LOSS OF WOMAN'S AID IS AMERICA'S WASTE
Equal  Suffrage would Prevent War and Want
and Misery.
Mrs   Florence  Fenwick   Miller Says   Women's   Vote   Would
Help the Men.Their Aid In Public Affairs would be
of Inestimable Value to  Community.
la   the   admirable  introduction   of Mrs.   Fenwick   Miller at the Political Equality club meeting at Collins  hall, Tuesday   night,    Miss   Miller stated that she   knew   of a  young   man   at college who   had   won   many   medals and trophies in various athletic sports. One of these he described as his " all round" medal; he   said it  had been given him because he had   won   more prizes in the   various   athletic  sports than anyone   else   and   that  was  the meaning of the title  of   " all   round
medal."     Miss  Miller  thought  that this fitted the case of  the   illustrious speaker who had come  from   England to the National   Suffrage   convention. She was equipped to win in all classes not only as a professional woman.but as a voter aiiong women.    She had held offices in England and was a leader in the educational  line.    That she  was a leader in various ways was  attested by   the   different   subjects   she  was asked to speak upon  at  Washington. ! Kor ibis   reason   she   thought   Mrs, Miller was an " all rouud" sufferagist. Mrs. Fenwick.Miller in her address began   by making a   quotation  from Genesis in reference to the creation of woman from the rib of man.   She said that woman   was   not   taken from his feet to   ba   under   him;   or from his head to be above   him,   but  from his rib to be equal to him.    fcilie gave the
description or the Rabbis in   which il
... was said that   a   part of   the womar.
had been placed   in   the   serpent anc
when  Adam  was   tempted   it was tc
( ;show how much better it   would have
I   been if he had retained   her originally
as his equal.
In   whatever   century we live,   we
must live   according to   that century.
Before   steam   was   known   much of,
tie work of women had to   be done at
home, and  before the   printing press
was worked by steam,  society was not
j in readiness   for   go^-nment  of the
people by the people.    You never had
a democraoy   until   the   times made
preparation for it.
, Republics in ancient times were not true democracies: many were serfs and servants in a large degree. A republic ruled by those selected by the peo-
=   pie to govern   them    has   only   come 11 about during the past century. j     The work done in the factories was j formerly done in homes; such articles as soaps,candles and olothing are now made outside the homes.
Mrs. Fenwick showed how changed were the conditions in the time. Fannie Mendelssohn, sister of the great musician, had musical abilities that were said at that time to be greater than her brother's. Her father, however desired her to do what were termed womanly things and to fit herself for household duties. She wrote some musicial compositions, however ,and afterwards some of these were appropriated by her brother Felix,and when he was complimented .
for them, he said, in his biogriphy, that they were written by his sister. It was deemed unwise for women of those days to become skilled in any of the professions or arts; and so this! woman was absolutely prevented from winning great fame and honor by being thus suppressed, In those days it was necessary for women to do stitching and candle making and pie makingjtut now through the invention
Women's hands are now free  to  do more.    She has  worked  always    for her living, even when at home.   Now nine-tenths of the girls must go forth and must follow other lines  of   work; 1 steam and machinery have   prevented the old work being done at home.     If you see a man who has  half  a   dozen children to fcuppoit and no   wife, you feel sorry for him.    In mining  towns without women   there   is   coarseness and violence; there id no safety   until woman come?, when it   settles   down to a peaceful law- abiding community. Women therefore work side   by   side
with men for that which is best for tfiem. It is not truethat women will de Bert their household duties when they vote any more than all the men will leave their businesses when they vote. Influence of women is to aid the men in their cause and they do it.
English Women.
In England, every woman who   has th3 same qualification that men   have!
who have the right to  vote   can  vote for  every  representative   except  for members  of parliament.    Each   man or woman who is at the   head   of  the [house   and   who  pays   rent  has   the j : right to vote for members of the   various town councils, school boards and other   offiaers.      Men   and     women work side   and   side   in   these   town elections.    The women   vote  against the disreptuable   or  undesirable  man for offioe; they have voted in favor of clean streets, for sanitation,  for   pure food and  for good  water;  until   now the average of life  in   England   has been extended by five years  and   im-provetnent  has been so   made in   the homes and  in   sanitation   that   there has been a two and a half years great er increase in the life of women   than with men.    Since  1870 the  women's services on school boards have been s appreciated  that  two  hundred    and seventy-six  have  been re-elected  as members.
On the Guardians of Poor boards nine hundred and eighty six arj sitting as members. The women vo'ed to return those who ought to be elected and women know better who to pick out than do men. The men have agreed also to their ability and they also vota to return them without question.    The women have canap.it.v.
industry and ability. Had they equal rights in all cases, they , would in many ca:es save their country from misery, want and contempt.
Why in America should all this energy of its women be wasted in each community?
Lost AH This Energy.                
America might have all these years the work of thousands of able and industrious wo.nen. It is extraordinary to have allowed this eDormous waste of energy when it might have blessed evory community and done so much good.
Mrs. Miller referred to the anti-suffragists and Bail they did not exist in any numbers in England. Their petition carried 160 namestwo of them only of prominent person! The offsetting petition contain three thousand names among them the strongest women in England. The women's petition asking to vote for members of parliament contained 247,000 names.
Answering arguments of the antis is like fighting air. Some of them say woman should not vote because they cannot fight in defence of their country.  In England the average age of men who are allowed to be s>oldiers is forty years. According to that these men should not bejvoters.    All
those under five feet four inches in height cannot be soldiers. Their votes must be taken away. Of those examined thirty-five per cent., are rejected as medically unfit for war duty.
These too, should not be permitted to vote. In Italy only forty-two per cent., of the entire men of right age are fit for duty. The ridiculous feature of this argument is that there are only a very few left who are thus qualified to be soldiers and who of themselves are the only ones to vote. The fact is that the soldiers are the only ones who are practically not voters. They are away from home or have no homes.
The women make the s acrifices of this present war. The young men are sons and husbands taken from their families, and the women are being taxed one shilling out of each twenty for the war. In Eugland six pounds of tea per capita are drank; 'while you in America drink only one and one half pounds. They drink te i instead of other stimulant. This and all other necessities of the women must bear war tax.
Everything  that  women   uses has gone up in price and  yet they say she cannot vote on the very war  she mus< help pay for.
Man   is   by   heredity  the   fighting animal;  and   men   injure  their cause-when they won't allow women to vote. Women when they can vote will  pre vent war.     Victoria,  to  the  certain knowledge of the speaker, had in many cases   prevented   war.    She   set   her face against war.  Whenever sacrifices are needed and war, is necessary, then woman always gives  substantial  aid. The woman's   cause  is  man's   cause. Women exert a soothing and harmonizing influence,
The speaker gave a graphic description of the present situation in England owing to the war in Africa- It 'was pathetic, humane and eloquent. The audience applauded hearty anc enthusiastically.
All in all, Mrs. Fenwick Miller's address was propably one of the 'strongest and most reasonable arguments in favor of equal suffrage that has been heard from the host of eminent women suffragists who have spoken in Geneva during the last five years. Those who missed hearing this lecture, lost a delightful treat; it may be considered to have been almost the opportunity of a lifetime.