The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-15
sY MRS. REeA sruTsoN HILL.

The question OF woman ) FIsnl 10 tue
ballot is not one to be considered
lightly: neither can its arguments be
tabulated in few brief sentences nor
tossed off with a joke. The whole prob
lem rests on the great political econo-
els and social changes that have been
taking place for the past sixty years,
which have moulded the civilization of
the nineteenth and twentieth centu-
ries, and are responsible for the po-
sition of influence and power which
organized womanhood holds today. II
is not necessary to enumerate all
these changes. One has only 10 look
about him TO see Them and to realize
that no woman today can live the life
| her grandmother, nay. even her moth
! er lived. Today the great mass OF wom-
en- are fairly well educated; many are
| highly educated. Thousands have en-
tered the professions and trade OF
men. The club and trade-union have
taught them how TO unite and organ
! ize for a common cause, how to han
| die money and carry on business just
/ as men do. Contact with the industrial
the social conditions for which modern
industry is responsible.
| Granting then that women general
! ly are able to vote as intelligently as
men Granting that their work which
! is now being done for wages in the
Office and factory is of as much i'm
! portance a S mems Granting that they
pay taxes and bear equally the hnan-
cial burdens of the family. Is this a
| sufficient reason for demanding the
ballot. 1t is certainly justice, we will
! say. to give ii to them. But there are
many rights that we all deserve as a
matter of justice which are not worth
making a fuss about. If men had prov
en- themselves thoroughly capable OF
managing all affairs for the best inter
ests of all the people women would
certainly not be clamoring for the
vote. Why then do women need the
ballot. For two reasons; the club WON
an or the type represented by her
needs it to further the huma nitarian
movements particularly those for chill
dren and her sex, which she has al
ready started and most effectively adj
vanced: the working woman needs it
to protect herself against unjust en-
/ ployers and ASSISTANTS of her virtue
/ The claims of the club woman will be
! considered first.
Ever since womens clubs awoke to
the needs of their communities they
+ have turned their attention toward the
interests of childhood; womanhood
and the home. Realizing the child s
right to wholesome play they have
started public Fairgrounds. Realizing
the danger of associating juvenile cul-
prits with hardened criminals they
have clamored for juvenile courts
Realizing the danger of premature
work in crowded factories they have
attempted to regulate child labor. Real
! izing the higher ideals of home they
! have fastened the Home Economics
Movement. So far women have been
agitating these questions but have
| been entirely dependent upon men for
carrying them out. The effectiveness Of
this system is almost lost. Their
claims are not receiving the attention
they deserve. Several instances of this
occurred at the last State Legislature
Three bills proposed by women were
| treated almost with Indifference. Most
! important was the Child LABOR Bill SO
carefully worked out by Mrs. " H
/ Lockwood, a prominent indianapolis
club women who, herself the mother
of three children. knows the needs of
the child. Supported by other club
women of the state she made a thor.
Ough investigation of factory condi.
lions under which young people work
She saw the dangers of these condi.
tons on the physical and moral health
j of the children. She knew the old la.
Dor law by heart and saw where ii
could be improved, and found one man
willing to frame bill according to
her dictates. This simple little bill de
manding an eight hour day for chill
dren and extending the age limit for
those employed in cigar factories and
night messenger service was one OF
the most holly contested of the ses
sion Corporations had representatives
| lobbying. One manufacturer even dar
ed present d petition signed by moth
ers of his child labOrers asking that
the bill be suppressed Although it was
proved that these signatures were OBJ
tanned under false 'pretense, neverthe
less the bill as passed was amended
until it lost much of it's intended use
| fulness.
The Housing Bill written by Mrs
Bacon Of Evansville, and pertaining
to the housing of the poor which ever
in Indiana is in need of more careful
regulation, was postponed until the
very last of the session and given lit
tie consideration. The Womans Stuff
rage Bill received the same treatment
1t was sneaked in late one afternoon
whereupon most of the Legislators
sneaked out, and it was stifled in 6
breath. This is the consideration which