Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-06

Rishrs-Women Vote in Colo
RADIO.
Copyright. BY Joseph 3. Bowles)
(Susan B. Anthony's name is known
everywhere az that Of one Of the strong
est. clsvsrest women OF the age 1t Is
synonymous with the marvellous evolution
In the status Of woman in which from the
early '40s until her death early In the
present year she was the central figure.
The transition Of the young quaker girl.
afraid Of the sound of her own voice. into
the reformer and orator is no more Won
Aerful than the great change which have
been brought about in the condition of
women largely through her effortso
Half a century ago, when the agita-
ton for woman suffrage was first COM
menced, IL the outlook for its
success had been what 1t is to-
day, the question would long since
have been settled, the friction OF
the new regime smoothed away and
the general public oblivious to the fact
that there ever had been a struggle to
bring all this about. The present gen.
GRAFTON has not the slightest concep-
ton of the conditions which existed at
the time when the first demand was
made that the ballot should be placed
In the hand of woman. The wife who
. to-day rests secure in the ownership
of the home and Of all the property
which comes to her. who manages 1t
herself and enjoys the profits; the
other one who. compelled to work for
wages to support her children, col
lects and uses them according to her
Judgment; the mother who, widowed
by death or divorce. rejoices in the
possession OF her children; the wom-
en- who. In every possible vocation, are
earning a livelihood and often a COM
petence-all Of these are in utter is-
norance of the efforts which were
made by the women of the past to Sc
cure for them these privileges.
They do not dream that so years ago
no married woman could legally own
q dollars worth Of property and none
could collect or expend the wages she
earned except by the husbands con-
sent; that the courts recognized the
fathers absolute ownership of the
children, to the extent Of dispos:ng
of them by will; that there was not
an institution in the United States
where a girl could get the higher edu-
cation, and that there we're not more
than half dozen occupations in which
she could make living and none in
which q competence was possible.
But such was the situation when the
astounding proposition was first made
that women should have the suffrage:
Undoubtedly there had been always an
inward rebellion on the part Of women
against the gross injustice which they
suffered, but It was not until the clos
ing years Of the first half Of the cen
fury that this began to find public ex-
preston and even then only the small
est fraction of those who protested
were clear-sighted and philosophical
enough to see that the speediest rem
edy for these evils would be the pos
session Of the franchise. Had this
been granted 1t would not nave re-
Quired 80 years to remove the cruel
determinations. which are by no
means yet entirely obliterated.
Year after year when the women
went to the legislatures to have the
vicious laws abolished they met de-
feat, because they did not form . part
Of the constituency, and the para
mount aim Of every member was 50
to crafty his constituents As to secure
Q reelection for himself and further
ne interests Of his party. To neither
Of these ends could women contribute
IN the slightest degree. Therefore they
had to depend entirely upon the slow
process Of educating public sentiment
until II was far enough advanced 70
supply the necessary backing fos the
repeal II these obnoxious laws.
We have nov reached the point
where the antagosiSm against the
equal riei,ts Of women Is confined a.
most wholly TO that Of the suffrage.
In practically all other respects they
are conceded and while some states
are SLOW In changing their laws TO Goa
form 10 the new dispensstion the jus-
tsce Of u IL admitted and IL viii pre-
val universally in the near future. 20
ssr % the statutes are concerned. The
hattie hesceforth mus; be for the
franchise Tie vitai question thus
oecomes: WHIST 10 fhe ostlook fos
N ulsimsse success q this last cos
ts4s-s- a--s- -