The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-12

have never taken a hand in stock argu- ments against women. I don't pretend 10 Know women. I have even confessed my ignorance of my own sex, and long ago gave up frying to understand wom- an. But do know that she can do most things as well as men-many things she can do better. Have I not known women to make a brilliant success of farm work? Have not seen women teachers. as com pared with whom the average man teach- CT fades Into insigniflcance? There is a woman in Decatur who is running dem onstration farm of live stock. I have known women lawyers-goo4 ones. too. Woman has natural executive ability.
 ''She knows how to run a home and bring up children; do not speak of those who have had no opportunity to learn. I know nothing harder than household man. agement and training children. Men are utterly incapable of that class of work It requires combination of executive abil- ity and high sensibility. Women do well almost everything the yattempt. I have not observed that in any state where they have attained the franchise they have in any way justified the prophecies of disaster. The franchise has ben a de- i, cic Hd success in the several states Women nave not proven themselves unduly emo- tional as 1t was supposed by some that they would. In Colorado they actually re- fused to support prohibition as they were going after something else at the time. NOW women are universal advocates of temperance, the majority are for prohibi- ton. This incident showed that they ara not emotional.
 "If I were in Colorado or California I would vote for woman suffrage. In Ala bama I am reluctant" MT. Weatherlv then gave his views on the political situa- ton and many of his experiences and observations which he felt were indicative or certain conditions that might spring up with the feminine franchise. In brief. ne stated that the average man will not post himself on political questions through plain indifference and that a great nun Der will not vote when they have the franchise. "If vote," one man had said to him, T will have to register 'If reg ister, will have to serve on the jury'- so to escape one weeks duty on the jury this man disfranchised himself. And this ference.
 Said Mir. Weatherly: "I don't think there IS much difference In men and women. lhere is difference merely of type-not or capacity. In my opinion the same in- difference might result" MT. Weatherly's point in addition to this was that it would increase the ignorant vote. in giving fran enise to many negro women, for he said:
 The negro Is becoming more educated all the time; he is shedding his illiteracy. and Is acquiring property qualifications. mere IS no academic answer to this prop osltlon or feminine suffrage" he ejacu- lated Each community must decide for itself. What may be good in Wyoming CT Colorado might fail here. Some things may be good tomorrow that are not good tocay:' And with other pleasant express sions MT. Weatherly closed the expres- sion of his views.
 Mrs. Jacobs. in thanking the speaker made the suggestion. that MT. Weatherly evidently regarded her faithful Nanny of the Kitchen as rather more of a men ace than was Sambo of the chaingang
 Friedman Is Introduced
 MT. Harold Friedman of New York was then introduced as a legislator who had recently been instrumental in the intro auction of bill for equal suffrage in the
 o NorlS legislature Mir Friedman made but brief talk, one alive with enthusiasm for the suffrage movement, and full of encouragement for the people whc are making such an effort In its be- half here in Birmingham. Instead of tell ing or his experiences In New York he chose, rather, 10 answer one or two of the stock objections to suffrage One, that sentiment would be injected into political anairs. In answer to this Mir. Friedman gave concrete ilustrations-the Titanic ofSaStVi, WHICH dfOuSeQ the nauOne to do and to give for the unfortunate sur vivors-urged on by one. great. beautiful sentiment of human sympathy; of the great men of history, some of whose nanes he called, and whose lives were largely actuated by sentiment; the send ing of an American army to free Cuba, typifying the big American spirit of synl- psthy. Of the men of Wall street. with whom he comes in contact daily ir tis Wall street office, MT. Friedman spoke as rervous. brain ridden. emotionai .-,- yond any women that he had seen. In .tnis way he pointed out the need for sentiment in politics. That Nomans po- litical power would take her from the Tome also received an answer from MT Friedman. "It is not necessary for a woman to be at home all the time." he said a
 "A woman may keep her rooms spotless --neatness itself, but her family may be- come ill if some one does not see that the garbage is removed from some adja- cent alley. She buys the supplies for her table. Suppose she finds the food adul- terated, has she recourse in the choice or officials to regulate such things? Since she is responsible. the only way to satis- fy conditions is to give her the right to .vote."t Finally Mr., Friedman spoke of 'bossism-of the frank unwillingness to permit women to vote in his state because they might introduce ethics into politics.