University of Virginia Library

The Foreign Vote.

Less than one-third of the immigrants coming to this country are
women. According to the census of 1910, there are in the United
States nearly three times as many native-born women (38,674,693)
as all the foreign-born men and foreign-born women put together
(13,343,583).

The foreign vote is objectionable only so far as it is an ignorant
vote. Intelligent foreigners, both men and women, are often very
valuable citizens. On the other hand, the ignorant foreign immigrants
who come here are fully imbued, both men and women, with
all the Old World ideas as to the inferiority and subjection of women.
It is not until they have become pretty thoroughly Americanized that
they can tolerate the idea of women's voting. The husbands are
not willing that their wives should vote, and the wives ridicule the
suggestion. Experience shows that until they have become Americanized,
the foreign women will not vote. And, after they have become
Americanized, why should they not vote, as well as any one
else?