The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-17

toned tact, or her tflunpnS III alHe illeF- ary world. He related conversation that he had had with the speaker 12 years ago, shortly after the publication of her first book; told of her unwillingness to talk of 1t and of her shy modesty when she de- clined to speak to the children of the high school Thus he led up to a grace ful reference to Miss Johnston as leader of the suffrage forces-the antithesis in womanliness, gentleness and modesty. to the popular conception of the ''suffra- gette."
 Miss Johnston Speaks
 Miss Johnston, after acknowledging the introduction, prefaced the body of her speech with a recital of facts concerning the general movement of the franchise for woman She referred to the conven- ton of the International Suffrage Alliance held last summer in Stockholm, Sweden, where there were women speaking 20 languages-hailing from countries where woman has won the vote and from others where the fight is yet pending. She men toned the petition presented to Congress in 1910 by the women of this country, num- bering half a million Signatures, the names of men and women being equally divided, and of quality high There were names, for example, of 16 governors of states, a large number of mayors and city and county officials judges of supreme courts, eminent lawyers, thousands of teachers, professional men, doctors, clergymen, presidents of colleges and uni versailles. great numbers of scientific men there were, political economists, biologists, sociologists, men of international reputa- ton. "Fifty-two thousand women signed as 'homekeepers. :" said Miss Johnston, "a refutation of the statement that the domestic sheltered woman does not wish this reform.
 Working People Sign
 "Thousands and thousands and thou sands of working men and women signed it. Among the signers were hundreds of editors, journalists and publicists. There were the names of 20lo writers-Mark Twain, MT. Dooley. William Dean How els, James Lane Allen, Winston Churchill, Meredith Ncholson-oh. fong list. Most of the women writers of note signed 1t. My profession is a democratic profession. We live in a republic of letters, and we count by brains, not by sex. We had also upon that list a great number of trained nurses, settlement workers, men and wom- en engaged in allmanner of uplift work. The suffrage movement has always had those people We have Jane Addams, we had the head of the Red Cross. We have Maud Ballington Booth, Florence Kelley and Ella Flagg Young and Mrs. Raymond Robins and Helen Keller. We have many of the best actors-Julia Marlowe and Maud Adams and Ellen Terry and Forbes Robertson; then such men as Luther Bur bank and John Boroughs and John Dewey and Brand Whitlock and John Graham Brooks and pr. Rainsford and Edwin Markham and Judge Lindsay"
 Commanding Attention
 DO you know that the question of votes for women is one that is command ing the attention of the entire civilized world?" asked Miss Johnston. That suf- frage associations exist in % countries That in this country alone there are 1000 suffrage associations? That there is an International Mems league for woman suffrage and any number of local men s leagues? That the number of women who are asking for the franchise Is larger than the number of men who have ever asked for anything? That the press of this country during 1a1l gave more space to suffrage than to any other public question:
 Miss Johnston then discussed the po- litical rights accorded women in the va rious eountries-including those of the United States in which the franchise has been granted and tine countries in which women enjoy either partial or complete political liberty-such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Norway. Scot land, England. Ireland. Wales and Fin land.
 Commenting upon the many wonderful developments all along the line of human progress, Miss Johnston said;
 Objections Raised
 But in the midst of all this change of status. so general, so reorganized, so welcomed, there appears to exist in the minds of many a strong objection to any change in, the status of woman. She alone of all organisms is to be unaffected by any change of environment She alone is to stand. like Lots wife, unadopted and unadaptable. She alone is to pre- serve the equilibrium of the Dark ~lAges in tho midst of the electric light of the tw entieth century. She is to travel by OK cart while you, gentlemen. take the airship She alone of all organisms and institutions of this revolving globe is to remain without onward motion She alone is not to evolve. She alone is not to follow her inner voice, which says 'GrQw!'