The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-22

lectual liberties Of woman, but as vet
In the necessarily slow process Of this
evolution, woman Is meeting with
many communicating Influences Of evil
Arc not sweat shops and overworked
and underpnid workers moro destruc
tive OF the physical. mental and moral
welfare of women than any condition
IN which suffrage might place her?
why mako an cutlery against the in
cvitable-woman's ability no longer to
remain in the home. Rather lift
your voice against the evils 80 cor
ruptive Of health and motherhood
the foundation of the home. Why not
follow the Golden Rule and give her
the weapon of protectlon--thnt " eapou
for which our forefathers shed their
blood. and which is to-day (whether
used or noD 30 dear to the heart OF
every male citizen OF tho republic? How
is IL possible for you TO deny 1t and
believe In the doctrine which is af-
iirmed in our Declaration Of Inucpend-
ence. which is that governments derive
their Just powers from the consent
OF the governed.
When you and others OF similar
views say. "Woman's place Is In tho
nome and not at the polls" tho infer
enco is drawn that women WILL II
given the franchise. spend their entire
llme at the ballot box.
We could not do this, for the ballot
box Is only on exhibition once or twice
year. A prominent woman who has
voted says that 1t takes her about
eight minutes to do so, and ste also
states that she is often out OF her
homo for very much longer periods OF
time than this, and for purposes fer
less important.
Does the act of voting cause men :,
business 10 suffer ncglect7 We never
hear men advised not to vote ard that
their business Will suffer neglect If
they do. And is 1t not a fact that the
majority of women have more leisure
than mon? Might not tho hours spent
in doing fancy work and in Idle gossip
Qor which my eek Is proverb!al) be
moro probably Bpent7 Yet. women
have no time for the responsibility
OF the franchise! Probably tho reason
old woman" has basis In the fact of
the past woman's relegation to and
leisure for the trivial things Of life.
certainly during the larger portion OF
the term of her existence.
You ask. isn't n lack Of discipline
shown now In the home. when girls
OF fourteen are out in the street at
night unattended by their parents. and
crowds OF boys can be seen roaming
the streets. when they ought to nc I'M
der the Influence OF the home"
Is this a new condition In our city.
sprung into existence simultaneously
with the equal suffrage movement?
Only about half tho women OF the
race arc mothers. Applying the rule
here, did not know we had SO many
sunragists that We could number
mothers of crowds OF boys. In the
Equal Suffrage League here there are
childless women and mothers OF COM
Portable means, whose families have
been reared to the adult stage.
venture to say that no woman In the
| lcnEue with household duties or chill
dren to see TO has ever neglect
ed them to engage in suffrage propa-
Sanda, though her desire to help the
cause IL q burning one. 1 do hear of
mothers .neslecting homo and children
to visit the cheap theatres. but we
hear no cry raised against It These
places sprang into existence about
| three years ago, or about the same
time the suffrage movement was start
ed Ia mere coincidence none will gain
say). yet woman suffrage will prob
ably be the scapegoat for their evils
as well as others which may arise 70
affect the discipline of the home.
Women stand in line at these places
with all sorts OF people. We hear moth
Ing of their being dcmoralized from It
Or OF consuming in this way valuable
time. Then why the evil of her pres
ence at the polls. and the ballot box.
which the Rev. John Station, in a lee
ture here not long aimee on woman
suffrage, defined as sacred thing?
In concluding my comments on your
reference to the home. cannot do
better than quote the words of Mrs.
Maude Burlington Booth C'.Little
Mother of our unfortunate brothers,
tie prisoners). She says. IT believe
emphatically that woman's place is
nome; but where is her home? Mine is
all the way from Boston to San Fran
cisco and from Canada to the Gulf.
INC question Is not what woman
should be allowed to do. but can she
do 1t properly? In this reform (wo-
man sufrage). home is the very watch
word for all the interests of the home,
and all the evils that affect the home
are largely dependent upon politics.
"omen not only should have the
power to deal with these. but they
could WELD 1t effectively"
These are the sentiments of the
ooo,00O voting women OF our country
and the other millions who are pa-
iently waiting the decision OF tho
good men to allow them do likewise.
You say the work OF the suffraeists
at the Capitol is unwomanly.
is II unwOmanly to work In sanitary
commissions and on prison boards. to
go feariessly into Police Courts to Sc
cure the protection of families or into
tonl wards of hospitals to save human
lives? Is II unwomanly only to 90
upon ana down the streets as our own
sood women do here on tag days to
set funds for n consrmptIvc cav
n nurses settlement? Is IL unwoman-
~ to carry the gospel TO the heather
iahd and come in contact with all sorts
OF conditions compelled by such a life.
"orN' MRS. a. w. TAYLOR.
"omnn's Ballot VS.. tho Indies, Hattie.
10 those of my countrywomen who
mink Tor Themselves are the do5i
catorH words of n little book which
Is sr, now being widely Disseminated
ne LADIES' Battle by Molly Elliot
W"tl-suifraSists draw some OF the,r