Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-10-11
DIR. anna HOWARD SHAW TALKS IN
GRANTS PASS OF Equal SUFFRAGE
Noted Woman Lecturer Seems Confident That
Oregon Will Join Coast States in
Giving Woman Ballot.

/ men" she argued and a govern
ment is simply itSpeople. When you
the people are represented YOU have
not placed the country In the class
of republic; you have simply ex-
erted the power of sex arlstocracy.
You have an insuperabie barrier
against one-half of your citizens and
las long as such a condition exists
your claim of being republic is
false, Who will dispute that II
new constitution were to be framed
for the United States today that
there would be no hesitancy in
granting suffrage TO women?
"Woman's right to the ballot is
now generally recognized all over
the United States. and the politicians
can not much longer deprive us of
that right. And three of the presl-
dental candidates are having a sorry
time trying to conciliate the elements
of their parties who are divided on
the question. Mr. Taft has been
ordered to favor equal suffrage west
of the Mississippi and to oppose II In
the east; he is obeying orders. Mr..
Wilson has been ordered to keep
still about 1t. and all We heard from
him so far on the question is that he
has been debating It for the past
nine months. and he is still debating.
Mr.. Roosevelt was ordered to come
out and shout boldly for II all over
the country and he, too, is obeying.
-Four wears ago he was afraid to eX-
press an opinion on 1t. None OF
these men are fooling us a bit. They
are all out for office, and they'll have
to reckon with female voters soon
er or later. If all the western states
give women the ballot, which they
are sure to do, It will give those
states such a powerful influence in
= national elections that the east will
be forced to fall in line"
The woman who did not want to
vote was taken to task for her dog
,in-the-manger attitude, and Dr.
Shaw thought that because some
might not want to vote, those who
@lld should not be deprived of the
right
along with this antiquated argu-
ment we still hear such assertions as
, household Quarrels and neglect Of
family in event equal suffrage. MY
friends, married couples who are
prone to quarrel will quarrel wheth-
er they discuss politics or not And
such persons usually quarrel about
the most trivial things on earth,
= when a little patience would avert
: such unpeasantness This has been
Y my observation in my 25 years OF
e travelling as a lecturer, during which
n time ! have been in thousands OF
n houses and some homes. As to a
e womans neglecting household duties
= II she we're to vote that Is rank abb
surdity DO you think a woman can
!. not take a few minutes time two or
l. three days out OF each year TO drop
'- a piece Of paper in box, after work
y ing the rest OF the year for several
j. hours a day, without iniuring the
II welfare of her family?
b IL only ask the men to put them
: selves in our places for moment II
they can, and see themselves govern
II ed by Chinese, negroes, Dutch
l. French, Italians, every race and col
3. or. without an opportunity to say
J. what the laws which govern us shall
e be; paying our share Of the bill
e without saying what the bills shall
r be.
= Some people argue that womer
u do not want the ballot because /
e would not be safe for her to go int
e the madly excited rabble about tn
p polls on election day Is It possible
e that men who are so amiable an,
'r pleasant and civilized 364 days 0
IT the year that we are glad to liy
with them. will become on election
day such raying beasts that we dar
ID not walk the streets? DO We loci
E. our doors and hide ourselves ava
4, on election day now? No; 1t
le merely the old unreasonlng fear O
the unknown, and false conception
ao % man ~ What Vovarumeut rqall