Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1911-07-27
SHOULD WOMEN Vote?
Large Audience Listen TO ADJ
dresses on the Subject OF
Equal Franchise.
A League Likely to be Formed
In ThurmOnt.

Marylal.d, nelo an open air WoI'an suA
frage meeting on the public square II
Thurmont, Saturday evening of last week
Senator John P. T. Matthias introduced
the speakers: Mrs. VIM. NJ. Ellicott, wht
has given her life and energy to work
for women; Mr.. VIM. NJ. Ellicott, who
has been especially active In the City
! Wide Congress; and Miss L. c. Trax
i Field Secretary of the State Equal Fran.
chise League.
Mr.. Ellcott spoke upon the Initiative
and Referendum, also declaring his be-
lief in Votes for Women. He gave nsny
instances of faulty legislation which in
volved real harm to the natural resources
of the State, and which he thinks will be
remedied by bringing the acute moral
sense and direct support of women te
bear upon the question.
Miss Trax says that 1.-THE low legal anC
political status of women is detrimental
to the furthering of humanitarian meas
ures which women, because of their po-
tential motherhood, are more deeply in
terested in than men,; and plead for the
recognition of her sex as human beings
with the human interest in good govern.
ment, which promotes the health and
welfare of the race.
Mrs. Ellicott declares that conserva-
tive Maryland people must be aroused
to civic consciousness by conservative
methods; and has conducted dignified
campaign of agitation, education and or
ganization. The suffrage arguments put
forth were logical and convincing, and
Mrs. Eliicott feels hopeful of future work
in this locality. Following is the address
delivered by Mrs. Ellicott:
1t may seem unusual to you to attend
an open-air meeting and to hear women
speak about suffrage. hope before the
meeting is over, both these facts may
seem as natural to you as they do to US.
In the first place, in summer it is a hard
ship to sit within four walls at sunset
and to be crowded into lighted hall
with bad air and ventilation. So we
come out in the open, in the heart OF
your beautiful town, to meet together as
human beings to talk about matters of
common interest. -
Now this is just what women are do
ing: They are stepping outside of the
artificial barriers and the exhausted air
of surroundings which no longer fit the
conditions under which we live, and we
have come out into the pure fresh air
and sunlight of new civilization which
God has ordained for His creatures, just
Ms He has given US the beautiful sur
roundings and atmosphere under which
you are living here.
am not here to talk about women's
rights. want to talk about women's
duties. 1t is our duties-our obligations
which are impelling women all over the
United States to ask for the ballot. 1t
is not essentially right of any human
being to vote-not even of men. The
time was when men had no vote; and
without ballot the world went on and
great deeds were done, and wonderful
civilizations rose and fell, and great men
land women too) ruled their nations.
Men did not begin to demand the ballot
until conditions 80 changed, that they
could not fit their lives advantageously
intosthe existing state of governmental
rule. They had to fight for others moi
themselves. They starved for others tc
grow rich. Their lands were taken from
them, and their interests were destroyed
without any means of hearing.
Therefore, gradually the idea of in.
dividual representation. was born ane
grew in mems minds, and the need, but
not primarily the right, to have some
share in their own destinies, and some
means of protection against tyranny
and SO by long course of effort, too
long to explain here, the ballot became
the means foe human being to ge'
justice done to him. But not for al
human beings. While men were bus!
fighting and breaking new ground
women were busy with a hundred i'm
portant home duties of a quieter kint
which did not then fit into any existing
form of government. They spun. the!
cooked, they taught their children, the!
made their clothes; and no machinery
and no factories. and no public schools
and no state care of health and hygiene
took away from the individual work O.
the busy woman in her home. Condi
tons did not exist which altered the in
dividuality and isolation of family life
All this has now changed. Every in
terest has hitherto been the occupation
of women has altered in it's relation t.
the town, to the state, and women ar
at a complete disadvantage, at ever.
step, when they want conscientiously tt
do heir duty at home and abroad.
She wants her children educated. The.
go to the public schools. What kind o
a teacher have they? How was sh
trained and appointed? In what sort o
a school house do they spend from six t
eight hours day? 1t it clean and we
ventilated and warm in winter? Are tn
children exposed to contagious diseases
She cannot control these conditions
They are all ordered by the school com
missioners-and how happens it that the
have the education of your children un
der their care? Either directly or ind
rectly by the ballot-and are you Away
sure that the right men are elected? Tn
roads on which you depend for transpo,