The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-11

want IUEm.
 So long as there is one woman who ing to the spirit of the Constitution
 and the Declaration of Independence entitled to that right. The petition
 presented to the last Parliament wal signed by 257.000 English women, al though Enalish women are allowed to vote for every officer except members of Parliament.
 If that gallery were not sos packed today, you might still say women did not want to vote. That they would not vote if they had the right, Is contra dicted in the States where full suffrage Is enjoyed. Secretary of the Navy J. D. Long is quoted as saying that suppose 1t should be so; 1t often hap pens In an election that more than half the men refuse to vote. But if one man or woman wants to exercise the right to vote, what earthly reason is there for denying 1t, because other men or women do not wish to exercise 1t?
 will skip a little.
 That women will vote with their hus-
 bands will not always happen. You know that yourselves. (Applause). have by experience proven that 1t will not. I went to Wetumpka once, to help in the suppression of the saloons. and petitions and counter-petitions were the order of the day. Men and women signed them. but the names of many men were on contrary petitions from those on which the names of the wives were found. Whenever the interests of the home are to be protected, the un- worthy husband will find himself left.
 Every step of progress has been be- clouded by direful prophecies. When 1t was proposed to educate her prop erly. beyond vocal and instrumental music and the cultivation of good man. ners. horrible warnings were sent out that the home would be destroyed. It was clear that if all women were edu- cated. all women would become blue stockings and write books, neglect chil- dren and become unworthy creatures. But the schools at last were opened to them. women were educated and public opinion simmered down after the dis covery that the highest educated wo- man makes the best housekeeper, wife and mother. When the demand came for property rights for woman, in order that they might not live paupers de pendent on the bounty of their fathers. until they should become paupers de- pendent on the bounty of their hus- bands. Iaughter).
 Every one of those points you know are good-then the cry went up that women would desert their homes, yet 1t was Found that there were thou- sands of women for whom there could be no homes unless they worked in the outside world. But it was said the moral life of woman would be degrad- ed by public contact. But it is shown that wherever women have been allowed to earn a livelihood. in an honorable and respectable way. they have raised the standard of morality rather than lowered 1t.
 The homes have not been broken up. for humans are and always will be the same and the great agency of God. known as human love. will continue to bind the home and family which arc founded in justice and educated upon righ tprinciples. The claim Is made that we are building a barrier between men and women and that we are an- tagonistic to men because men are men ,and we are women. This is not true. There never was a time when men and women were such good friends as now. We have now co-edu- cation in our schools; and boys and girls work side by side and study and recite together.
 There is nothing in liberty that can harm either man or woman; there Is nothing in justice that can work evil to society.
 We do not claim that the millennium will come when we are enfranchised. but we do claim that the millennium will never come until justice is done to all mankind.
 We do not ask the ballot because we do not believe in men. or because we think men unjust or unfair; we do not ask to speak for ourselves, be- cause we believe men unwilling to speak for us; but because men by their very nature never can speak for women. It would be as impossible for all men to understand the needs of women and to care for their inter- ests as it would be for all women to the needs of men and care for the interests of men.
 So long as laws affect both men and women. men and women together should make those laws. (Now why don't you applaud thatO
 Women need the ballot--not because men are sinners-although you know they are-but because they are by na- ture different from women-too dif- ferent to be able to represent them and women must either go unrepre- sented or represent themselves. l think If we had had constituency of women last winter when we fought the | child labor bill. if We were some ones | and had had votes when | the preachers stood by us and every | man of right and everybody that | appreciated gentleness and benevo- Ience that stood by us before that | committee that committee would have | been afraid to have reported against | ls You know you are afraid no" of | what you are doing and that com mittee would have been more afraid Of | what 1t did. But that Child Labor Bill is not downed, neither Is the suffrage question closed. l lad not discussed the darkey question because the darkeys and We stood by each other a long time. You know here was a time when the crim- nals, the insane people, traitors, idi- its, negroes and women were not al- owed to vote, but I understand that nv gardener Is going to be disfran- ,hised. He has been the only thing hat represented us at the polls. i've in a household of women, of edu7 ,ated women. My sisters are widows LI6 am an old maid. There is not l man on the face of the earth inter sted particularly in how the affairs Of ,u- household go. We have no more ,oice in that neighborhood than if we were a party of Americans set down in Russia. There is a negro gardeneriwno1 works our field, who is our hostler md Major Domo. He was little over years old when he came n us. He said he had been in school en years and he was at the first pages ,f the second reader, but when the ,otlng time came he went over to the