Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-10-22
MRS. MACKAY TELLS
WHAT WOMEN WANT
Makes Statement Setting Forth
the Purposes of Equal Fran
chise Society.

New York, Oct. 16.-Mrs. Clarence III.
Mackay, having been asked to define
the purposes and the position Of the
Equal Franchise society, of which she
is the president, has given out he fol-
lowing statement for publication:
The purpose of the Equal Franchise So
ciety is to promite the welfare of women
by securing the national, state and local
electoral franchise for woman. because
the Equal Franchise society believes In
the political and civil equality of men and
women. The electoral should represent
the whole nation and a system of govern
ment under which one-half of the nation
Is DISTINGUISHED is not a truly representa-
tive national system.
We are inviting people to become mem
bers of our society in order to contribute
10 the advancement of public education by
the promotion of our cause we feel that in
order to secure the franchiseme OF
women, 1t is not necessary for us TO imi-
tate methods which are being used In 9TH
er countries.
American manhood has always treated
American w~omanhood In such a way as TO
make us feel that we shall ultimately
achieve our aim without s~ensationalism. ]
will not indorse the militant methods. 1T
has been repeatedly said to me by men in
public life and men in private life that
when women OF the United States unite IN
demanding the vote they will get It. And /
think that is perfectly true aIa that there
fore, what is NEEDED to further the suf-
rage cause is to give all sorts and KINDS
of women the opportunity of listening to
speakers who win explain just what the
suffrage will mean to us all. Most OF the
men ] al met are apparently willing to
cooperate with us and have listened TO
what we have said with courtesy and con-
sideration. 1t has not seemed necessary in
the past, and / do not think 1t will be nee
essary in the future, for us TO go out TO
the street corners and shrek our propa-
gaH.da at the passerby.
Merely Plead Cause.
We nave but to plead our cause without
raising our voice TO those men and women
who are not with US. We can always as
une that they are not willfully ignorant
Of what woman suffrage should mean. We
want them to appreciate the fact that
throughout this country the strongest sur
fragists are those women who devote their
best energies towards the developing of
their children in order to make them clti-
Gems worthy of our great country. We
do not think that as an organization we
have a right to demand an expression of
opinion from the candidates In this coming
election. We prefer to leave politics alone
until our sex is sharing the responsibility
with the other sex. I feel that the main
reason for suffrage is community or IN
sense a fight for right, but the logical
evolution of justice.
The Equal Franchise society surely
wishes to establish a platform upon which
Sucn SDedK6TS DIS blolOp WI war VI
Rhode Island; Mr.. Everett Colby and per-
haps Mr.. Martin w. Littleton, will express
their belief in equal suffrage, and Tor that
reason we have leased the Garden theater
and arranged our course.
We wish to enlist that OF the community,
regardless of sex or creed. who will CO.
operate with us because of their loyalty
to their country.
Among the most recent additions to u
membership are such women as Mrs. VIM.
Schiefnin. Mrs. Milton Barger, Mrs. Ru-
dolph Schirmer, Mrs. Archibald Alexan-
der, Mrs. Everett Colby, Mrs. Richard Ev-
ans, Mrs. Walter Maynard, Miss Spence,
Mrs. Paul Morton, Miss Elizabeth Burch-
email, Miss Dorothy Whitney and many
others can be seen on our list.