The Washington herald., 1912-01-29

mo great question is ever settled until
It is settled right" Nothing else since the
coming of Christ ever promised so much
| for the ultimate good of The human race
as the Intellectual moral. and political
emancipation OF woman. 1t makes no dir-
ference whether all women want to vote,
so long as there is one woman who In
sists upon this simple right, the justice
Of man cannot afford to deny it. Suffrage
is not only womans right but her duty.
and duty is more than right.
There is a class of women who claim
to have all the rights they want. and be-
cause they are happy and content in their
luxurious homes, with servants to wait
upon them and nurses and foreign gov
ernesses to care for ana educate their
children, are willing to be perched upon
pedestal when great questions are
pressing for solution. They seem to lose
sight of the fact that modern economic
conditions are pushing hundreds OF thou
sands Of women out of their homes into
the labor market, crowded into unsknled
employments for want OF proper training.
They are buffeted about like corks upon a
sea. Everywhere paid less than men for
equal work, everywhere Disseminated
against, they are utterly at the mercy
Of forces over which they have no con-
troll.
Lawmaking bodies, not understanding
women's invasion OF modern industry. are
attempting to regulate their wages. hours.
and conditions under which they shall
work. Already serious wrong has been
done many women because or this III
advised legislation. We have come upon
a new time, which has brought new ana
strange problems. Old problems have as
sumed new Significance
In the adjustment OF the new order OF
things women must have an equal voice
We cannot AFFORD to sit idly by and be
silent while other women and children
have to endure hideous wrongs. Women
have suffered enough Of martyrdom
through their false position, We would
bequeath to those who cUme after us a
fairer chance in the future than that
given to the women OF the past whose
courage. patience, and self-sacrifice has
made the way easier for US to-day.
Not Unanswerable Argument.
1t is asserted by some opposed to giving
woman an opportunity to express her own
opinion, that the average woman's indIf-
ference to woman suffrage is an unan-
swerabIe argument against this movement.
II this be true there is an unanswerabIe
argument against every good work and
that the average woman. and her brother.
the average man, are shamefully indif-
ferent to the things that make for the
public good. But is this indifference 10
sanitary precautions an unanswerabIe
argument against sanitary science? Is
the indifference on the part of Iegisla-
ton and the people at large to abolish |
child labor an unanswerable argument
In favor OF child labor? Seventy-five
years ago women did not go to college.
When the agitation for the higher edu- 4
cation of women began. the indifference |
Of the average American citizen arrairned |
itself against the education for women |
Was this indifference an unanswera HE |
argument in favor OF illiteracy for
women? There was a time when a mar |
ried woman could not make win and
\ married ,wcman's wages belonged 10 !
her husband. So Indifferent were the
average men and women TO this infns-
tice that il was years before rnarTie5 |
women obtained property rights.
There are two classes OF people in The