The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-09-26
ey ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

Suffrage sentiment is not found in
regular stratas.
Save now and then
But oftener In isolated pockets.
And in the least expected places.
One of its natural habitats might
be thought to be the woman's labor
unions But this is not invariably the
rule.
Not the rule at all, according to one
of the delegates to the state conven-
ton OF the Federation of Labor with
whom the writer talked yesterday.
"The woman's labor union is strict
ly non-partisan,' said this woman,
land bars politics. We are organized
for economic, not political reasons"
There are, according to official state
ment, six women delegates to the con-
vention but, SO far as this column
could learn, none are pronounced suf-
fragists save the one with whom the
writer talked and whose name she did
not happen to learn but whose resi-
dence is in Logansport.
This woman, however, is member
of the State Suffrage Association,
which is branch of the National Stuff
rage Association, Mrs. Anna Nolan, of
Logansport, being it's state president
This lis an old organization and it's
members are largely made up of long
time suffragists.
1t Is entirely separate from the
Woman's Franchise League of Indiana,
which is the dominant suffrage organi-
cation in the state having branches in
over half of the counties and twelve
out of the thirteen districts.
Or the Equal Suffrage Association
of Indiana, which is really an Indiana
polls organization.
The delegate with whom the writer
talked stated that her political affilia-
tions were Socialist in character al
though this had nothing to do with
her union activities.
The object of the Woman's Interna-
tional Union Label League. however,
are very much those of the Franchise
League and. incidentally, of the Pro
gressive party, which has a large fem
mime following in this city. They are,
in brief:
Ito promote the welfare of wage
earners.
2-To discountenance the sweatshop
system of production by aiding and
encouraging the sale of Union made
goods.
3-To gain universal eight hour
day.
ITO abolish child labor; to secure
equal pay for equal work, regardless
of sex
5-To sustain fair employers.
6-To urge industrial and political
equality for women.
This last hardly accords with the
statement of the woman delegate that
unions ignore this phase of woman's
emancipation. ....
And certainly is sane form of the
Label Leagues propaganda.
For women may as well recognize
first as last that they will only secure
economic independence and achieve in
dustrial freedom through the medium
of the franchise.
It's the simplest proposition in the
world.
And has been animadverted upon
here with frequency.
Women will never be accorded econ
omic justice until they can form poll
tical combinations through which to
operate to that end.
Men don't want women to vote.
That is, in their role of the dominat-
ing sex.
AS intelligent human entities many
of them do, instanced by the states in
which women have the privilege of
voting and by the platform, both ma
tional and state, of the Progressive
party.
But men do not want universal poll
teal equality.
Because it will lead to sex legisla-
ton and that is what the men are real
ly fighting although they'd deny it
with vigor. ....
The Label League and all womans
labor unions recognize the benefits of
organization.
That is the reason for their exist.
ence.
And organization means combina-
ton.
The trouble with women is, as has
been said here before perhaps, that
they cannot lose sight of inessentials