The San Francisco call., 1905-06-26
EQUAL SUFFRAGISTS
GO TO PORTLAND
LIVEL Y SESSION IS PROMISED
Eastern. Delegates Go Over the Trail
Pointed Out By Sacajawea
By LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

Portland win be in the hands of the
Equal Rights folk-who. by the way are
far from being all women-from June 80
10 July 5.
And that the National Equal Rights
Convention should meet in Portland at
an exposition commemorative of the
Lewis and Clark expedition, is emfnently
meet and just. For know ye all, that
were IL not for a woman-Sacajawea. the
Bird Moman'-Lewis and Clark would
never have carried their packet 10 the
ocean; for were IL not for her. this brave
little Indian woman, they would have
perished from want in the wilds of the
mountains where they had lost their
way; or been put to death by the Indians
whose hunting ground they had violated; /;
and thus would the commission, so nobly
carried TO completion in the name of the
GoVernment-and now so worthily COM
memorated-been an unhappy failure, but
for woman, brave Sacajawea
But SacaJawea, with her papoose strap
ped 10 her back, was the guide that led
them TO the great blue ocean, and the in
disputable medium that gave the Gov
ernment the first authentic knowledge of
the great Northwest.
Therefore is IL eminently At that where
go primal a part in a Government drama
was played by a woman. that women of
a later day should meet TO take issue
with that Government for its unjust dis
elimination against wonderland for no
more logical reason than that, by an
incident Of birth. they were feminine,
though otherwise equipped, equal TO men,
and very, very much like them In hopes,
ambitions, loves, desires, appetite, fall
ures and capabilities, with mental, moral
and spiritual distinctions so slightly
marked as 10 be but differentiations.
Therefore is il that Susan B. Anthony,
- -
those things when our mothers wore
pigtsils, has iourneyed across the con-
tinent 20 address the convention of wom-
en- Who Aren't Afraid To Declare Them
selves--now that she has blazed the way.
And therefore is it that Anna B. Shaw,
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Mrs. Gait and
other notable political pioneers, Journey
ed pver Sacajawea's trail to attend that
famous convention.
And from San Francisco has a goodly
delegation gone. among them DR. Doro-
thea Moore, Mrs. Austin Sperry, Mrs.
Lloyd Baldwin. Mrs. William Ruth
iBerkIev), Miss Schlingeheyde and Miss
Mary Fairbrother, all Of whom can be de-
pended upon TO give a good account of
themselves when the convention gets
busy.
As 10 the topics to be discussed. the
suffrage question in it's political aspect
will not wholly fill the programme-the
social and civic elements of IL finding
many exponents. including speakers on
child-labor laws, divorce and divorce
laws. property-rights Of women, finan-
cial obligations Of married women, guar
dianship OF children, etc.
So il might be wise for the men-such
as are directly interested-to come and
see what happens up there.
But meanwhile. Don't worry"
The subjoined talk of Dr. David Starr
Jordan's in which he voices the same
Sentiments as those expressed by Presi-
Gent Roosevelt in Buffalo in 1901. are
bringing good cheer TO the hearts of the
workers for Equal Rights = with
Equal Duties" Of COURSE.
DR.. Jordan expressed himself as fol-
lows al the Santa Clara County Equal
Suffrage Association at Palo Alto:
Personally 1 am in favor of suffrage
for women or of anything that adds
freedom and does not interfere with any
one else's rights Effort brings capacity
and growth On the whole, woman's
work is as well or better done than mans.
Men and women are much the same kind
Of creatures and their interests are the
same. The greater the responsibility the
better the work done, is a good general
rule. A new viewpoint is not always a
better one, but il brings broadening,
zIlC Is therefore a real Edlu- outrage
would bring broader interests to women,
interest in realities-and that is a thing
10 be desired.
There are several classes Of men that
oppose woman suffrage. 1t will be found
usually that the saloon element is un-
friendly, as they fear that public opinion
might then interfere with the profits. The
saloon is q bad thing, because IL leads
TO destruction of men, and public opinion,
VI hen expressed, is merely what women
think about what men ought to do.
Brutal men, who value only what can
be done with their fists or their money,
and fnacial men, who themselves care
rot for national affairs, both think
woman's demand unnecessary.
"A few practical men fear 1t would
sod confusion 10 the politics because of
the absentee vote. The answer to that
argument is to deprive voter Of the
suffrage who fails 10 use IL. Objections
or the theoretical grounds OF q division
OF labor have all been met, for while
men are often relatively stronger in out
side matters. woman is stronger IN near
things Government is concerned with
both large and small affairs. and the
great questions of statesmanship have
but small part in politicar work
Women will gain added wisdom