The San Francisco call., 1910-02-28
DISCUSS SUFFRAGE
AND SOCIALISM
Women and Mayoralty Candi-
date Speak at Celebration
of "WOman's Day"
McDevitt Declares Fair Sex
Movement Came Into Active
Existence With His Party

Many women and some men interest
ed in the relationship of the suffrage
movement to- socialism celebrated
womans day in a discussion of the sub
ject in Golden Gate Commandery hall,
2157 Sutter street, under the auspices
of the woman's committee of the So
cialist party in San Francisco yester-
day afternoon,
A few announcements preceded the
introduction by Mrs. Emma P. Gray,
chairman. of William McDevitt who
ist ticket. In his remarks he traced the
real dawn of active possibilities for the
suffra gist to the coming of the socialist
party. He said the great emancipating
force in the world was science and
knowledge, that liberty was knowledge.
and the struggle of women for the
right to vote was a fight for liberty,
the breaking of an old bond of slavery.
MeDevitt insisted that women should
be given a full and fair chance with
men. He declared that neither re-
ligion, art nor literature had freed
beginning of the nineteenth century
was no better than in ancient times,
when religion, art and literature were
in their most perfect state.
INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM
1T all depends" continued the speak
err "on an industrial base, an economic
foundation. You must know social
science to know the woman question.
ie--, oJ n
age Socialism provided a field in which
the suffragist could fight, because it
furnished the knowledge. 1t provided
the weapon to fight with and the or
ganization to abolish class slavery
Mrs. Dorothy Johns talked on "Wom-
an and Economics" She declared that
she was not on the firing line of the
suffragists, and that in her opinion
politics was a cesspool that could not
be purified by adding women's votes.
Her method of correcting the existing
evils was a wider study and a deeper
understanding of economic conditions
that govern athe world. Ballots for
women, she declared, would be a waste
of time and energy which could be used
to a better advantage in studying eco
nomic and social conditions for the pur-
pose of their betterment. Economic in
dependence, Mrs. Johns said, should be
the keynote and motive power behind
womanS activity.
WOULD SECURE LEGISLATION
The need of the ballot among work
ing women was discussed by Miss Maud
Younger, president of the mattresses
union. She insisted that many of the
existing hardships imposed upon the
working woman at the present day by
the corporations could be regulated by
the proper legislation if women had
votes.
Mrs. Elizabeth Lowe Watson, state
president of the California Equal Suf-
frage association, spoke on womans
day. She said in part:
"Womans day! Has it really dawned?
We are seeing this afternoon the first
faint golden light which is being spread
over the wide world. Successful reform
must be along natural laws. So WomanS S
emancipation is as sure as the law of
gravity. Science and knowledge are to
redeem humanity, and it is our awaken
ing that has given impetus to the prog
ress of the last century In the matter
of woman's rights.
1T is said in argument against Civ
ing the women the ballot that she has
lowered the wage scale and is crowding
men out of employment.
MEN USURP WOMEN's WORK
you never hear that man has taken
away much of woman'S work. Are men
weayers and spinners? They have taken
these occupations and women have been
left with but very little home work
Her needs, however, are the same as
they were when she did this kind of
work, and she has been compelled to
follow the work out into the world
There is many a cry goes out today
from women and girls whose hearts are
being ground out for dollars for the
capitalists.
1.-The remedy lies in human nature
and in the world in which we live. Hap
piness will never come so long part
of humanity is trodden down by the
swine feet of lust.
by wanting TO vote woman has in
mind the little children and women of
the north and south whose lives are
being crushed out by mans greed. We
are trying to find way out of this
dilemma"
J. Stitt Wilson was the last speaker.
His remarks were short, reviewing So
cialistic work he had recently been do
ing in England.