Vassar Miscellany, Volume 1, Number 6, 13 March 1914, “Why Taboo Suffrage?”
Citation
G. A. S., 1915, “Vassar Miscellany, Volume 1, Number 6, 13 March 1914, “Why Taboo Suffrage?”,” LACOL Introduction to Digital Humanities, accessed December 23, 2025, https://ds-omeka.haverford.edu/lacol-dh/items/show/62.
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Title
Vassar Miscellany, Volume 1, Number 6, 13 March 1914, “Why Taboo Suffrage?”
Subject
Women's suffrage
Vassar College
Description
Despite Vassar encouraging its students to have a wide breadth of knowledge, they have left students particularly uneducated on issues such as Women’s Suffrage. These students believe that if they are more educated on Women’s Suffrage they are not able to be full participating women in society. Furthermore, they call out Vassar College for being one of the only women’s colleges that does not have an official Women’s Suffrage group.
Article is on page 2.
Article is on page 2.
Creator
G. A. S., 1915
Source
Vassar Miscellany
Publisher
Vassar College Digital Library
Date
13 March 1914
Contributor
Beck Morawski, Wren Jackson, Gemma Null, Emily Schmitt, and Lily McDonnell
Rights
Public Domain
Relation
Vassar Miscellany News
Format
Newspaper article
Language
English
Identifier
https://newspaperarchives.vassar.edu/?a=d&d=miscellany19140313-01.2.10&srpos=1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Why+taboo+suffrage%22-------
Text
WHY TABOO SUFFRAGE?
G. A. S., 1915
Every college girl has been asked the question "What are the chief benefits you have derived from your college course?" and it seems reasonable to say that every girl has replied, "My college course has broadened my interests and given me a foundation upon which to base my opinion upon any question which 1 may have to meet." This answer is for the most part true. At Vassar we have an opportunity to study philosophy and religious questions; to investigate the latest scientific discoveries and research; to read and appreciate modern and ancient literature anil languages; to become familiar with history and historical methods. We have organizations which enable us to take part in dramatics and athletics, others which give us opportunity to develop our literary and executive ability and still others which enable us lo become acquainted with the work of the College Settlement Association; the Consumers' League and foreign and home missions. BM|fll But does it not seem strange that Vassar, a college which stands for such breadth of view, should allow her students to go into the world totally uneducated in a matter in which every woman must be interested and concerning which every woman must form some intelligent opinion? 1 refer to the subject of Woman Suffrage. We all realize that this is one of the important questions of the day and most of us realize that the enfranchisement of woman is inevitable. I'pon the educated women of the nation iests the burden of preparing herself and those women who have had fewer opportunities, to become intelligent participants for or against this movement. Why should we evade this question when the students of almost every other Women's College have formed organizations for the purpose of educating themselves in this subject ? Wellesley, Smith, Wells. Barnard and Bryn Mawr have recognized the necessity for dealing with the question. Shall we, the students of Vassar, the oldest and most famous of Women's Colleges, be willing to leave this side of our education totally neglected? The following extract from a letter written by Matthew Vassar to Miss Rowell, a student at Vassar in 1868. is interesting in that it shows how slow we have been in following out the desires of the founder of our college: "When I first read the law some years ago I was surprised to find our fair sex placed in so stamped a category as criminals, paupers, idiots, etc. which if the law was right by this classification I think it is full time that my 800 daughters at Vassar knew and applied.
G. A. S., 1915
Every college girl has been asked the question "What are the chief benefits you have derived from your college course?" and it seems reasonable to say that every girl has replied, "My college course has broadened my interests and given me a foundation upon which to base my opinion upon any question which 1 may have to meet." This answer is for the most part true. At Vassar we have an opportunity to study philosophy and religious questions; to investigate the latest scientific discoveries and research; to read and appreciate modern and ancient literature anil languages; to become familiar with history and historical methods. We have organizations which enable us to take part in dramatics and athletics, others which give us opportunity to develop our literary and executive ability and still others which enable us lo become acquainted with the work of the College Settlement Association; the Consumers' League and foreign and home missions. BM|fll But does it not seem strange that Vassar, a college which stands for such breadth of view, should allow her students to go into the world totally uneducated in a matter in which every woman must be interested and concerning which every woman must form some intelligent opinion? 1 refer to the subject of Woman Suffrage. We all realize that this is one of the important questions of the day and most of us realize that the enfranchisement of woman is inevitable. I'pon the educated women of the nation iests the burden of preparing herself and those women who have had fewer opportunities, to become intelligent participants for or against this movement. Why should we evade this question when the students of almost every other Women's College have formed organizations for the purpose of educating themselves in this subject ? Wellesley, Smith, Wells. Barnard and Bryn Mawr have recognized the necessity for dealing with the question. Shall we, the students of Vassar, the oldest and most famous of Women's Colleges, be willing to leave this side of our education totally neglected? The following extract from a letter written by Matthew Vassar to Miss Rowell, a student at Vassar in 1868. is interesting in that it shows how slow we have been in following out the desires of the founder of our college: "When I first read the law some years ago I was surprised to find our fair sex placed in so stamped a category as criminals, paupers, idiots, etc. which if the law was right by this classification I think it is full time that my 800 daughters at Vassar knew and applied.
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