Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-01-24
THE INDIFFERENCE OF WOMEN.
An Article on Equal Suffrage by Mrs. E.
N. LOgsdOn of Dec0rah.

Mrs. iE. N. Logsdon, a local enthus-
last on the subject of woman's suff-
rage, contributes the following we'll
written article to the Woman's S Stand
ard, the official organ of the suff-
ragists, published at Waterloo, Iowa:
Does the Indifference of women
hinder our case?
1t does in limited degree, but
only as far as pathetic influence
goes. Men use it as subterfuge
| when trying to evade the real issue
Some argue that zeal for equal suff-
rage does more harm than Indifference
1t has not been so with progress in
the past. Persistent and ti1eless
battling has won as a rule.
| The real obstacle is not woman's
Indifference but mans stupidity,
ignorance and prejudice. Their
stupidity is shown when thev think
they can cope with the evil of the
world without our assistance
Their ignorance is plainly apparent
when they think we orght TO be salts
fed in modern home, dressed up
and set aside as doll or piece of
bric-a- brac, when outside are dens of
vice, in the removal of which we
are voiceless, helpless, powerless.
Their prejudice is deeply rooted
inheritance from the past They do
not realize that having the same an
cestors as they have we have the same
aspirations and logical reasoning
powers. They 20 not realize that
their assumed superiority is beIated
savage instinct.
They show their selfishness when thev
appropriate to themselves the lions
share of human rights ignoring the
claims of such women as Francis
Willard, Clara Barton, Lucy Stone,
Harriet Beecher, Stowe, Elizabeth
Cady Stanton and hosts of others.
They are uninst in that they hold
US responsible for tile purity of the
home and the training of children
which they shirk both by precept
and example. They seem to thirk
that fathers are exempt from Il q laws
] of transmission, 4hereditv and re-
sponsibility.
| They are narrow when they wish to
limit our activities and aspirations
to church, children and the kitchen.
They are guilty of an incalculaIe
wrong to our race when they wish to
control theindividual struggle for her
own ideals and aims, Why should
Mrs. Browning or Madam Currie he
set to washing dishes?
They are unjust in the property
laws they have enacted, in their
guardianship laws, and age of consent
laws. They are unjust in their
customs which humiliate women to
ask for monev when there ought to
be, division of surplus funds, in
dividual pockel b )oks and family
pocketbook for general expenses
They make great chivalry plea
and want to guard us tenoerly from
contact with men in business and in
politics. How about their immigration
laws that permit an influx of the
ignorant, oppressed and vicious of
other lands to be our fellow citizens?
How about their arrangement which
gives us minors, idiots, insane, con-
victs and incapables as our political
equals? 1t is the olden time custom
of separating boys and girls in the
school room and allowing them to as
sociate freely on the play ground
They are very consistent.
We find that our brothers are tyrants
too for the government which they
have organized is combine more
despotic than the trusts and monopolies
of which they complain. 1t will not
allow millions of our women to be
represented Its governing power is
vested in one sex. 1t allows taxation
without representation. 1t compels
obedience TO it's laws contrary to the
constitution without the consent of
the governed.
Tyranny and its attributes are the
hindrances to be removed When
combined influence has brushed the
cobwebs of ignorance and prejudice
from mems brains. and they shed
their shell of selfishness, injustice
and tyranny. they will accord US our
fall political freedom. Then, but
not until then, can we trutlfully sing !:
"The star spangled banner, o long
NAV it wave
Ger the land of the free and the
home of the brave.