Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-16
of the Equal Suffrage Association
of Jerauld County.

susan b. Anthony arrived on Friday
the 9Th inst, to be present at our
county convention. The sessions were
held in the Seminary Chapel, beginning
at 1:3o Z. NJ. Saturday. a roll call of
townships by the Secretary, Mrs. Clara
Freeland, showed that every township
was represented and in nearly every
instancehy quite large number of vis-
ltors besides thevice president or del
egate. Some of the townships organ
lzed for local work and all promised
good work in the future. The ones
who stay at home, urged Miss An
thony, are the ones who must be
reached. Every delegate and visitor
should be a missionary or teacher to
educate and convert the anti-suffragist |
stay-at-home.
Saturday afternoon Miss Anthony
reviewed the advancement of women
as wage earners during the past sixty
years. The first monej she earned
was in her fathers cotton factory.
Her father was then wealthy manu-
facturer and she worked short time
during the illness Of the regular hand.
Later, after her fathers failure, she
taught school for the mag nificent re-
Enumeration Of one dollar per week and
boarded around. Thegre difference
between the business status of women
then and now was clearly shown.
Forty years ago, housework, sewing,
and teaching was all that women
could do. Now there is no kind of
avocation wherein man can earn an
honest dollar but what woman can
compete with him. The principle
trouble now is, that women, as Il rule.
must work for lower wages. Exam
pie after example was given OF the
inequality of wages for the same
work. Women working for from one
third to one-half less than men for the
same amount of work done equally
we'll. The ballot in the hands of wo-
men would change this. A disfran-
chised class must always work at a
disadvantage. Saturday evening the
helplessness Of women as a dlsfran-
chised class was discussed, and for
nearly two hours thevast audience was
held in almost breathless attention to
the thrilling and unanswerable argu-
ments of this great champion of wo-
men. The political history OF this
and other nations was rapidly reviewed
and the disfranchised in every nation
proven to be helpless, degraded
class. In all differences between cap
ital and labor, the male laborer can
secure attention and concession to his
demands because he carries in his hand
the magic talisman of power before
which even the capitalists may well
tremble. Women laborers have no
such power, but, in the east, are CON-
PEELED to work by thousands, at starva-
tion wages and are often compelled, in
order to keep body and soul together
to 20 out on the streets at the mercy
Of these same wealthy men whose
selishness and greed drive their EN-.
ployes to lives Of shame. Never has a
strike among men laborers failed to
bring a compromise or a complete con-
cession to their demands. Never has
\ strike among women laborers gained
ANYTHING but q lost to themselves and
sometimes reduced wages. This is a
significant fact. Has the ballot any
thing to do with it?
Sunday mornings lecture was on the
effect of the ballot on the moral and
social status Of woman. The house
was crowded as it was also in the
!. evening when the speaker talked OF
!, women and the benefit that would &C.
: crue to her class ofmankind il permit
, ted to have voice in electing the
. officers as well as hand IN paying
them. Taxation without representa-
tion is against the very principles on
which this government is founded
, There is no Justice IN requiring a dis
franchised class to support the gov
ernment in which it has no part ex
!, cept certainty Of punishment II any
, law is violated Miss Anthony showed
!, the difference in the treatment OF the
' Negroes before and after entranchlse
nent. The ballot commands respect
and attentions to its claims. a dis
franchised class is politically de
!, Graded class. One at whom official:
, sneer or laugh and whose opinions g
! for nothing. The speaker wants wo
mans opinions respected aud counted
;. Woman has as good a right TO sa!
whether the saloon, gambling nouse' o
hrohell shall exist to tempt her chllorei
"a has the man whose vote IS counted
, We would like to report MISS AN
. thony's speech in full but space 1or
= h,ds Her words were fired win IN
o real which has held her steaa1asc u
X her work for forty years. ohe ha