The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-22
PEOPLES FORUM
Based on misunderstanding &.

Editor Of The Vrginian:
Sir,--I notice in your editorial column this
morning some questions asked relative to
womans suffrage, and since 1t put in the
form Of question to the public, may [ take
the liberty of answering it?
To quote the editorial in full:
DO the sunragists really wish to assume
their share Of the responsibilities of life or do
they wish TO exchange those they now have
for others less onorous? Are they fighting for
the privilege of undertaking additional duties,
or are they rebelling against the performance
Does the editor of The virginian want to
put himself on record stating that women
do not now bear their share of the responsible
ties of life?
It is grievous charge against tho women
of the land and l believe it was a slip on the
EDITORS part, and not an Intentional accusation.
II sounded all right, and the editor did not
stop to think just what it signified.
Recognition of individual responsibility is the
very first step in the advancement of race
that we a nation boast Of the highest civil
izatIon the earth has so far attained is proof in
their individual responsibility, hut that they
have measured up to its fun requirements. No
nation has ever yet been ever will be greater
than its women, for the reason that a stream
cannot rise higher than its source-and you
can measure the status of a state or nation
by the status Of its women.
These statements are so well understood
to be automatic.
AS to our exchanging the responsibilities we
now have for others less onorous. permit me
to say that this is assumption that voting
Is vocation in itself that when one votes one
does little or nothing else,
What is voting but legally registering an
opinion already formed? 1t only takes a few
minutes to perform the physical act Of voting
our editor seems to assume that women have
not yet begun to form intelligent opinions rela-
tive to the Kind Of people and laws that shall
rule over them, and that when they do they
cannot find the time to do anything else
Have the men found it with them?
do not believe that the only intelligent
voters among the men are those who give all
their time to the study Of law or politics.
If it were SO, only lawyers and politicians
would be capable of really Intelligent suffrage
As ! understand the question, il is should
he one of intellectual and moral preparedness
to understand and to weigh the principles at
issue, and the men who offer themselves as
opponents of those principles; and / believe
doing this.
We are reading and thinking, We are living
under these laws, and in no sense ire
sponsible in the eyes Of the law
Our children and household affairs are year
by year being brought under the direct super
vision Of the law In ways not dreamed of
generation ago.
SHAH We women whose special duty is the
care of the child and the home. and who are
morally intellectually and practically fitted to
understand the needs of home and child at
least as we'll as men can, have no voice in these
Shall the millions of women, who by reason
or the changed economic and social conditions
which have come upon them have been forced
20 earn their own living have no voice in the
laws hat govern their lives and their labor?
Shall that other group Of unnumbered thou
sanas nf 3Fos3eIT whuna outS3.fe3 resinlstA fces
ha%e not forced TO labor, but wilo. from the
development Of self, have been compelled by
the divine aflatus within to take hold OF life
from practical standpoint and are today in
literature, art, music, architecture. medicine.
law, teaching, science, sociology. philanthrophy
and unnumbercd other profess onS or vocations,
doing their part toward the worlds advance
sment and prosperity, have no voice in the maxi
ing of the laws under which they work and
live2
We are already doing the thinking the part
that takes the time. and l am sure we could
find the time to do the voting without inter-
! fcrlnG seriously with the other work in hand
We not in any sense tired of our present
duties or responsibilities, but feeling keenly the
moral weight of the situation and being DESTROYS
Of performing them to the best of our ability
We ask voice in the making Of the laws that
may so much help or hinder us in the dis
charge Of those duties.
MRS w E. H.