The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-06-21
YOTESFOR WOMEN THE
SLOGAN { N Of THIS CLUB c!
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily. ss.
President-Mrs. Carl J. Holman.
First Vice President-Mrs. II. l.
Stark.
Second Vice President-Mrs. J. w.
/ Andrews. ''t sew f'''"' +.
Third Vice President-Mrs. D. G.
Willard: ''st'". ''..E,o.
Recording secretary-Mrs. Edmund
McGrath.
Corresponding secretary-Mrs. z.
S. GauIt. 80.
Treasurer-Mrs. j.. w. Merchant.
Auditor-Mrs. H.. A.. Tomlinson.
What will be known as the Man
kato-St Peter Political Equality
club was organized in: this city on
aboveass Committees were appointed
as follows: r.
Membership--Mrs. w. l.. Com
stock, MRS. w. d. Stires, Mrs. B.
Frank Pay. ~ a
Ways and Means Miss Frances L.
MilnoIE Mrs. C. A. Rosenquist, Mrs.
George R. Curran.f g.
Program-Mrs. David S. Evans,
Mrs. w. d. Crane, Mrs William M.
StraderE 9ansssa -.
The meetings was held at the pub
lie library building in this city. Mrs.
H. A. Tomlinson p of st. Peter pre-
sided is<as.,a 4.
Remarks BY Mrs. TomInson.
| After perfeeting the organization,
an informal discussion followed.
Mrs. Tomlinson said: "For many
years l was opposed to suffrage, but
as the subject has been forced UP.
on me by the fragrant commercial
izing of vice in our cities, and the
gross injustices possible toward
working girls and women, have
been brought to my attention, /
| have been thoroughly converted and
now. | want the ballot. A club won.
an of the state said to me once in
reply to statement that l did not
you do not need protection in yotlr
| home, you and yours are safe
| enough; you have engaged in club
and other work because you had
| the. leisure, and enjoyed it, but how
about the young girls. and the work
| ing women who meet life unprotect-
| ed? Can't you sacrifice something
| for them? That conversation open
ed my eyes, and ] have been learn
| ing ever since how necessary it was
| for me as a good citizen to use my
| influence for suffrage, and I am in
| terested in the movement, body and
SOUL"
Mrs. W. D. Stires of st. Peter
said: "The conservative women of
| this country have not committed
! themselves to the cause of suffrage
on the impulse of the moment This
movement is not a sporadic growth,
| but the result of the evolution of
| woman in the progress of civiliza-
ton. Our grandmothers passively en-
dured the evils of their social sys-
| tenn. their daughters questioned
| why and their granddaughters de
mand the right of suffrage. All this
is the logical sequence of the con-
tinuance of certain social evils,
which have always affected the
home AS education has increased
| to realize how these evils affect
their sphere of influence, they have
come to feel that in order to get leg
islation adequate to protect their
interests as citizens, they must have
the ballot. ~
Roasted the Saloons.
"The sores in our social SYSTEM
are directly or indirectly traced to-
the saloon. Hand in hand with this
awful curse, legalized by the votes
Of this government, goes the brothel
and the white slave traffic. The sa-
loon interest and the red light pow
er constitute such power political
| ly that city and government officials
are elected or deposed by their in
fuence, and the respectable element
of society stands by helpless in the
matter at the present time, while
the enemies of good government.
ask What are you going to dol
about it?'4 Our answer is, Give
woman the ballot but you say How.
about giving the ballot into the,
hands of the woman of the street,?
Today we are glad to say that re-.
spectacle women in society. far out
number the other class, and would
act as restraining influence in
politics. The good women would
make it necessary for politicians to
place before the people as candi-l
dates, men who are at least safe
men, instead of grafters, who are.
supported by the saloon and the red
light district, and further their own
interests, by legali2ing the debauch-
cry of the boys and the girls of ourl
land, Let the women stay at home,