The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-04
MRS. IDREcKlNR|DGE
MAKES IMPRESSION
ADDRESS ON EQUAL SUFFRAGE
HEARD by LARGE AUDIENCE
AT HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
MASTER OF SARCASM
Is OF GOOD NATURED VARIETY,
HOWEVER, AND MERELY ADDS
SPICE TO WELL DEVELOPED
ARGUMENT.

Mrs. Desha Breckenridge, Of Lex
ington. Kentucky. addressed a large
audience at the John Marshall high
school auditorium last night. pre-
senting the question Of woman suf-
frage from the standpoint OF q wo-
man who has had experience in par
tial suffrage. and who has worked in
politics In her native State Tho ad-
dress was . most entertaining and
instructive one. being delivered IN .
forceful manner. and from . some
what different angie from which
many OF those usually xiveo arc
lnnde.
Mrs. o. B. Valentine. State pren-
dent ~ the Virginia Equal Suffrage
league. presided and introduced Rev.
II. u. c. MaclachiAn. pastor Of the
Sevcnth-S Street Christian church, who.
In turn. INTRODUCED Mrs. Breckinridge.
DR.. Maclachlan said that he took
pleasure in making the Introduction
not only because he il a firm believer
in the cause for which she was to
speak, but because she bears the
name OF Breckenridge and Mcdowell.
two famous in Virginia and Kentucky
history.
An attractive Speaker.
Mrs. Breckenridge has an attrac-
tive manner Of speaking, a good-na-
tured sarcasm and clever satire be-
ing distinguishing characteristic.
Some Of the more obviously puertle
objections to equal suffrage she dis
missed with a keen wit that pene-
trated the mass OF misunderstanding
and misrepresentation of the subject.
and left II exposed to the laughter
which greeted some OF her satirical
interpretations There was nothing
harsh about her criticism OF the
"antis," male and female--but the
weaknesses OF the opposition she
pointed out with we'll placed sar-
casm, while the more valid objec-
tons she met in a manner which i'm
pressed IL 1t did not always convince.
Mrs. Breckinridge's main point was
that women, in seeking the ballot,
are merely following woman's work
from the home. whence 1t has been
driven by the complexities OF mod
ern civilization into the government.
end that In seeking the ballot women
are merely seeking control over the
things they have controlled since the
dawn III creation. Education OF the
children, guardianship of the purity
and cleanliness of the food or the
household a voice in the govern
ments fiscal policy were some OF the
things in which women are particu-
larry interested. ana III winch eiS
should have voice. mentioned by
the speaker.
Protection OF Women.
The speaker declared that she had
seen TOO much OF the chivalry OF
men in the Southern States to regard
II lightly. hut she believed the time
had come for women to be given the
! protection Of the law. The men are
willing to protect us. she said, but
under modern conditions they can
not. The women Of the South are
the least protected Of the women OF
the nation, she said, in spite OF the
fact that Southern men are more
willing to protect women from evil
end from burdensome duties than
arc the men OF other sections. She
gave several instances Of laws OF
other States protecting the working
women. the mothers and the young
e.ils which have not been passed by
the States Of the South. then show
ing that in suffrage States more than
elsewhere these laws have been
passed.
Al the close ef the meeting, Mrs.
Valentine invited questions from the
audience bat none were asked. ana
the meeting adjourned. after several
of thcrc present had signined their
Intentions OF Joining the league.