Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-19
RYDER VERSUS SUFFRAGETTES
Hon. Statesman and Scholar Does
Some Fast Verbal Footwork.
BRAVE MAN Wits UNDER FIRE
Taey Ask Questions, sOcisIIstic, An
arohistic, and Insist on Answers
speaker IA vaIorOus,
but Discreet.

JOHN y. fyueF, secretary OF the Nebraska
Child Labor committee, state factory in
spector. former state labor commissioner
former stats senator Of Minnesota. states
man. publicist and scholar. in the full vigor
Of his abilities, went out TO address the
Omaha woman's Suffrage club
II was just Jack" Ryder who came
back
He spoke. They debated.
The debate came in volleys and fusillsdes.
Mr.. Ryder sought verbal retreat Then
the suffragettes chose up sides and started
the fracas all over again.
Mr.. Ryder Is expected TO recover.
At one point Mr.. Ryder exclaimed fer
vently. III had suspected an argument
or debate on these matters you mention,
you could not have pulled me here with a
log chain"
The speaker had pointed out some Of
the weaknesses of laws on the statute
books. Of excellent intent but poorly en-
forced. or ignored entirely. One dgnified
and interested listener ventured the as
sertion things would be different II some
Of the mothers were making the laws or
had something to do with their enforce
ment ''They need some mothers in ex-
ecutive places 10 look after the interests
Of the weak" she asserted.
This gave the cue TO several other wo-
men who were present, especially a clever
and vehement little woman who had eco
nomio beliefs of the most advanced char
acter, and another who had questions
ready that made the former labor commits
sioner feel like the remains of a plate Of
ice cream on a hot day.
FiEhtF Yes, but Howl
you say you believe in women fight
ing for what they consider their rights"
exclaimed the latter. How do you mean7'
Then Ryder tried to explain and fell over
his own feet. metaphorically. He started
10 utter the thought that the English suf-
fragette system of boxing and wrestling
was entirely wrong. and the questoner
agreed with himi but Immediately she
put him in hot water with another prop
osition that he made desperate efforts to
get his arms around. but failed to win a
fall. BY this time he was changing feet
rapidly. like a tired rooster in a rain
storm when the hens crowd him out from
under cover. He leaned on the table and
smiled at Madame Chairman in an APP
pealing way; and while he was reaching
out for his thought lever, the little wo-
man with advanced economic ideas went
after him without mercy. She explained
that the matter was not intended to be
personal
IT am not here as the representative Of
cruel. generic man. Mr.. Ryder started
TO say.
But she would IKE TO know how the I'm
justices OF existing economic conditions
were TO DO changed
IF we do get woman suffrage what will
be the use,'' she said, "for We will simply
have two sides like you have now in poll
tics There will be the women OF the rich
class and the women of the poor class
fighting each other Just as the men are
now. There - something deeper than
that"-L ,, rit4..l..4AA..-,
HUNS for His Corner ~
"of course. II you want TO talk Social
ISM" said the poor man. that Is another
question, and I am too protoplasmic to at
tempt it even II would venture the at
tempt"
Then realizing that he was Attempting
a good deal and not doing much else. the
newspaper man switched his nigh ear to
listen TO a question concerning what
remedy TO apply to the family where the
grownups can't work and the children
must Anything was a relief at this stage,
and Mr.. Ryder started to tell of the Eff
forts in certain states to have laws passed
to give the parents the money their chill
dren would earn and leave the kids In
schools He was getting calm again, for a
brief spell. when the woman with a mind
full OF warm, throbbing questions let an
other one loose, in a nice direct look-you-
in-the-sye manner that made the other
women cast plying glances at the wilted
glory OF the once pulchritudinous reporter
OF other peoples meetings. They seemed
to feel. with n few exceptions. that having
the floor all to himself. he should defend
his right like a man. But what could the
defender do when he couldn't think of the
tight Rnsyers7
II know il my husband had to do the
work some other men have. under the
same conditions and at the same wages.
he would change his notions of things"
taid one pretty sister who had been taking
hotes,
.sHOt Stuff from John.
Sure he would" agreed Mr.. Ryder.
TT would do him good. Experience is the
best teacher" And having uttered this
uictum Of wisdom. maybe. he evinced a
disposition TO quit But right In front of
him q youthful enthusiast arose and pro-
pounded q dissertation that forced him to
go TO work sgin like q politician explain