The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-24
EQUAL RIGHTS

The great interest In woman Suffrage
throughout the United States is but a
part of the great democratic movement
sweeping the earth, in the interest Of
justice and morality.
| Who shall stay it? Does anyone
truly imagine that this great earth
wave can be arrested by the frantic
efforts of those who have so long held
the reins Of power and plunder?
Can we point with finger of pride to
our present system of government in
augerated and sustained by this same
power and plumber? We view our gov
eminent seemingly powerless, to stay
the greed of great corporations who
are corrupting the very heart Of poll
tical honesty. We see the reeking
slums of great cities sick with degra-
dalton, injustice and suffering. DO the
city governments in the main even try
to improve conditions? No, and why?
Because Improvements must first come
In the governments themselves and
that is what the world wave means.
The suffragist is not alone calling for
relief. The voice of the people, Of all
those who believe i'm true democracy,
is raised in a demand, which must be
Eeckoned with for something wiser ana
more humane.
heard a very clever, successful and
conservative business man of Fargo
say recently: I'VE business men can
not afford to enter city politics and try
TO fight the ring" / said Shame upon
you cowardly men, (and what rank
4 PnNp2TNe "a ha In
You had better turn the city govern
ment over to women. You know we
could not do worse, and the chances
are largely in favor of change for
the better" The conversation was i'm
relation to our Fargo lighting system.
That city of Fargo's progressive
spirit should be 50 long held in the
thraldom of a corporation, bonded for
at least three times IT'S true value, or
the cost of a better plant, is a sheer
wonder as well as a crying shame?
Who pays the interest on watered
stock to nonresident bond holders?
Why, We do, all of US who use the
light.
The excess we pay each year over
true value would twice over pay the
interest on borrowed money, to con-
struct and operate our own plant Why
don't we do it? Suppose now we do.
Why not call public meeting of men
and women to discuss the matter of
an immediate municipal lighting plant?
This interests the women as well as
the men and women are readily en-
listed when responsibilities are placed
upon them.
New Orleans, not long ago, was a
city with miserable inadequate water
supply, and a sewerage system to bad
that it was deadly menace to the
lives Of the people. The men of the
city viewed the situation with alarm,
and tried to meet the demand for re-
lief, but they were powerIess. They
were voters and could make all kinds
of laws. for women as well as men.
but under the laws they themselves
had made, they could not raise the
necessary funds except by vote of the
majority of the property owners, and
strange 10 relate the women, who were
not wise enough to be trusted 10 vote,
were the owners of three-fi fths OF the
taxable property Of New Orleans
Well, what did the men do? Nothing,
they could not. What did the women
do? Just what women always do in
such emergencies. They formed clubs
and made a house to house canvass OF
the city and raised the money and New
Orleans now has one of the grandest
water systems and sewage systems
that could be constructed There is an
excellent suffrage lesson In this hist
DRY Of the New Orleans water and
sewage system. Woman has a great
appreciation of economic values due
to her long domestic training in max