Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-26

women today are coming out openly in
support of the effort for equal suffrage.
because they, as part OF pubic Opin-
tIons of today, have found that every
such question affects first the home.
whether 1t be called a question OF tarfr;
Of the suppression of vice. or vocatfonai
guidance. of sanitary conditions Tor WORK
people,
Works Well in California.
Mrs. Kent gave testimony that woman
suffrage, though only a year and hair
old, in California has worked well. She
said:
Equal suffrage has worked in Call
fornia. and has worked welfare to the
state ] am not going to point 10 any
wonderful achievements, but l want 10
tell you how the women are taxing TINS
new responsibility.
Some of the subjects that arc particu-
larly engaging the attention OF California
women are a motherhood pension Dill,
consideration of dependent children and
the minimum wage law for women. 1t
would seem self-evident that such ques-
lions should not be decided without the.
women's vote.
.If the gift Of the voting privilege has
disrupted any homes. there has been no
evidence produced. Our California men
are proud to vote with their mothers and
wives.
''Without standing for prohibition. the
women are standing against the forced
extension of the liquor traffic, against
that vicious practice of creating demand
by forcing supply.
Argument of Mrs. La Toilette.
Mrs. La Toilette argued in favor Of the
constitutional amendment for woman suf-
frage on the ground that woman would
be better able to take care of her home
If she had political power and knowledge
OF the political and economic questions
before the country. She said:
Ten years ago the probability of Sc
curing amendments to the Constitution
for the income tax and the popular cleo
ton OF United States senators was not
as great as is the probability today of
securing the amendment now under con-
sideration.
MY basic reason for believing in equal
suffrage is that 1t will make better
homes. The home is the foundation of
society. Government exists for society.
In national affairs / cannot think OF
an important piece of legislation that has
occupied the attention of Congress in the
last twenty-five years that does not af-
feet women equally with men. Women
have directed their indirect influence
through their clubs and various other
organizations, to the pure food law, con-
servation of national forests, preservation
of Niagara. the childrens bureau and
child labor.
This indicates how women's direct
vote will supplement the work of men
and make government more regardful of
the general human welfare. But women
should also have knowledge and an in
terest in the great economic questions.
Women do the buying. Ninety per cent
of the ten billion dollars paid out an
nually in the United States for food,
clothing and shelter Is spent by women.
When We purchase a gallon of oil,
pound of sugar or a yard of cloth We are
up against an economic problem just the
same as when those subjects are under
consideration by you in the Senate"
Effort Made in House.
Senator Shafroth of Colorado referred
to the fact that while he was in the
House he had introduced a resolution
time and again for this constitutional
amendment. and had fought hard to get
1T reported out of committee by the
House judiciary committee.
If women had had the vote, and
could have gone with me to the COM
mittee. members would have fallen over
themselves in an effort to get the resolu-
ton reported to the House." said SEN
ator Shafroth.
He declared that I'm the final analysis
everything came down to the franchise
timately connected with the women
getting higher wages, and If for no other
reason than that he would support the
proposition. Senator Shafroth spoke of
the howl that went up through the coun-
try when story was printed that a
woman had been implicated in a political
scandal In one of the suffrage states.
Yet" said Senator Shafroth. "a little
the fact that ten men were implicated
in the same crime, and that they had
used the woman as a scapeg0at. And
no comment was made because the men
had fallen.
Says Suffrage Is Demanded.
Representative Bryan of Washington
said the country is evolving toward real
peoples rule. and that woman suffrage
was necessarily demanded In this evolu-
ton. *
The great demand all over the coun-
try is light. he said. the light Of truth
to dispel ignorance, and the agitation for
woman suffrage is a natural demand"
He declared that government in cities
and states would not have fallen down.
as 1t has in some instances if the people,
including the women, had had all the
facts before them.
There is no man who will say that
woman does not stand for the moral up
lift" said Mr.. Bryan.
In Seattle. he said, the matter Of Wheth-
er women can AID In Detter1ng the moral
tone has been tried out and IL immo-
rality was found in the city government
the women would have out a petition for
the recall of officials within an hour
If the women of the District of CO.
lLmbia had the vote. do you suppose that
they would permit men only shows to
be given here?" asked Mr. BRYAN yet
two shows for men only so corrupt and
SO filthy. are given on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. today that women are not permitted
to attend them.
Speaks for Women Of South.
Mrs. p. p. Claxton. wife of the United
States commissioner OF education, spoke
for the women of the south
Il do not pretend to speak for all the
women OF the south. but some OF the best
class OF women in the south are today for
suffrage. Women OF the southern states
showed half century ago that they were
htted for the vote. They took up the
burdens after the civil war, made homes
for their children, supported husbands
who had been wounded in the war
Mrs. Claxton spoke Of the work being
done by the women OF the south to wipe
out tuberculosis. the white slave traffic
and to bring about other reforms
Women do not want to fight men,"
said Mrs. Claxton. They want to walk
hand in hand with them. We do not
wish to adopt militant tactics to gain our
ends we merely wish to cooperate
with <he men,"