The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-05
Roosevelt Not, However, an
Enthusiastic Advocate
Of Proposition.
BIG NEW YORK MEETING.
NATIONAL AND FOREIGN SPEAK.
Frs ARGUE FOR EQUAL BAL
LoT-MANY PROMINENT WoM-
EN- ATTEND.

New York, Dec 5.-Advocates of the
equal ballot had their inning last night
in a meeting in Carnegie hall, which
followed meeting Of opponents of the
idea this afternoon.
To offset the influence against the
movement created by slams" at it by
big men of the nation, DR.. Charles f.
Aked, pastor of the Fifth Avenue Bap-
fist church, and Mrs. Philip Snowden,
leader of the suffragist movement in
England, spoke at Carnegie hall.
"Seven Devils" Still in Men.
An audience Of women filling the
hall to it's topmost gallery paid enthu-
siastic tribute to Mrs. Snowden as she
told the story of the fight of the suf-
fragettes in her native country.
Mrs. Snowden made her plea with
youthful energy and earnestness. In
telling of the picture the newspapers
would draw of the doings of the suf-
fragettes in England, she displayed a
keen sense Of humor.
The Rev. Dr. Aked scored both Of
the leading American political parties
and declared he did not know which
was the worse.
DIR. Aked's reference to the recent
dinner to Richard Croker and his dec
laration that the birth of a new i'm
pulse is needed in American politics
won applause.
Prominent women leaders Of New
York society occupied many of the
hoiy N
of the organizers of the meeting.
In the meantime, the earnest pro-
test of DR.. Lyman Abbott against the
further encroachment of woman upon
the sphere of man was listened to by
those in the theater with rapt atten-
ton.
Letter From the President.
Dr. Abbott, in reading the letter
from the president, said it was not
written for publication, nor for the
occasion, but that the president had
permitted him to read it.
Personally, believe in woman's
suffrage" said Mr.. Roosevelt in the
letter, "but 1 am not an enthusiastic
advocate of it, because I do not regard
it as an important matter. I am un-
able to see that there has been any
special improvement in the position of
women in those states in the west
that have adopted woman suffrage,
as compared with those states adjoin.
ing them that have not adopted it.
do not think that giving the women
suffrage will produce any marked i'm
provement in the condition of women.
81 do not believe it will produce any
of the evils feared, and 1 am certain
that when women as a whole take any
special interest in the matter they
will have the suffrage if they desire
| it. I believe that man and woman
should stand on an equality of right
| but I do not believe equality of right
means identity of function; and I am
more and more convinced that the
great field, the indispensable field
for the usefulness of woman is as the
mother of the family.
Work in Home Women's Field.
| 'It is her work in the household, in
the home, her work in bearing and
rearing the children, which is more
important than any mans work, and
1t is that work which should be Itrm
ally the woman's special work, just
as normally the mans work should be
that Of the breadwinner, the supporter
of the home, and, If necessary, the
soldier who will fight for the home.
There are exceptions as regards
both man and woman, but the full and
perfect life, the life of highest happi
ness and of highest usefulness to the
state is the life of the man and WON
an who are husband and wife, who
live in the partnership of love and
duty, the one earning enough to KEEP
| the home, the other managing the
home and the children.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"