anarchists? And their 
 wives will be utterly powerless to prevent it. Will not 
 their aspirations for office without qualifications be an- 
 other source of trouble? A woman would blush with 
 shame to have her husband elected as a member of the 
 legislature knowing he could not make a discerning 
 speech on questions before the house. Their sphere is 
 V here they are now, in the home. Let them remain 
 there. 
 
 "We want laws passed that are for the good of our 
 homes and the state. We care not for partisan strife. 
 Men would adhere to their party whatever the question 
 at issue. 
 
 "Will not these differences affect the home life? 
 At present men find pleasure in passing social hours with 
 their families. Will not this be changed if they have 
 political clubs, banquets, conventions, caucuses and other 
 things of like nature to interest them? 
 
 "There are many homes in which husband and wife 
 will difier on the great political questions of the day. 
 Can they go together and cast their votes for different 
 candidates without trouble arising which may magnify, 
 and even cause a separation? Think of the violence of 
 such quarrels! Do we desire our children to witness 
 such distressing scenes as quarrels over politics? 
 
 "Which is of the most value, to keep our homes in 
 their present state of tranquility, or, to give men the 
 right of suflrage, thereby overthrowing all we have toil- 
 ed years to accomplish? 
 
 "Ladies of the Senate: Let us endeavor to keep 
 our husbands and sons so contented while we hold the 
 reins of government that they will not clamor for the 
 ballot. This will certainly be a fatal step if we desire 
 to preserve the sacred ties of home." 
 
 Lady from the 8th — "Madam President." 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 8th." 
 Lady from the 8th — "Ladies of the Senate: I have 
 listened with the closest attention to the arguments of- 
 fered on this very important question and it seems to me 
 we are o'er-estimating the effect of the bill. 
 
 "Sitting by the fireside, father, mother, sister and 
 brother plan the new home, the daughter's education, 
 the yourg men's business career, or talk of the father's 
 health or financial condition. The men always welcome 
 the advice and help of the women in church affairs. Then 
 why not consult together over affairs of State — let us 
 not forget that many of the women who so loyally sup- 
 ported us at the polls are themselves financially supported 
 ty husbands and fathers whom they naturally desire to 
 please. 
 
 "The member from district number seven speaks 
 of taxation without representation leading to separation, 
 
16 
 
 but in this case I really think we need not feel alarmed 
 because, while the men for certain principles might be 
 willing to do without luxuries or even books, yet I scar- 
 cely think they would be willing to do without cooks. 
 
 "The passage of the bill seems to me more a matter 
 of inclination or expediency than of principle — The old 
 motto says, "In inclination yielding, in principle firm." 
 If the men desire to leave for a time the strenuous walks 
 of life and engage in the pleasant pursuit of politics, why 
 should we object? 
 
 "We demand free schools, liberty of the press, of 
 speech and of conscience, why not a free ballot? Wheth- 
 er or not it is expedient for men to have the ballot can 
 be determined only by trial or by truths gathered by ret- 
 rospecting the past. 
 
 "By turning to the early pages of history, we find 
 that Jefferson and his associates planned our government, 
 that Washington and his army laid the foundation, and 
 when our Ship of State, so proudly referred to was about 
 to be wrecked on the black sands, of the South, "The 
 Great Emancipator' came to the rescue. 
 
 "Grover Cleveland, 'the white man of the Democrat- 
 ic party' fostered civil service reforms in its infancy. In 
 fact many of the reforms 'pointed to with pride' origi- 
 nated during the men's administration, so Madam Presi- 
 dent, we urge the passing of this bill which we trust will 
 be the means to the end that will conserve, improve and 
 encourage our young men to higher thoughts and nobler 
 aspirations. 
 
 "So let us not be arbitrary, vain or conceited, but 
 with malice toward none and charity for all, let us lead 
 our country on to those prophetic boundaries given by the 
 American in Europe — in response to a toast United 
 States — U. S. he said: 'Bounded on the north by the 
 Aurora Borealis, on the south by the procession of the 
 equinoxes, on the east by the primeval chaos and on the 
 west by the Day of Judgement.' 
 
