The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-29
MRS. RlceERs ON SUFFRAGE

Mrs. Kate Fl. Biggers, Of NARROW,
Oklahoma. in a recent speech before
sorosis, touched upon the suffrage
question in the following able man
ner showing the duty and response
Ibility Of women to make use Of what.
ever suffrage power is conceded to
them:
The constitutional convention In Civ
ing women the right to vote at school
istrict elections or meetings" put upon
the women Of the state share in the
responsibility Of the future intelligence
and culture OF its citizens, and the mo
raj welfare Of the state. It is no long
er a question whether you do or do
not believe that women should be in
vested with the right to vote for
school board. The right has been Civ
en- you and now it is a question Of duty
you owe to your family, your city and
| will add your state, VIII you be
equal to the occasion? am sure you
will.
4 know no better way 10 impress
you with the great Importance OF MAX
ing the best use Of this meagre bit Of
justice, than by giving you the result
OF a very careful research made re
Gently by Miss Laura Clay Of Kentucky
concerning the statistics of illiteracy
as furnished by the United States cen
sus Of 1900, and the report Of the I'm
tied States commissioner Of education
for 1928 and 1900 and 1901 Her table
gives the illiteracy Of the native white
population OF ten years and over, leay-
ling out negroes and foreigners. We
llearn from her figures that in the
states where women have school suf-
frage the illiteracy IS 2.3 per cent, or
a little more than one in fifty people.
In those states where women have no
suffrage the illiteracy Is 9.5 per cent,
NEARLY one in every ten OF the native
white population, and almost FIVE times
as many as in those states where wo-
men have some form Of school Suffrage,
The value Of school suffrage cannot be
oYerestimated when one looks at the
results. In our own state let us look
at the figures. In Oklahoma territory
where women have had school suffrage
since 1893 the per cent. Of illiteracy
Mas rs per cent or one in forty. If
dian territory with its deplorable con
dition on the school question neees
sarily shows a much larger number
14 per cent practically one in seven
OF all the native born white people ID
our territory were so ignorant as to be
ciassed illiterate. While this is a yery
bad showing for intelligence of oul
part of the state, It seems something
! unavoidable by our people under the
very peculiar and unusual conditions
Of our government. It now rests witt
Jus to work diligently and wherever
We can to raise the ratio as quickly al
possible. and where can our efforts
have greater and more direct influence
: than in our public schools. While wt
ere not to blame for the present con
ditions OF affairs we certainly vii
!, no longer be blameless if we do no
take advantage Of the privilege ane
responsibility given US and do every
thing in our power to add to the ef
fciency of our schools.
CAS- Sorosis has always stood at tn.
forefront, ready to work untiringI,
{ and unselnshly for any propositiol
that was to benefit the city, / canno
Z Imagine for a moment that even on
of its members will fail when new al
tics and responsibilities come to them.