The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-11-30
WORK FOR THE SUFFRAGE
PETITION.
BY Georgia Kotsch

IS Str1k1ng. Even in the conserya-
tive south the women are arousine
TO demand political voice The
movement has acquired an impetus
mat vii ere long. swing it all over.
ue country, because the time is
ripe Tor 1t and the good of society
as whole demands it.
Woe to the political party which
tries to block it,
Here in California, the state OF
the most progressive democratic
teslslatlon-and Industrial freedom
OF the Otis brand-the plucky wo-
men nave Just won battle against
lear1ul odds. Whiskey, bankers.
Dig BUSINESS and ignorance lined up
asalnst them and their cause was
knlfed at the last moment by pro-
fessed friends.
In Los Angeles. when the dust of
oattle was clearing away, a promi-
nent society woman, a leader in the
suffrage fight, said: Those upon
whom We depended have failed u.s.
1t Is the Socialists and Labor Union
! ISIS whom We find working for us at
the polls.'' -
| ms was but natural and fitting
ana should have occasioned her no
surprise. Millicent Fawcett writes:
The idea that women are created
simply to minister to the amuse-s
ment, and qualification OF men is
closely allied to the idea that peas
ants and worllmen solely exist for
the satisfaction of the wants and
pleasures of the aristrocratis class
es Maeterlinck in "Ariadne and
Barbe Bleue," typifies the relation
| of the IF lab a.
OF woman in the coming Of the peas
ants to the rescue of Ariadne.
1t is only as labor fights its way
on to success that woman will be
lifted up into her rightful place, or
rather be given chance to lift her.
self up. All women do not recog-,
nlze this, but many do, and it is.
ours as Socialists to be the educa-
Tors OF that great majority, the wo-
men or the working class.
we stand for working class en1an-
clpatlon as an essential 20 ultimate
ace good II woman is to be helm
nnu lota hlndrance to this process.
size must De given such measures
VI freedom as we are able to give
her now
1snen has voiced the discovery by
women that they owe duty TO
themselves. Freedom in WORKING
out that duty is essential to tbei,
doing their best by their families
and by society -
MARY Wollstonecraft wrote LONG
ago: All power over others inebri-
ates weak men, and the desire in
me WORKING men to retain power.
oyer women is as contemp tible as
me ueslre IN the capitalist to retain
1 IL
po"ei over the Working man. So
stS recognize this and have no
patience with the silly, sentimental
livei ABOUT chivalry and manly pro-
y, women They know of
the chivalry shown a laundry Dir,
| for instance. . -
The Socialist has the larger ideal
OF woman as comrade and eouaI-
standing side by side with man in
Inc work, the upward struggle and
the Joys of life
| me ballot is a point of ineoua1i-
| " between men and women, and as
such must be readjusted
| me Socialist position upon the
s"iirage question is we'll known. and
yet when the suffrage campaign is
complicated by the municipa1 or
| state election looming apace. there
nave been Socialists who talked
wisely of policy and tactics"
ms is a disease, however, which
attacks only aspiring leaders. The
rank and file are immune from if
and are supplemented enough to
| just cling to principle The real
| SOCIALISTS with no az to grind-and
ehat most of us-are for equal on
portun1ty, political and economic
1or men and women in season and
out OF season, now or as soon as
We can possibly get it.
with the suffrage tide setting to-
ward success as it now is it be-
comes policy as well as principle to
pest1r ourselves for it.
with a city election at hand in
winch the chief contestants are the
| present incumbents and the Social
ISL nominees. there would indeed bo
walling and crashing of teeth
among Los Angeles Socialists if the
rank and file had not rallied to the
help of the women and shown their
coiors IN the recent suffrage cam
palSn, Tor the woman vote is going
10 count. despite the claim of the
Ants that only a few disconnected
women wanted the ballot. Work.
| ing class women by the thousands.
CARRYING their babies in their arms.
are going to the places of registra-
| ton.
Members of the Socialist party