 Lady from the 10th — "Madam President." 
 
 President — "The Lady from the 10th." 
 
 Lady from the 10th. "Ladies of the Senate: so 
 long a time is it since bribery and corruption in politics 
 were known that the public has almost forgotten that 
 such things ever did exist. But now that man has come 
 to the door of our Senate asking that we again give him 
 the right of franchise, it behooves us to examine this mat- 
 ter most carefully and to bring to mind some of the con- 
 ditions which existed forty or fifty years ago, before man 
 lost the right of voting. 
 
 "Let us not deceive ourselves by thinking that man's 
 conduct V ould be different than it was in former times. 
 What man did do. he would do again if we give him the 
 chance. 
 
 "During man's rule, how many men wpre in the Sen- 
 ate on their merits? How many on their money or some 
 cornoration's money? Had merit or popular worth or 
 popular preference been the test, could it have been pos- 
 sible for such corruption to exist as we know was the 
 
17 
 
 common practice in the early days of this twentieth 
 century? 
 
 "It is a question often asked by philosophers, why 
 did some men so yearn to hold a seat in Congress? They 
 would moil and creep on all fours, spend money like wat- 
 er, forswear and abase themselves to get it and having 
 gotten it, they did nothing, said nothing, proposed noth- 
 ing. 
 
 "Mental bats — they could not see a public need. 
 They would not have known how to meet it if they had. 
 They simply occupied their seats in Congress and occa- 
 sionally offered a motion to adjourn. 
 
 "Such a valuable member as this we find disgracing 
 our United States Senate when the great State of Wis- 
 consin was represented by a man whose only qualifica- 
 tion was, that he could count his millions. The election 
 was the result of an organized riot of corruption, a de- 
 bauchery of the electorate by treating methods, thus 
 arousing political enthusiasm and securing political favor. 
 Seats in the Senate do not belong to the highest bidder — 
 if they are to be bought and sold as merchandise, then 
 sooner or later the Republic must fall. 
 
 "That, liadies of the Senate, is but one instance. The 
 same sort of corruption was found everywhere in this 
 hroad land of ours, the interests would select men for of- 
 fices and forthwith they would be elected at any 
 cost. They bribed the voters and bribed the legisla- 
 ture until it almost seemed like the old Roman days when 
 •every man had his price. 
 
 "Do we want that sort of thing repeated? Could we 
 bring that curse upon our country again? And who does 
 not remember w hen graft was an export trade in most of 
 our cities? When it was a case of manhood against 
 money and the records disclose a paltry conception among 
 men chosen to positions of authority, who were prone to 
 forget its good when a briher clinked his coin. 
 
 "Privilege was obtained in one way and that was 
 hy some sort of political corruption. You may think 
 that your own husband or son is sure and honest and 
 could conduct the affairs of state just as well as we do, 
 but keep him so. Do not subject him to the temptations 
 that come with public life. 
 
 "We have built up an ideal state — the man in the 
 home, the woman in politics — let us keep it so." 
 
 Lady from the 18th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "ITie Lady from the 18th." 
 
 Lady from the 18th. "Ladies of the Senate: I 
 have another amendment to offer. (Page gets amend- 
 ment, carries it to clerk.) 
 
 Pres. — "The clerk will read the amendment." 
 
 Clerk reads: "I move that in every place the word 
 "male' occurs in lines 1, 3, 5, and 9, after the word 'male' 
 the words, 'who can fight,' be inserted." 
 
 Lady from the 18th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 18th." 
 
 Lady from the 18th. "Ladies of the Senate: This 
 resolution should be amended so as to give the ballot 
 
18 
 
 only to those men who can fight, for if we allow men to 
 vote, once more will the earth resound to the clamors of 
 wars. Mankind fought as long as women would allow 
 them to, and if men can vote they will soon find excuse 
 for fighting again. So for this reason, I say, let us give 
 the ballot only to those who are able-bodied enough to 
 serve as targets. Madam President, I move the adop- 
 tion of this amendment." 
 
