The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-04-11
STRONG ARGUMENTS MADE BY
WOMAN'S LEAGUE FOR
CHANGE IN PRESENT
UNEQUAL PLAN OF
VOTING.
ORGANIZATION IS MADE
Marshall Constitution Con
demned In Resolutions
banks Favcrs EnfranchisemeHt
of Women In Address.

Miss Minnie Swindell attended
the. recent convention of the Wo-
ma s League as a delegate from
Marshall county and in an interview
gives the following account of the
meeting:
The state convention of the Wo-
mans Franchise League of Indiana
was held in the assembly hall
of the Claypool hotel last week. At
the opening Chas. W. Fairbanks
welcomed the delegates on behalf of
the state He said:
cat one time not many years
ago when anyone ventured to talk
woman's suffrage they we're looked
uron with some curiosity and
thought peculiar But education has
proceeded until women have come to
exercise the vote in many states.
Wherever women have been given
the right to vote they have exercis-
ed the privilege with as much wis
dom and as sincere a desire to pro-
mote the general good as men have
ever manifested. The Western states
have been the first to open the bal
lot box to both halves of the COM
munity and our liberties have not
been imperiled by it either. The
enfranchisement of women is COM
ing TO be an accomplished fact
everywhere, where people reason,
and the women ought to set a good
example to the men. We see so
many things in politics for which
none of us can have patience or
sympathy. The enfranchisement of
women will tend to ameliorate harsh
political conditions, In any event
thew will not make things worse.
"Woman who presides over the
household and feels the effect of
bad laws; she who is concerned be-
yond most others in orderly and
economic government. interested in
the moral and intellectual develop
ment of the entire community, may
be safely intrusted with the ballot,
which is the safeguard Of ali which
we hold most dear In republican
government. IT,
Mr.. Harvey B. Stout welcomed
the delegates on behalf of the city
of Indianapolis. At one time he
canvassed the state of Oregon for
the anti-suffragists. Mr.. Stout said
fWise men change their minds,
fools never" He has changed his
and he found that when one has
twelve aunts, nine cousins, one wife
and one mother in the organiza-
ton, it was well to be in favor of
equal suffrage.
Miss Charity Dye extended vel.
come on behalf of the Woman's
Franchise League, and said s'In
the modern industrial and economic
struggle a woman has to contend
unarmed and she is actually depriv.
ed of the only proper weapon, the
ballot, with which she can defend
herself In the struggle for existence
Surely this is plain to see and must
appeal to every fair minded citizen
! who wishes to right wrong, and lift
the modern standard of justice.
Reform Work Described
J The woman who easily attracted
the most attention at the convention
was Miss Virginia Brooks, the fight
inc taxpayer of West Hammond
I'll. who is rapidly making her towr
] hot and disagreeable place fol
municipal grafters. Altho hel
fighting qualities are so extraordin
arv that she has become a nationa
character. Miss Brooks is little
woman of 25 years, who looks NOR,
= like a high school girl than thu
actual gen raj of a Polish arm,
A recruited by her in West Hammond
n 70 fight the grafters. In taking tn
lead for civic righteousness Mis-
Brooks has fearlessly exposed off
cials whom she believed to be pro
fling from wee.
ssThe women need the ballot am
the country needs the womes vot
es.v she said We don't wan. t.
mix in the dirty politics of the rlel
1 but we do want to work with Their
4 TO make things better"
DIR. Lindley of the State Uni
versity discussed the woman's move
ment from the psychological poin
Of view. He gave a scholarly an
entertaining discussion of the cba1
acteristies of the psychical eqnS.c
ment of woman, and concluded tina
she is capable of exercising he
franchise as wisely and well as mar