The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-07

Mrs. r. W. Rowe of Grand Rapids, Mich,
who is a visitor in the city, and an ar
dent suffragette. Mrs. Rowe expressed
great surprise and qualification at the
progress which suffrage has made in Ala
bama. She gave an outline of the strug-
gle which the women of Michigan have
been making for the ballot, and her talk
was replete with interest and new points.
She advocated the quiet, peaceful cam
paign system and stated firmly her belief
that the only way to procure the ballot
is to prove to men that it will not unsex
or coarson women by demonstrating to
them that the struggle for the vote is
not rendering them any less gentle and
womanly.
Mrs. Kenneth Charlton read a paper,
The Historical Uplift of Women This
is the first of a series of studies which
Will be given this winter before the suf-
frage association.
Interesting Paper by Mrs. Charlton
The paper read by Mrs. Charlton was
said to be one of the best and most
comprehensive articles ever read before
the Equal Suffrage association. MRS.
Charlton divided her paper into three
parts, the ancient, medieval and mod
ern, and explained each at length. In
her first division she traced the history
of animal life from its simplest to its
hiSieT types III OTSduisiil. lJldNl11B All
analogy frcmsthe lower animal life in
the relation to the sexes pictured the
same conditions as existing in the early
history of the human race. She declared
that sex equality prevailed and cited
the legends of the Amazons and other
war-like women to bear cut her conten-
tion. She contended that the mating of
man and woman brought about the con-
flict of authority and resulted in the sub
lection of woman.
Medieval history she claimed began
with woman in her correct position, that
Of co-worker or an equal factor in
the family and state, but that with the
introduction of mechanical inventions she
slipped away from her position as an
equal producer and became parasite. The
speaker declared that in the history of
the countries of the past when human
creatures reached a certain degree of So
called civilization, the tendency was for
the female to become more and more
parasitic, which she said contributed
largely to a country's decay. She cited
Assyria, Greece, Rome. Persia and Tur-
key of today as examples.
Modern Aspect of Question
Dealing with modern history, Mrs. Charl-
ton said that the equal suffrage move
ment was woman's protest against the
parasitism into which man is pushing
ncI. oHe Sldleu the woman OF To-Day does
not seek to rule the world but desires
to help rule it, and to labor side by
side with man in solving the problems
that. affect the welfare and the well-being
of the home. She closed by making
the demand for equal rights for woman
and stated they demanded nothing more
and would take nothing less.
Mrs. Charlton was warmly congratu-
lated at the close of her paper and It
was stated she will probably be asked to
read 1t on future occasions.
Miss Ethel Armes read a letter to the
association from Judge Samuel d. Weak
ley. who is a recent convert to the cause
of equal suffrage. Judge Weakley set
out as his cardinal reasons the facts that
women are voting in a larger majority
than men are, where they have been given
the ballot that women will vote for the
moral side of all questions; that men cam
not rightly represent the needs and re-
quirements of women. He wound up by
saying, 'Hurrah for the women. God
bless them" The reading of Judge Weak
ley's letter was met with delighted ap-
plause.
1t was announced that on next Wednes-
day at noon Mrs. w. L. Murdoch will
give a tea at headquarters for the con-
sderation of plans for the business wom-
ems lunch, which will be served at suf-
frage headquarters after January l.