 Lady from the 11th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 11th." 
 
 Lady from the 11th. "I support this motion. The 
 ballot was kept from women for thousands of years be- 
 cause they couldn't bear arms though they reared the 
 armies." 
 
 Pres. — "Question is ontheadoptionof theamendment 
 offered by the lady from the 18th; are there any objec- 
 tions?" 
 
 "Lady from the 5th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 5th." 
 
 Lady from the 5th. "Ladies of the Senate: I ob- 
 ject to this amendment. It is utterly senseless and ab- 
 surd. It seems to me that some of you are simply trying 
 to make a farce of this resolution." 
 
 Lady from the 18th. "I do not wonder that the la- 
 dy from the 5th objects to this amendment in the inter- 
 ests of peace, for should it carry, her husband would not 
 be a voter as he is a notorious coward. 
 
 Lady from the 5th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "Lady from the 5th." 
 
 Lady from the 5th. "If street brawling is any sign 
 of bravery, the husband of the lady from the 18th ought 
 to be eligible to vote about four times as he is forever 
 brawling in the highway with others I might mention." 
 (At this several ladies grow much excited and address 
 the chair all together. One shouts, "That's so; I can testi- 
 fy to that." Lady from the 13th yells, "Madam Presi- 
 dent," and hops up and down. Lady froin the 18th 
 shakes her fist at the lady from the 5th. The Irish wo- 
 man rolls up her sleeves. A perfect babel of, "For 
 Shame." "It's no such thing." "Keep still, can't you?" 
 Do stop that mouth of yours." etc. While the president 
 pounds with the gavel and at last calls on sergeant-at- 
 arms to restore order.) 
 
 Pres. — "Clerk will call the roll. Members as their 
 names are called if in favor will vote 'Aye'; opposed, 
 'No.' 
 
 Clerk calls roll, anounces (ayes 13, noes 7.) 
 
 Pres. — "A majority of the members having voted 
 therefor the amendment is passed." 
 
 Lady from the 14th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 14th." 
 
 Lady from the 14th. "Ladies of the Senate: Be- 
 fore we take final action upon this momentous issue, let 
 me ask you, 'Do men want the ballot? 'Twould be a very 
 grievious wrong to the majority of our men to allow a 
 minority or a lot of sentimental women to force respon- 
 
19 
 
 sibilities upon them. They are too engrossed in business 
 to desire another burden. Should the right of suffrage 
 be obtained for them by the clamor of a restless unhap- 
 py few, who are agitating for it, duty would demand that 
 they exercise those rights. Judging the future by the 
 past, have we any assurance that they would discharge 
 this duty conscientiously? Let us consider how the best 
 of men used to say: 'Politics is too dirty for us.' 
 How ministers, business men and philanthropists stood 
 aloof and turned the powers of government over to boss- 
 es, wardhealers, and corporations. 
 
 "When first voters were given the franchise by co- 
 lonial charters that included religious and property qual- 
 ifications. After the Revolution a number of others were 
 enfranchised but they did not ask to vote. Negroes were 
 given the ballot, without their asking or expecting it, nor 
 were they required to show that they could make good 
 use of it. The brown men of our island possessions, Por- 
 to Rico, Hawaii, and the Phillipines were given the bal- 
 lot and taught to make little crosses on it: but they did 
 not ask to vote nor did they promise to use it well, or 
 at all. How shocking it would be to the world to hear 
 a gentleman say in a loud tone: '1 want to vote!' Think 
 how unmanly it would sound! 
 
 "It is a self-evident fact that the majority of right 
 thinking men do not want to vote. The present agita- 
 tion is only a fad led on by a few idle irresponsible men 
 vsho only think they want the ballot because they can- 
 not have it. 
 
