The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-04-20
What Women
Haze Done
in Politics
Their Crusade Against Unjust
Laws Women Prime Movers
in all Great Reforms = They
Cannot Cope With Men in the
Manipulation Of Politics
Strength Lies In Tact and
Intention.
(Copyright, 1906, BY Joseph B. Bowies.)

(Copyrignt, iSoo' py SosePh D. Do"hos'S
MRS John A. Logan is known and es-
teemed by all Americans: Accompanying
her distinguished husband. the most prom
inent of all the volunteer soldiers through
the civil war, to her belongs the honor or
establishing the first hospital for sick SOL
diers. From the close of the war TILL her
husbands death she was his closest al
wiser in political matters. Since his death
she has retained her prominence before
the public and her influence In nationai
affairs.)
That women have welded power
full influence in the political world can
not be denied when we contrast the
position she occupied In this country
as late as 1850 with her present stat
us. There was not state in the
union which did not bear upon its
statute books most unjust and I'M
righteous laws under which a woman
could be deprived Of her property and
subjected to the most outrageous
treatment and literally robbed OF her
inheritance through the profiigacy and
recklessness of an unworthy husband.
She had no protection against the
cruelty of parent or husband or the
disposition of anything without her
consent If she rebelled against their
authority they had the power to de-
stroy her reputation and could take
her children away from her, If she
had any, and they we're 50 disposed.
If the laws did not give them this
power the practice sanctioned and
sustained men in their unjust DONNA
ton over women.
The unjust rulings of a school board
precipitated Mis- Anthony's rebellion
against the unfair treatment of wo-
men and caused the first movement
for woman suffrage. For half-cen-
fury Miss Anthony, Mrs. Stanton and
others of their heroic colleagues kept
up the warfare until the obnoxious
laws were expunged and much more
| just and righteous ones enacted.
In some of the states the right OF
female suffrage has been extended
and women have been chosen to Off.
cial positions. including that of rep
| resentatives in the state legislatures
and l am proud to say that they have
made good records. 1t has been graf
flying to know that the presence OF
women at the polls has had salutary
| effect on the elections. The riotous
| disposition which characterized the
balloting on election days, and not in
| frequently ended in bloodshed, has
been changed to holiday occasion
and general good -natured festivities
hope to see the great improvement
In political methods anticipated and
claimed by the advocates of female
| suffrage.
Through the coalition of the various
elements of discord some of these
states had passed into the hands Of
irresponsible men without records
which entitled them to fill these posi-
tons. They have been a hindranct
to all legislation for the welfare OF
state or nation. But in the recogni
ton of the betterment of social and
political conditions it is to be hoped
that the ablest and best of all com
munities may be brought to the from
and that speedily the highest class Of
| representatives may come from the
states that have inaugurated woman
suffrage.
The most ungenerous must confess
that behind all great reform move
ments in this country women have
been the inspiration and most poten
force. In religion, temperance. socia
and municipal reforms women have
been the primary and untiring work
ers; to them much is due for the higl
moral and religious standard of oul
progression and Christian civilization
In the education of the masses womer
have been most conspicuous; a ma
| jority of the teachers in the publ,
schools are and always have been wo
men. This daily contact with tn,
youth of the country has given then
the largest opportunities for tn,
| guidance of their pupils into channel.
of the highest moral rectitude ant
patriotism. Next to the mothers tn,
public school teachers are the mos
potent influences in the land.
If they go farther and accomplish