Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-08-15
FAvoRs WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Mrs. Sherman of Talent, 80 Years
Old, Strong Advocate.

years of age:
The first thing 1 will explain is
how and why | became convinced
that suffrage was right for woman.
I was taught at home that women
were inferior to men. At that time
mothers were so dominated with the
idea that women were created by
God as inferior, that they taught
their boys that they had a right to
dominate their sisters. The result
of such teaching is seen in some of
the men of today, but for the present
/ will pass that by. When / was a
young, ignorant girl | attended an
academy that was taught by Friends,
or Quakers as they were called.
These Quakers considered and treat
ed women equal to men in all things.
In school we were taught to express
our opinions freely. In my ignor-
ance / expressed myself as opposed
to woman's rights. The teacher eX-
planned about some law that was es-
pecially oppressive to woman. said
that | would not submit to it. The
teacher said that it could be enforced
by the use of the whole u. S. army,
if necessary. That opened my eyes.
Owing to my early experience
do not condemn women who are op-
posed to equal suffrage. To con-
vince woman of the benefit of equal
suffrage it is only necessary to get
them to study the laws of our state,
especially those laws that are op-
pTessive to woman. When we can
get them to say Il will not submit to
them, they are ours.
In that early day in the agitation
for equal rights in discussion, men
shut womens mouths by the use of
obscene language. | remember one
place where / boarded was a
school teacher-in the neighborhood
there was a debate on the subject Of
woman's rights, as it was called then.
OF course no one went but the man
of the house. When he returned he
told us that it was no ploce for wom-
en- to go, on account of the vulgarity
that was there. We afterwards
learned that he was the only one
who used obscene language.
I'm that early day in Ohio heard
lady, who had recently buried her
husband speak on the subject of
"Ohdh OH6 WAS nOI very
eloquent, but when she spoke of tie
time when the property business was
settled, when sh said that even the
cradle in which her baby had been
rocked had to be Sold she grew in
earnest and became indignant.
Thanks to the pioneer workers on
this subject who have bravely fought
the battles of their times, many such
tyrannical laws have been modified.
But even yet the laws in regard to
the rights of woman are imperfect
and there is much work left to do.
81 find that we equal suffragists
have created quite little stir in the
village of Talent. Some women have
said that they had no time to bother
with politics. This pleases a certain
class of men, and | do not condemn
these men and women. They are
simply the product of their environ
ment and early training At one
time we were all of us ignorant.
From their point of view they are
simply expressing their ideal. What
they need is education.
1t is up to us who have Travelled
over the rough road of life and by
our experience gained the light Of
knowledge, to assist our benighted
brothers and sisters and teach them
the benefit of equal suffrage
The opponents of woman suffrage
nave argued that woman's place is at
nome and if she were given the bal
lot she would desert her home and
children. Motherhood is the grand
est thing in nature. Often the most
savage animal will sacrifice her .lfe
Tor her offspring. There are only a
Few abnormal cases where the animal
will forsake her young. There are
Hew monsters among women who will
sacrifice their children for morbid
desire for pleasure. The mother who
forsakes her children for the ball
room is one, and the woman who
'caresses her poodle dog is another
But it is not this class of women who
are asking for the ballot. When
woman goes to the polls and casts
her vote she will no more be neglect
ing her home and children than when
Sue goes to church, to the store to
purchase her groceries, or to the
postoffice after her mail. ANY of
these tasks requires only a few min
utes of time.
II have heard that since we have
organized this club some men have
said, This movement will cause rows
or something of the kind in the fam
lilies. Now it takes at least two to
make row. If we women go quiet
lg about our business and let the
men row alone they will not hurt us.
We know that where there is a diff
ference of opinion in the family anu
zone insists on dominating the other,
II is not an ideal home; but a we'll
informed woman will endure that in
harmony for the sake of her children.
will make a quotation: In every
case where one group exploits an
tother group, the exploiting group de-
STises the group that it has under
subjection.' When a husband op
poses a woman by sneering words oil
silent opposition, the sons will TAKE
mp the opinions of their father, anC
when they have homes of their owl
their homes will also be inharmoni
GUS. Thus il is that crushed moth
er will be the means of producing
number of inharmonious homes in
stead of one. i know this because
have seen the workings of three gen
erations.