The Washington times., 1912-09-10
ROOSEVELT APPEALS
TO SPOKANE WOMEN
FOR SUFFRAGE VOTE
Has Novel Experience Talk
ing to Two Exclusively
Feminine Audiences.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
you can, bring your husband or
brother along; II not. come without
him.
The 10000 men and women who greet
ed Colonel Roosevelt at the open-air
meeting on Riverside Drive. In Spokane,
were packed like sardines in the space
in front Of the Masonic Temple There
colonel had undivided attention. and
his speech one of the best he has yet
delivered. For more than an hour the
thousands stood in the sun and listened
to Progressive doctrines.
Women, all of them with the right to
vote, verify besieged the. doors of the
two theaters. No man was permitted
except members of the colonefs party,
the press. and a few members Of the
local reception COMMITTEES. From pit Ito
dome the play-houses were packed with
sheering femininity, and the experience
was the most unique in all the public
life of Colonel Roosevelt. '@
Mr. Roosevelt said he had long been
favorablv inclined toward woman suf-
frage, but that he had become anEac-
such women as Miss Jane Addams Miss
Keller, and Miss Drier With women Of
this type, he said, he had worked long
before he knew they favored suffrage.
and had learned to respect their views
on immigration. child labor, settlement
work, the white slave traffic, and other
problems.
Converted by Women.
when they told me that suffrage
would be of aid to them in their work
for their sex,' said the colonel,
I saw the truth and justice OF
their position. Again, am naturally
democratic in the sense of the word
that 1 do not like to associate init
mately with those who have not the
same rights that l have. 1t feels
natural to meet women who can vote.
1t is nice to accept as a matter OF
course the fact that they have the
same power of expressing their views
fruition that have"
Shrill cheers greeted the colonel'i
words, and through the theater hand
kerchiefs. red bandanas, and gauze fans
futtered. Women, all classes, were
there-rich and poor, married and single
white and colored.
In his Spokane addresses Mr.. Roose
welt devoted considerable time to an ex
planation of the Progressive platform
planks relating to the minimum wag,
scale for women, child labor. ant
woman's suffrage. He answered VII
sons criticisms that the minimum wag'
for women means lower wages for th'
present high-paid woman worker. =,
colonel said in part: mo comrnunit,
is really civilized II 1t PERMITS dis
tinction to be made between stealin
an office and stealing a purse. (Cries
You are right" and cheers.)
"And to pay with office for the thief
of a nomination to office Is as bac
from the standpoint Of morality,
80 much for our opponents who req
resent the Republican machine. d
not intend to discuss their platform
because 1 am not Interested IN tn
Hxy, hn q
moment were violating the fundaments
laws of decency and Of right behaving
More than that, another reason Tor nc
discussing the present Republican part
is because l don't take an interest !
dead folks. The men like Frankli
Murphy, of New Jersey; Crane, OF Mas
sachusetts; Penrose. of Pennsylvania
Barnes. of New York; Guggenheim, {
stamp who, directly or through the
agents, wrecked the old Repubica
party last June, knew perfectly we
what they were doing. -,
They knew they were wrecking tn
party they stole the party from , tn
people. CHEERS and cries Of "Ths
Is right.D
"Because they preferred to see
&C down rather than to see 1t con
trolled by the rank and file of tn
members. that Is why they actet
They did not believe that we woul
actually make new movement; the
thought that we would grumble an
complain for a week or two and the
take it lying down. (Cheers an
laughter)
Answers Wilson Criticism.
"Now. Mr.. Wilson has in geners
terms praised our platform. but tn
only specific thing he has noticed ha
been this, and he came out yer
strongly against this minimum waa
proposition on the ground that II "
established minimum wage err
ployers would reduce all of their en-
ployes to that minimum wage:
~Now, ! think that Is an obtecto
of the school-room, an academic OF
lection Naughter). And do n!
think that any man who has actuall
studied the conditions of life anon
the working girls: the working W!
stance, has attended in New Yor
city the. jefferson Market night cou
for women, do not think that. al
man will be influenced by such q
objection"