The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-19
~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

BY ESTHER griffin WHITE.
A certain Russian Grand Duchess
has espoused the feminist" move
ment as they call the "suffragette"
and votes for women" propaganda,
on the continent.
This exalted lady is no less person
than the sister OF the Czarina and
when she took to giving drawing-room
talks in St Petersburg the Gar call
ed halt.
"What's the meaning of all this?''
says His Majesty.
"Oh, just amusing myself" said the
Duchess.
"Well, call it off" replied her august
brother-in-law. She didn't call it off
so he sent her to a nunnery instead of
merely recommending her to "hie''
her hence as did Hamlet Ophelia.
So in a nunnery in Moscow the lady
proceeded to inculcate much advanc-
ed thought and, since the Car is, af-
ter all, man, he has relented to the
extent of permission to the Duchess of
visits now and then to st. Petersburg
from which she was temporarily ban
ished.
1t Is true that women are interest
ing themselves in the political emanci-
patton of women in Russia in other
ways than through the bomb and dag
ger.
But, strangely enough, the very
source from which encouragement
might be expected is that which hits
the feminist" head every time it
puts it out of cover. And that source
Is the peasant representation in the
Douma Russia's alleged Parliament.
The peasants, or the agricultural
working classes of Russia, regard wo-
men as mere beasts of burden and a
medium for reproduction of the spe-
cies and every measure introduced in
the Douma toward more liberal
treatment of women is at once sent
into limbo by the united efforts of
these poseurs for the liberty of man.
Here is the rock in the pathway of
progress as said in 1.-The Kings
Game" last winter-the unenlighten-
ed men of what is termed the "lower
classes" abroad. These are the men
who say-"let woman keep her place.
"Woman's place is in the home" and
other moth-eaten slogans.
They're no worse than the Car,
but there are more of them.
The truth Is, as said here the other
day, women can't depend on any set
or class of men. All men, except an
occasional individual, are "agin" wo-
men voting. Under continued femi-
nine pressure they will sometimes
vote an amendment to the constitu-
ton as they did in California the 9TH
er day. But that was after fifteen
years hard work on the part of the
organized suffragists.
Nothing can be accomplished with
out organization. When women learn
this everywhere much will be accom-
plished toward their political emanci-
patton.
There is no earthly reason why wo-
men shouldn't vote.
All the bogeys raised by the men
are easily disposed of by pointing to
the five states where they have the
full franchise.
Has the world come to an end
there?
Are women being kidnapped and
corraled and coerced?
Not that anybody could notice
Things are just the same as they
always were.
Generally women throw their votes
on the side of some reform if the lat
ter Is up for decision by the body of
citizenship but under ordinary con-
ditions they vote very much like men
do-that is, their reasons for voting
for one party or the other or for one
candidate or the other are the mascu-
line ones.
There's nothing so very revolution.
airy in a woman walking to a voting
place and depositing her particular
little slip of paper in it's receptacle.
Nothing would be different save that
the whole body Of citizenship, rather
than a part. would be represented in
legislative assemblies. Women would.
mt necessarily run for office just be-
cause they vote. Very few do in the
states where they have the privilege.
Whom vO,, nhSorvc tho voono,,c 40