ROOSEVELT PLAYS SAFE
-ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE
New York, Feb. 2. In an edi
torial in the current issue of the
Outlook, Col. Theodore Roose
velt defines his position on wom
an suffrage.
Generally speaking the colonel
is in favor of equal suffrage, but
far be it from the Hunter of Saga
more Hill -to leave himself de
fenceless against the onslaughts
of anti-suffragists. He defines his
position, but he leaves the back
door open for -a quick gateway.
Listen to this:
"I believe in woman's rights.
I believe even more earnestly in
tfye- performance of duty both by
men and women.
"I heartily believe in equality
of rights as between man and
woman, but also in full and com
plete recognition of the fact that
there cannot be identity of func
tion. "I believe in woman's suffrage
wherever the women want it.
Where they do not want it, the
suffrage should not be forced
upon them."
Having thus left the side doors
open as well as the back, the gal
lant colonel goes on to say what
he thinks constitute the duties of
women.
"The vital need of women is to
war against vice, and frivolity,
and cold selfishness and timid
shrinking from necessary risk and
effort. The vice or folly of men
and women, which lead to the di
vorce court, or take shape in the
curse of voluntary sterility, ate
fundamental evils of prime, of
capital importance. The ruin of
motherhood and childhood by
the merciless exploitations of the
labor of women and children is a
crime of capital importance.
"I am glad that the good, wise
and brave mother should have the
ballot. I am especially glad if its
possession shall add to the digni
ty of her position in the eyes of
man. The advocates of woman's
suffrage will necessarily remem
ber that the highest type of the
woman of the future must be es
pecially identical with the highest
mother who performs the most
important of all social duties with
wisdom, courage and efficiency.
"I believe in the movement for
woman's suffrage, and I believe
that it will ultimately succeed
and will justify itself. But I re
gard it as of far less consequence
than many other movements for
the betterment of present day,
conditions as affecting both men
and women."
Notice the prop Inserted here
to keep the back door open.
"Perhaps one reason why so
many men who believe as em
phatically as I do in woman's full
equality with man, take little in
terest in the suffrage movement,
is to be found in the very unfor
tunate actions of certain leaders
of that movement, who seem de
sirous of associating it with dis
orderly conduct in public.
"The first duty of the average
citizen is to be a good father or
mother, husband or wife. Moth
erhood must be protected; and
the state should make the secur-
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