The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-07
THEY DON'T LIKE IT
Kansas Suffragists Displeased
With Mrs. Thompson.
Quoted as Not knowing Kan
sas Women Have Suffrage.

Mrs. William Howard Thompson,
wife of the junior senator from Kan
sas. has displeased some of the women
in Topeka who are prominent Suffra-
gists The cause of this displeasure is
an interview with Mrs. Thompson pub
lished in the Los Angeles Times.
Il think some one should inform
Mrs Thompson that the woman of
Kansas has full suffrage. Apparently
she has not learned this yet is the
remark one Topeka woman prominent
in the suffrage movement in the state,
made yesterday, and was supported by
another women equally prominent in
the same cause.
This remark was a thrust at that
part of the interview in which Mrs.
Thompson is quoted as saying:
Women in Kansas have a vote on
the school board and in various COM
munities on civil questions and re-
forms. 1 find this all I need to be both
useful and happy
Perhaps Mrs. Thompson was not
quoted correctly for the inference is
there that she does not yet know that
women have the same voting privileges
as men in the state of Kansas. 1t is
hardly possible she does not know this
but the mere possibility of such being
the ase does not set we'll with the wo
men of Topeka who put forth d lot of
effort to secure full franchise privi-
leges for the women of the state. The
idea that the wife of a United States
senator apparently does not know what
these women have accomplished ram
kIeS.
All the way through the interview
Mrs. Thompson is credited with dis
counting the Importance of votes for
women. and of course that does not
please the women who We're active and
aggressive in securing full votes for
women in the state. But just the same
there are many men in the state. men
who voted to grant full suffrage to
women, and who would vote the same
way again should it be necessary, who
might at the same time agree fully
with Mrs. Thompson. for Mrs. Thomp-
son does not wish to be classed as an
anti Apparently she simply does
not think it makes a great deal of
difference whether the women vote or
not for this is what she says:
Il like all women to take keen con-
Germ in all relating to home govern
ment; to know all candidates on their
personal side. The new woman has
certainly put the man who, though
good fellow to the public. is a bad faith
er and a bad husband, out of ali hope
for public preferment. To know how
those who have been honored are
maintaining their trust is another con-
sideration, and all these are easy of ac-
eomplishment even without the ballot
The Times interview goes on and
more offense is given the suffra gists
when Mrs. Thompson declares that to
bring about the highest ideals. the
surest way to do it is to attend strict
ly to those manifest duties which be-
gin and end at the home.
The Times story continues:
Strange to relate, though Senator
is aniable and helpful to
and former Lieutenant Gov
ernor Andrew j. Felt, father of Mrs
Thompson. one of the most thoroughly
convinced men in Kansas about wonn-
ems right to vote. Mrs Thompson is,
to put the matter very mildly, abso-
luteIy indifferent towards the whole
question. By some she is placed in the