The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-29
WOMAN should Be
DISCONTINUED IN
NOT HAVING BALLOT
Mrs. Hundley Replies to Re-
cent Editorial Appearing
in The Age-Herald
CONFINEMENT is
AGAINST PROGRESS
Says Suffrage Does Not Propose to
Interfere With Womans Con-
tentment With Home and
Domestic Duties

DOhOotft DSbhNo
Declaring that recent editorial of
The Herald was characterized by
astonishing perversion.' Mrs. Oscar
r. Hundley comes to the defense Of
those who have declared warefare
against the contented woman"
Mrs. Hundley, who is president of the
local organization of the general or
ganization having for its aim the secur-
ing of the ballot for the gentler element
of society, states in effect that the suf-
fragists are not striving to make "the
contented woman discontented with
her home, and husband and children,
and home duties, and church duties and
community duties, but to make her
dissatisfied in that she cannot visit the
polls and cast a ballot.
The president of the local branch OF
the general organization admits be-
lief that the average contented woman
is intelligent but declares her convie-
tion that should she persevere in vino
ible ignorance of her civic duties She
would not be making use of the tai
ent given her."
The communication of the suffrasist
leader, addressed to the editor of The
Age Herald follows:
Mrs. Hundley's Statement
'In your editorial of June 27. under
caption of The Contented Woman, you
have segregated with astonishing per-
version, one expression employed by
| those enlisted in the campaign for equal
suffrage, in Alabama. You have infused
into that expression thought to
which the adherents of the equal suf-
| frage cause in their effort for the bet
terment of humanity, never gave birth.
Being loath to believe that it was
your intention to misrepresent this
great cause, which has for its purpose
not only political, but equal justice for
| all the people of our land, | submit the
| following:
when we say that the merely con
| tented woman is one of the gravest OBJ
stacies in our struggle for equal suf-
| frage, we are just as sure of it as we
are that SNUG contentment over any
existing condition, no matter what its
| tenor, is deadly to the progress, adj
vancement and happiness of the nation
| When we say this, however, we have
| as all unbiased people will realize, no
reference to woman's contentment in
| a well ordered, happy home. with her
| husband and children, for that is not
what we are striving to make her dis
contented with On the other hand WI
want all women to Le sure, if possible
| to maintain a well ordered, healthy
| happy home, but we know that in the
present struggle going on in our coun-
| try, between fraud, avarice and vio-
| lence on the one hand and life, liberty
and justice on the other the material
istic phase is solved by the male vote
| The country needs no less, in the affairs
of her government the infusion ol
| idealism of humanism, which woman
| the natural and essential conservator OF
human life, charged with the conserv-
ing of the human race can give.
The Children Phase
as it not in harmony with politica
and natural justice to accord to he!
| the right to say what laws shall assist
| her in governing the morals and health
of the children entrusted to her care
| Should she not be uscontented witt
such laws, when they affect the cleanli-
ness of her house. the wholesomeness
of her food, and other dangers arising
|
has no control? But what we do want
the contented woman to become diseon-
| tented with is the condition Whicl
gives to the 100000 working womel
no ballot to regulate the conditions un
der which they work; to the housekeep-
| ers no ballot to regulate the sanitary
conditions under which their familie.
must live; to mothers, no voice to reg
ulate the moral conditions under which
| their children CT a brought IL
teachers no direct influence in the man
agement of public schools; to business
women no chance to secure fair op.
portunity in their business to tax pay
ing women no ballot to protect theil
property and finally, with the presen
general plan which makes woman
equally concerned with man in goot
and bad government, equally respons-
ible for civic righteousness, yet with
holds from her the means of helping
to build better and juster govern
ment, which she unquestionably would
do by fulfilling her civic duties.
Incident of the Horse
Regarding your reference to thu
young English woman who threw her
self in front of the Kings horse ans
your fear that her example may b'
emulated in this country, | would re
mind you that even in England, from
| whence comes thick and East storfe.
| of militantism. that for every woman
who has in desperation taken 10 vio
| lence to secure votes for wonlcr there
are at least zoos English suffrasis st:
prrsuing a per'"atly pcaeefll course
rs a town of 2J00 Inhabitants with ;
record of only one case in it's police cour
would be considered a model, ought 10
a reform movement with an equally snal
percentage OF violations to win the ad
miration and approval of the world?
Il have personally no misgiving a:
| to the high order of intellisence of thu
particular 'contented woman whom yot
defend, but should she remain in vine
| ible ignorance as to her civic duties