Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-01-05
Arguments for Woman Suffrage

Arguments for Woman Suffrage
Richm ond. Va, Jan. l. 1912
Recently the Rev. DR.. John Roach
Straton. of Baltimore, lectured here
under the auspices of the Equal Stuff
rage League of Virginia, his subject
being, The Destiny of the Lost Rib.
His discourse. an eloquent and per-
suasive plea in behalf of woman sulf-
rage, was most forceful and convinc-
ing, and elected frequent bursts of
applause from large and representa-
tive audience.
DR.. Straton declared the woman
movement of today to be natural
and invetibale process in the evolu-
ton of human society, vital part of
the great democratic movement which
is the dominant characteristic of the
present age. Quoting him, "woman
should have her full share in the
making of laws and in the direction
of public life, because she represents
the highest standards of intelligence
and virtue, which are the chief fac
tors in good government.
Her vast property interests demand
| the protection Of the ballot. Taxation
without representation is as unjust
when applied to her as when applied
to man, and it is monstrous to con-
tinue to class her, in the matter of
voting, with minors, aliens, idiots,
lunatics and criminals.
Between six and seven millions of
women, all underpaid, have been for
ced into business life by the economic
conditions of today, and their only
protection lies in giving them a polit-
zeal value and share in making the
avs that control industry and deter
mine their wages.
The possession of power never les
sens respect for the possess or; hence,
to make woman politically indcpen-
dent will increase, not diminish,
mems respect for her as sex. The
ballot will make her influence of the
!, greatest value to her county, giving
her the means of overthr Dying those
forces that are destructive of moral
ity, temperance and good government.
Her cooperation is greatly needed in
American institutions, and. when en-
, fanchsed, she viii be found soidly
: on the moral side of every issue, vot-
ing Independently for the best man.
The exercijc of the suffrage makes
| 4 70
ing home keeper, wiser and more
effective rother, more congenial,
helpful/sife.
SipT the average child of today
spepls three fourths of it's waking
hoIrs at school. at pay, or in tho
streets, the mother should have u
voice in the making and execution OF
:, the laws that control The street, the
school and the other Institutions OF
the age. The ballot enables woman Il
look after the interests of home ant
OF children, by controlling such mat
tiers as the milk supply, pure food
clean ice, clean streets, proper santa
ton, the saloon, the brothel, the de
graded picturc-show, the juvenil,
court, the white slave traffic, home!
for feeble minded children, schoo
matters, childlabor laws, and othel
things. The average housewife ha.
more time for the study of the issue.
of the day than has the average bust
ness man, and it would mean no NOR,
FOR her to leave her home To 20 to tho
polls and deposit her ballot than fo!
him to leave his place of bushes.
for the saem purpose.
Again, all women are not mothers.
OF the millions of female wage-eain
ers in this country, one million are
widows; very many are unmarried,
and all classes are entitled to equa
protection with men under the law.
No one need fear that the vote
Will lower woman's standard, destroy
her sweetness. or overthrow her deep
er influence. In suffrage states and
suffrage countries, experience has
proved that such an exercise of hen
natural rights will make.her better
mother, her home better home, her
child better child. Her coming into
her fuller life, through the evolution
of our democracy, will but add to her
charm and to her power.
Dorothy Veronn,
Richmond, Va.