The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-06

lance tramping, parades, n talking?
Has man committed some special act
!! within the last so ears or so, that
women are all wrought up and work
ing s~trenuously for a new weapon
suffrage-to use in defense of his
| wick edness? or is this weapon for
use onlv against men? Perhaps we
shall use it amongst ourselves, some
times.
Women are awakening it is said.
From what to what are they aWak-
ening? ITO the fact" we are told,
that they have been mans slave for
ages" Nonsense! But if women
have been asleep, do you believe men
have been wide awake and cunningly,
secretively conscious of owning
slaves? I do not. Every woman is
the equal of some man, the superior
Of one and the inferior of another.
What is equality, anyway? How are
we to know, until we have established
an exact standard of goodness and in
telligence and taken a census of these
attributes in men and women.
In the slow process of evolution,
there comes a time when its work
ings in the subjective are manifested
in the objective, and then we take
note of a change on the face of
things. This seems to be the case
now, we say we have reached an
epoch, many are calling it woman s
era" To me, it seems, that both men
and women are coming into a new
state and everywhere, the adjustment
or nc tn tho change lS evident
through what we call reform and
new laws are coincident with the re-
forms. Don't call them contemptu-
ously "man-made laws why ISM
their origin as good as couheess
other 'man-made" things, which we
DO not despiseD Amongst he new
laws will be- some, as amongst lhe
old, OF especial benefit to women
these whether women vote or not
There are a great number OF men
deeply interested in the progress Oh
mankind Onward n upward, II
they fail in their effort to raise the
ideals of government, it must be be-
cause they cannot Influence enough
men to vote their way and they nave
lust one vote apiece, you know. II
each woman has just one vote, 40 you
think she can raise the ideals quick
err? do not believe that suffrage for
women Is the one instrument, through
which a perfect civilization or gov
m shall be realized. some APP
pear to believe that suffrage is the
one need of women, which If filled,
will meet all or nearly all, other needs
and lift most of her burdens; espe-
cially, of the working m on
whom legislation falls SO heavily,
I am a working woman and have
carried the burden of, years OF dls-
cretion'' long enough to have felt the
weight of responsibility, yet legisla-
ton has never fallen disastrously
upon me. For a number of years my
work brought me into close cohlact
with many working women.
I have worked for both men and
women, whom / found equally capable
in their various positions. | have
ov ned real estate, had a bank account
Travelled frequently for long distances
and transacted any and all business
necessary to my welfare and pleasure
without hindrance ora vote q
could have gone, safely, to the theatef
alone, but ever a vote couldn't m
duce me to do that. During TINS TIME
| have boarded in hotels, boarding
houses and restaurants, where women
were employed as maids n walt
resses. | think | have had opportunity
TO observe women and conditions. and
| conclude that many of these Women
--- t., -n,l of Cnnaa THINGS
but not a vote. Many of them KNEW
what they wanted" Yes, but VIA
did they want?
Women are asking for suffrage, be-
cause a vote will help then accom-
tlish SO much more, yet in the same
breath they ask or demand II because
they are now doing and accomplishing
SO much that men do. But with ms
one vote he isn't so far ahead. When
he expresses an opinion, if he believes
strongly in it, he is almost sure OF Il
following and this is important, Wom-
an Is free to express her opinions and
has the right of petition.
Man seelns to have other al
vantages which he has not deliber-
ately planned for His occupations
generally bring him into contact Wlte
more persons and though he may have
no more diversions in his work than
domestic woman they are frequently
pleasanter and lend to take his mind
from himself and his worries n
broaden his outlook. If woman with
a home and children does all that is
necessary to make a house a home.
care for and guide her children, she
has a powerfully big business and II
she must do all without help, she has
lit,le time for reading, studying. WIS.,
stiug or a daily walk; while men get
mu,n of this in connection with their
work, AS a rule he walks to his place
of pusiness-a good outing-and more
often than not enjoys a chat on the
wav. with no time wasted-the walk
Is mart of his business. But whose
fault il all of this? Mans? Ridicu-
lous. Man is as much affected by
circumstances or fate as woman; he
has not ordered this lot for her. Our
positions are the result, perhaps, OF
various immediate causes, but they IN
turn rest solidly on a primal cause
a law in nature. votes cannot eradl-
r a ITO thic