Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-04
EQUAL SUFFRAGE
GIVEN APPROVAL
POLITICAL EQUALITY LEAGUE
INDORSES CIVIC DECENCY
WOMAN's SIDE OF QUESTION is
ABLY PRESENTED
Candidate for Council Judge Works
Declares Presence of Genter Sex
in Politics Would Tend to
Purify Ballot

! Good government and equal SuUraBe
were given greater impetus last night
at a rally held in symphony hall by
+ the Political Equality league 1t was
a meeting filled with seriousness and
+ a fOrerunner of certain results. Such
/ men as John d. Works, Dana Bartlett,
+ the Rev. Baker i. Lee, Charles Well
/ born and Charles Farwell Edison spoke
of campaign issues which present
themselves at present and Mrs. Mar
garet La Grange in a masterful man
ner presented the woman's side of the
question. Mrs George Drake Ruddy
presided.
Probably no clearer and more telling
presentation of the suffrage cause ever
has been given in Los Angeles than
in the words of MIS-. La Grange. She
held her auditors spellbound and con-
verted every man in the audience to an
earnest espousal of equality in politics
In the course of her remarks Mrs. La
Grange said that politics is the science
under which men and women alike live
better in every way, and that it is the
duty as we'll as the right of daughters,
sisters. wives and mothers to take an
active and voting interest in political
campaigns for their own good and pro-
lection. She said that it had been
womans work in the world to mend.
to smooth out the rough places, to
teach and to rear. so that a nearer
approach 70 ideality and perfection
might be made. For this reason, she
declared. it was the duty of women to
go into politics and help break the hold
of men. machines and bosses who CON
troll public offices for private gain and
to the detriment of all the people.
Says Politics Will Not Harm Women
She said that women by entering pol
itics will not lose their womanhOod any
more than men lose their manhood by
voting, and ended by saying that if
politics was such a bad place for
women to be ii certainly is a bad place
for man to be and that where a man
cannot take his wife is no place for
him to be. She therefore called on the
men TO give the women the right to
mend politics in such a way that it
would not be n reproaCh to be called
a politician.
In reviewing the conditions which
have led up to the present election !
Judge John d. Works said that the /
present is a critical time in the history /
trial, and are engaged in a death strug
gle with a monster machine which
seeks to take from the people the right
Of lf-government
1T is a time when we need the sup
port and the aid of every good woman
in Los Angeles" said Judge Works Il
only regret that the women of Los An
yeles have not the right to vote, for l
would feel certain that good govern
nent and decency would win if thny
could go to the polls next Tuesday.
Women always are on the side of de-
oenCy and good government. They
know what it means. This is their
fight as we'll as ours. for they will b
affected vitally if good government
oses its battle"
In speaking of the 'stay-at-home
,oters." Judge Works said that he
Wished the ballot might be taken away
rom the men who were Indifferent to
heir duties as voters and citizens. and
hat the ballots of such might be given
O women who will appreciate and use
he right Of the ballot.
Question of Principle Involved
It's not a question of men," said
Judge Works It's a question of prin-
iples. Whether | am elected is not
.ital, but il is vital that good gov {
rnment principles shall be estab-
shed once and for all. The initiative,
he referendum, the recall and the di-
ect primary have given the people of
4os Angeles the right Of self-govern-
lent. We are now Independent. What
re we going to do with our independ- !
nee? Throw it away and become
laves of machine rule?
Both parties are controlled by the
Machine presided over by Walter
'arker 1t makes no difference whether
he ticket is called Democratic or Re
1t IS a machine-made ticket. Y
md this condition has obtained in Los
angeles for twenty years or more, fill
lg Los Angeles with corruption.
II claim to be a pretty good Repub-
can so far IS national issues go, but
repudiate that convention that nomi-
ated the so-called Republican ticket y
caded by Mr.. Smith and dictated by
Walter Parker.
Not many months ago we had an
yample of what the machine will do.
man was elected mayor supposedly
$ a Democrat. He was forced out Of
fce through the operation Of the re- y
all, disgraccd and dishOnored because
g had done the bidding of the ma
hine When it came to a decision Of .
neither he would leave the mayors D
nice voluntarily or allow the people
, force him out he went to Walter
arker to ask what he should do. We
ave ii in Harpers own words that
his was his procedure.
Would Purify Politics 9,
Women i'm politics will upift and
urify, but stiu | hesitate to have T.
ZEN enter the field because they may -
ot realize the great responsibility L.
ley are assuming. If women will real
e that the great menace to the ma
on is Indifference to. the vital ques- -