The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-02-15
mo ONE HAS RIGHT TO
LIVE IN IDLENESS"
Suffragette Delegation to Capt.
tai This Year viii Number
500, the Largest on Rec
ord.


cts.
NO matter u she be rich or
poor, every 1roman should do
some sort Of daily pork equiva.
lent to her liuin0. No uoman
has a right to live in idleness.
Neither has married uoman
cause to demand that her hus.
band support her y she adds
nothing to his domestic comfort
and social happiness. Otherwise
she should support herself"
These and similar suggestions for
womans economic advancement and
mans enlightenment on the suffrage
question will form the basis for a new
line OF argument to be used BY Mrs.
Harriet Johnston Wood. the lawyer, and
other suffragists when they 20 to Al.
oany on the Ath Of this month to urge
members Of tie Legislat to permit
me submission to the people Of a consti
tut'ohal amendment giving women the
ballot.
Delegation Of 800.
Preparations are being made for near.
" three hundred women from all parts
OF the State, the largest number ever
known, to attend the hearing. Mrs.
Henry Willard. chairman of the Legls-
lative committee OF the New York state
woman Suffrage Association. will con-
duct the hearing, and there will be sew
eral men speakers for the cause One
OF these will represent the State Fed
Grafton Of Labor.
Other speakers will he Miss Anna
| Shaw, Mrs. Frank shuler, president
Western New York Federation OF Wom-
ems Club; Mrs. Frances Graham, presl-
dent New York State W. C. T. u; Miss
Caroline Lexow, president Collegiate
Equal Suffrage League. The Equal
Franchise Society, Of wh.ca Mrs. Clar-
ence Mackay Is president. will also be
represented.
Mrs Harriet Stanton Batch, pres!-
| dent OF the Equality League OF Self
Supporting Women and a member OF
one OF the women's trades unions, will
tell the Legislators why from an eco
monte standpoint women should have
suffrage.
When discrimination against women
ceases. and they have equal opportunity
20 earn a livelihood they will cheertully
pay their :-'iliney bills. said Mrs
Wood. and they night even be induced
to invite their men friends to accompany
them to the theatre and opera and buy
the tickets.
viii Ask No Favors
When women have their rights they
will ask no fsvors. and will gladly as
sumo the responsibility Of citizenship
For the great mass OF wage.earning
women, women who pay their own bills
and are rarely, II ever, invited to the
theatre, the ballot will be the greatest
boon.
But I believe every woman should
work for her daily maintenance In some
way or another. Why not?"
Mrs. Wood Is not only sincere in this
belief. but also limited that she believed
such a suggestion that woman will be
willing to pay her own millinery bills
will carry considerable cheer to the
icy-hearted ants" in the legislative
body.
In reality men are the privileged
class" she added, lin spite OF the fact
that equality OF right and equality OF
privilege Is the constitutional right OF
all citizens.
Republics ArIstoeraoy.
They are the arlstocracy Of the 80.
called republic-privileged to make laws
governing us, our children and our
neutrality-suspicious. to take our lives,
our liberty. our children and our prop
erty. Privileged to say by whom we
shall be ushered into the world and by
whom ushered out Of lt-prlvileged to
say whom and when and how we shalt
marry and when and where and how
be divorced. Privileged to control tho
food We eat, the clothes we wear, tho
water we drink and the air We breathe.
without so much as asking our opinion
| on the subject.
Men tell US we are too good to asso-
ciate with them in the aggregate In the
business OF making and adm Inisterlng
the laws, yet they expect us to associ-
ate with them individually without con-
taminatlon. There Is not a man who
goes to that awful place. the polls, who
Is not the son OF his mother, and with
whom some woman does not associate"
Mrs Wood says she has plenty OF
proof to refute the statements that
women work because they have to. She
says scores OF women engage In the
professions In preference to the too
often thankless task Of household
. drudgery.
The Better Opportunity.
Every woman, however fortunate her
position may be-" taid Mrs. Wood.
should do something to justify her ex-
istence. II It be not necessary for her
to labor for her daily bread. she has
the better opportunity to make life
| richer for herself and others The arts,
the sciences. the PROFESSIONALISM the
avenues OF the higher life are open to
her.
The ability Of men and women In
\ these occupations has been compared