 "The forty years which have just passed have prov- 
 en that men are not only willing but glad to leave mat- 
 ters pertaining to politics, religion and society to the ten- 
 der mercies of their wives. They consider these things 
 too unimportant to trouble about. Their business is al- 
 ways to them the whole of life and to handle political 
 questions intelligently would require more time and stu- 
 dy than they are willing to give, so they look with un- 
 friendly eyes upon any innovation which would alter the 
 even tenor of their ways. 
 
 "Some of them say, "I will never vote because it is 
 being forced upon me and not conferred at my request.' 
 They are so used to playing second fiddle that they hon- 
 estly perfer it. 
 
 "Under the indisputable logic of these facts the ar- 
 guments of my fellow member came crashing down like 
 the -wall of Jerico at the trumpets of truth." 
 
 Lady from the 16th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 16th." 
 
 Lady from the 16th — "Ladies of the Senate: 
 Have you given this question serious thought 
 and study, and come into a full realization of 
 what it would mean to give man the ballot? Do you 
 "want to force us out of theseeasy leatherchairs, take from 
 us the five dollars we get for sitting in them a few hours 
 each day? Do you want to mar the polished surface of 
 these desks with the nail prints of masculine heels? Do 
 jou want to cover this beautiful velvet carpet wih cigar 
 stumps, orange peels, banana peels, and all kinds of rot- 
 ten deals; if not, vote against this suffrage bill. Ladies 
 
20 
 
 of the Senate, I now appeal to you with reference to the 
 domesticated man. Surely by this time he has seen the 
 wonderful purification and advancement in political af- 
 fairs, and he bows his head in meekness and murmurs, 
 'Oh, woman, thou art wonderfully and fearfully made!' 
 Why disturb their peace and contentment? Let me tell 
 of one case, a duplicate of the rest: At a home before 
 ringing the bell, I glanced in the window, saw a man 
 rocking a baby to sleep, and this was his lullaby; not 
 floating softly through an open window, but heard dis- 
 tinctly through closed doors. (Sing in bass voice.) 
 
 Rock a bye baby, in cobwebs we float. 
 
 Papa is mama since women can vote, 
 
 Buttonless shirts, and socks full of holes. 
 
 Natural consequences, equal rights at the polls. 
 
 Bye, Oh! bye baby, sleep Oh! sleep, 
 
 While your poor papa gets something to eat, 
 
 No use to cry, no use to fret, 
 
 Papa's a has been, mama's a suffragette. 
 
 "Ladies of the Senate, after seeing and hearing this, 
 
 with tears in my eyes, I turned away, and there and then 
 was confronted with the awfulness of disturbing man's 
 domestic peace and happiness. Feeling thus, could I 
 conscientiously vote for a bill that would destroy all this? 
 No! I do not want my slumber disturbed by a troubled 
 conscience. I cannot or will not vote for a bill that gives 
 men the right of suffrage." 
 
 (Lady from the 13th then arises alone, for the first 
 time is recognized and is so surprised that she stammers, 
 and starts several times to say something and at last sits 
 down and does not rise again.) 
 
 Lady from the 2 0th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "The Lady from the 2 0th." 
 
 Lady from the 20th. "Madam President, Ladies of 
 the Senate: This reminds me of the story of a politician 
 and an old farmer. The office seeker wanted the farmer 
 to vote for him while the sou of the soil favored a man 
 who then held office. The wily politician argued like 
 this: 'You are a progressive farmer, you believe in ro- 
 tation of crops, why not apply that principle to politics?' 
 
 " 'Well,' the farmer replied: 'I believe in rotating, 
 but I don't believe in plantin' my tater patch to skunk 
 cabbage.' 
 
 "You've heard how faithfully, economically and 
 thoroughly women have done the work of the world. Let 
 us compare this one session with a session of the Senate 
 of 1911, when men were running things. 
 
