The Cairo bulletin., 1906-06-04

II Is inconsistent and startling as q
man would be in drawing room at
tired in a swallow-tall coat, lavender
kid gloves. old dirty trousers and
shoes 50 worn that every toe would
be exposed The outfit would not be
harmonious.
Thrty-one years ago, this month.
paper OF mine on temperance, was
read before a nice little audience In
our city. and being The first chat !
know OF you can imagine the sym
pathy | must have had at that early
date. lost many good friends and
was. thought the greatest crank in
| Cairo. For many long years since
| then you ladies of the w. c. T. u,
have been working faithfully and
God and man 10 save our homes from
| the curse of drink Some of your local
body have petilioned the city for a
hearing to which you We're justly en-
titled You asked no favors', bur simp-
. ly requested that those who had sworn
| to enforce certain laws, should do so.
| Your prayer was received with dis
courtesy and contempt and seven hun
! dred respectable, well-meaning citl-
zens were, (tiguratively speaking) sat
down on" Need you ask why. when
you remember that most of your Pc
| titiOners were women? Were political
inonentities? Taxpaying nonentities
whose money helps to keep up every
expense of the city? And. in this
case, helped to humiliate you.
Womens money is used to help pay
1.-THE large salaries of all the men who
make our laws, their money Is used
| to help pay the city authorities 10
have those laws enforced. and to pro-
| tect our homes and families from all
possible harm. But are we protected?
Or, are the laws enforced? No, the
laws for the protection of minors, the
Sunday closingg laws and the gamb-
| Ing laws are all dead letters; and
crime laughs at those who would fain
Ihave II suppressed
Had women the ballot this state of
affairs could not exist, Officials
would be only too glad Of high licenEe.
They would run 10 close the saloon on
Sunday They would snatch the min
ors. the pitifl little infants. from the
living bells into which they freely en-,
| ter now. Crime would almost be un.
known and the heavy expenses of
keeping up the jails. feeding prisoners
and paying counsel fees, would be
done away with. Our sheriff would
forget the road to Chester and the
police could play marbles half of the
time, if they chose.
| am not alone in the conviction
that women should have the ballot.
From good authority | quote these
words In all the great English
speaking cities in the world, outside
of the United States, women are vot-
ing and soon may vote in Russia.
London. Liverpool. Edinburgh, Dub
lin and numerous Other foreign cities
give women the municipal ballot.
In our own country, women have
| il in Kansas City. Leavenworth. Witch.
lita, Fort Scott, Colorado Springs and
many other places; besides having
| the full ballot in some of our states. :"
Nothing but good has come from
this reformation. The contrary state
ment is only made by the jabbering.
womanly man.
Franchise is slower coming to this
o-called free country than 10 all other
civilized nations. 1t would be well If
our great Roosevelt. who so readily
responds TO appeals of all foreign
countries. would take up the wrongs
If the women of his own. Would
show that the women of America are
considered as intelligent and respect
cd as those of the old world Other
wise, they must necessarily appear in
feriOr
Since the W. c. Z. L. women have
so long and earnestly prayed 10 God
and all the machinery of the govern.
ment for aid. and their answer seems
till so far away. ! believe there is
something lacking. believe that
some other ingredient or combination
Is necessary for success.
/ A good general once said to his
.oldiers: Pray TO God. but keep your
powder dry" In this work against
sin, would humbly suggest that while
YOU pray, you keep your eyes on the
ballot. That silent lIttle friend
you'd work wonders in your behalf.
/ Instead of kneeling in the slums
and besseching mercy from the hands
of Evil, step quietly 10 the polls. Then
let your ballot say: None but those
willing to do their duty shall hold
office"
For. just as long as we have a wide
open town and wide-open dens of vice.
which are incubators OF crime. that
long will the cry Of Greater Cairo"
be travesty on decency and justice.
Let us have a better Cairo.
Men do not weep and pray and wall
to have laws passed or enforced. hut
go to the polls and decide the matter
with the ballot.
To gain success and respect we
must work to that end for ourselves
and eventually master the same harm
iese. but effective weapon. used by