 "WE have worked here ten hours a day, six days a 
 week. THEIR record reads like this: Wednesday,. 
 January 4, organized in one hour and ten minutes, took, 
 a recess of one hour and fifty minutes, convened again 
 for thirty minutes, took another recess, then elected 
 some officers and passed some resolutions for thirty min- 
 utes more and adjourned, having worked two hours and. 
 ten minutes. The next day listened to the messages of 
 two governors which took three and one-half hours, mak- 
 ing the total for the week five hours and forty minutes. 
 
21 
 
 and so exhausted them that it was necessary to adjourn 
 until Monday night to recuperate. 
 
 "Monday night no quorum; Tuesday, session lasted 
 one hour; Wednesday, two hours; Thursday, three hours 
 and twenty-five minutes. Friday no quorum; total for the 
 2nd week, six hours and twenty-five minutes. Thethirdand 
 fourth weeks totaled eleven hours and ten minutes. The 
 fifth and sixth, nine hours and five minutes, making forty- 
 three hours and thirty minutes, or four and thirty-three 
 one-hundredths days in eight weeks, an average of five 
 and one-third hours a week, or fifty-three minutes a day. 
 
 "This arduous labor was mitigated by periods of 
 rest on $42 worth of new davenports and the fact that 
 fifty-nine officers were helping them to do their work. 
 Among these employees were nine janitors, six floor mes- 
 sengers, a sergeant-at-arms and four assistants. 
 
 "During this same eight weeks 225 absences are 
 recorded, leaving the average attendance three-fourths of 
 the membership. These facts may be found in the Sen- 
 ate Journal of 1911, thousands of which were printed 
 and sent out, postage paid by the state, and hundreds 
 later bound in calf for free distribution. 
 
 "For 73 days they drew $25,600 from the state for 
 salaries. The incidental expenses of the legislature were 
 $28,055.22. They paid out for supplies, including $10 
 for fiowers for a funeral, $16 for engrossing resolutions 
 of sympathy (they were sorry but not sorry enough to go 
 down in their own pockets) and $695 for stationery, the 
 sum of $1984.58, over $62 each. 
 
 "In addition the state paid 10c a mile milage and 
 milage and salaries for 59 officers. They passed appro- 
 priation bills calling for the expenditure of over $8,000,- 
 000. The actual expense is hard to find as part is in the 
 journals, part in the auditor's report, part in the capital 
 superintendent's report, and goodness knows where the 
 rest is to be found. 
 
 "While the states were squandering their millions, 
 the general government threw away billions, 400 mil- 
 lions yearly were spent forecasting weather, sending free 
 seeds, fowers, and fish, public buildings, doctoring live 
 stock, delivering mail, dredging rivers and harbors, giv- 
 ing pensions, and bathing and barbering Senators. 
 
 "The weather bureau cost $1,611,250 a year. Edu- 
 cating soldiers at West Point alone cost $1,000,000. 
 ■$16,750 went to train midshipmen. Rivers and harbors, 
 known as the pork barrel, swallowing up $30,888,400. 
 Public buildings took $33,011,500. Printing: and dis- 
 tributing reports and pamphlets, not including the Con- 
 gressional Record, used $684,450. 
 
 "They hired special trains to teach corn growing 
 and road building and had special Pullman accommoda- 
 tions for fieh. In short, the chief function of government 
 in those days was the dispensation of cash that made 
 the wealth of Midas look like a soap bubble. The men 
 were so extravagant and wasteful that a billion dollars 
 melted away like a strawstack when a cyclone strikes 
 it. Man's well known extravagance is the greatest argu- 
 ment against equal suffrage. 
 
22 
 
 "We have all we can do, it costs us all our salaries 
 to support men in the style to which they are accustomed 
 without allowing their spendthrift hands in the strong 
 boxes of our treasuries. 
 
 "It takes money for dress, money for business, mon- 
 ey for charity, money for bridge, whist, and money for 
 amusements of various kinds to keep them contended. 
 They are all clamoring for money — more and more mon- 
 ey. Besides every one of them has a hobby that takes 
 money or complains that lack of money curbs his right- 
 ful enjoyment of life. 
 
 "For instance there's (an editor) always springing 
 this joke. Editors are like new year's resolutions, be- 
 cause they're always broke. 
 
 Laugh and { ) laughs with you 
 
 Laugh and you laugh alone 
 First the joke is ( ) 
 
 Last when the joke's your own. 
 
 likes machinery 
 
 But best of all we know 
 
 He likes to wind his mouth up 
 
 He likes to hear it go. 
 
 Life's real for (some politician) 
 But it might be more sublime 
 If he were not kept so busy 
 Building fences all the Jime. 
 
 When (a physician) patients are few 
 And collections are hard to get 
 With an auto to scare a horse or two 
 He soon has bones to set. 
 
 (The telephone man) at St. Peter's gate 
 Is softly told to stand and wait 
 'Till the trees the gang have laid so low 
 Have grown to the beauty they used to show. 
 
 All that Sherman said that war is 
 
 That much and more is politics 
 
 Said (Defeated candidate) to that wife of his 
 
 Who helps his game with the spondulicks. 
 
 (The dentist) joy is in pulling teeth 
 To his parlor you are attracted 
 One aches above, he pulls one beneath 
 Then his conceit is painfully extracted. 
 
 (The candidate) wants to do his duty 
 By the country in the fall 
 Do not let him do the country 
 Is a warning to you all. 
 
 (The poet) has lots of good times 
 Hunting up words and making rhymes 
 His wife wishes he had considered before 
 Preachers and poets are always poor. 
 
23 
 
 (The ladies' friend) once donned a petticoat 
 
 Traveled down to the polls to vote 
 
 When the excitement began to pall, 
 
 He said: "Dear ladies, I'm a friend to you all. 
 
 is one of species rare 
 
 A Democrat, please handle with care. 
 
 exercise every day in the grove 
 
 To build his bay window down into an alcove. 
 
 His good wife's money disappeared like mist 
 
 Since learned to play whist 
 
 is happy the most of his time 
 
 Planning to go to a much hotter clime. 
 
 -sings, "I don't care if he is a houn' 
 
 You gotta quit kickin' my dawg aroun' 
 With expensive rifles, and game bags big 
 (The sheriff) goes hunting and gets a blind pi? 
 
 -says 'twere better 
 
 That 1 had loved and lost 
 
 Than to get married 
 
 And all my life be bossed. 
 
 It makes wife and daughter 
 
 Work until they both are lame 
 
 To buy hair restorer 
 
 And his tickets to the ball game. 
 
 We always laugh at jokes 
 
 No matter what they be 
 
 'Tis not because they're funny 
 
 But because it's policy. 
 
 "In view of these facts, these undisputed facts, these 
 incontrovertable facts; in view of this lavish expendi- 
 ture and waste of resources by men, I protest, Madam 
 President and fellow members, against the passage of 
 this resolution. It is an iniquitous measure and can 
 work out no good to mankind." 
 
 Pres. — "Question is on the adoption of this resolu- 
 tion. The clerk will call the roll." 
 
 (Clerk reports: "Ayes 4 — Noes 16.") 
 
 Pres. — "A majority of the members present not vot- 
 ing therefor the resolution is not passed." (Great ap- 
 plause.) 
 
 Lady from the 8th — "Madam President." 
 
 Pres. — "Lady from the 8th." 
 
 Lady from the 8th. "I move we adjourn." 
 
 Pres. — "Question is on motion of the lady from the 
 8th that the Senate now adjourn. Are there any ob- 
 jections? If not all in favor say 'Aye' (Ayes vote), con- 
 traiy 'No' (no response). This Senate is adjourned for 
 50 years." 
 
 Members then sing riotously Roy K. Moulton's, 
 "Hea\€n Help you, Michigan", or other appropriate song. 
 
 (The foregoing jokes are local hits and the blank 
 spaces are to be filled with the names of local men. Many 
 other such jokes may be added.). 
 
MAY 22 1913 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 014 212 081 1