The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-09-18

/
our population increased, men found
that they could no longer stand around
their chief and vote yes or no
upon questions of common interest;
that they must devise some easy, quick
and direct way of running the govern
ment. They in their wisdom evolved
the ballot-a piece of paper upon which
is their written opinion. The ballot in
this year 1913, is our social weapon, our
symbol or means of group activity.
/ Voting by ballot is an easy, quick and
direct way of doing business; for with
/ our millions of population in the United
States the work can be done in one day
the first Tuesday after the first Mon
day IN November. Women found, too,
that they must evolve a method for
maintaining group action. 1t is possible
that we might evolve one different that
used by men; but since we all live in the
same communities, under the same laws.
under the same conditions, it seems
more businesslike and more practicable
for US to use the same weapon, the
ballot; for there is indeed many ques-
tions upon which we need not only the
unity of action among women, but
among men and women as we'll
The votes for women movement then,
is not the hYsterical cry of a few
women who want what society has with
held up to the present; but is a move
ment based upon the facts: CD that
women has acquired pro 0ertY; (2) that
we have taught little girls to read and
write; tand (3) the necessity for group
activity.
There are three groups of women who
will be greatly affected by the vote.
l. The Leisure Woman. The leisure
woman is usually very well educated.
The State spends thousands of dollars
upon the education of its citizens. |
will admit it might spend much more.
1t spends much upon the education of
its women The State should want to
get the greatest amount in return for
its investment. If it says to its women:
1--WE will educate you; but you must
sit within tour walls. You may cook
or sew for US, minister to our material
needs. But nothing else. " If it says
this, it is wasting its money; for in this
year 1913 the only way we can serve
the State is by being a citizen, with the
duties of a citizen; and this is possible
only when we hold the ballot The
leisure woman has property, upon which
she must pay taxes. In l776 the Colon
lists fired the shot that was heard round
the world to take this MASSAGE: that
taxation without representation is
tyranny, they said, for men: but sure
ly. ii it is tyranny for men, it is tyranny
for women also. This tax money Is
spent in the maintaining of roads,
streets, water supply, gas supply, all
the departments of.state, and last, but
by no means least, in the salaries of
officials to take care of the departments
of State. If women gives this money
in the payment of taxes. then it is only
fair that they shall have a voice as to
how the money shall be spent.
,. The Woman IN the Home. Anti
sutfraglsts say, that woman $ place is
in the home We say it a little differ
emily: Woman's place Is the home:
and wherever the home interests are,
there her interests lie. Review the life
of any one of your children. Approx
mately one-third is spent.in the home.
During that time it is fast asleep. or
YOU are performing the unromantic task
of washing a dirty face or putting on
clean dress; and it takes neither brains
nor moral acumen to do that APPROX
mately one-third of It's time is spent in
church, in school, or IN the educational
departments of the state, run by men,
who are elected by men. The remain
ing one third is spent by the child on
the street, on the playground, on the
country road to and from school, or in
the various recreahonal departments of
the community, run by men, elected by
men, or at least responsible to men
officials. If the mother S primary work
is her home and children, surely her
voice must be heard in the life of the
home; and this is possible only if she
uses the ballot.
5. The Woman who Works. Mary
land is not consciously state of work
ing women, although 90, 00O women work
outside their homes; 80, 900 of these are
found in Baltimore City; leaving SO, 600
to be found in the rural communities
and county towns. The group of work
ing women is by far the largest and
most important group; for it comprises
probably % per cent. of our Maryland
women. Here too, we have the idea
that the generosity, chivalry, and cour
tesy of Maryland men is enough to pro-
tect the women who work. And tell
you it is not true. Itused TO be that the
employer knew all his employees their
economic condition. their families, etc.
Now even in the smaller towns, HagerS
town, Easton, Salisbury, we have from
fifty to three hundred workers grouped;
until in the cities, we have several
thousand under one roof. 1t is impossi-
BILE for an employer to know his en-
ployees. They are known to him only
by their number on the pay roll. They
may be men, women or children. Only
too frequently they are children; for
10, 900 children are among the wage
earners IN our State. Industry is one
of the greatest Jewelers. that we have.
This equality is indicated by the number
of industrial accidents among our
women. During a coniiagratiOn, or
after a mine explosion. the bodies of
women are found with the bodies of
men. The fact that they are women
makes them more liable to industrial
accidents. The long hair gets caught
in the belts overhead, if they are not
protected; the skirts get caught in the
wheels of machinery, if they are not
protected Women face the same CON
ditlons that men do, and need equal
protection. You may think that over
emphasize the matter of accidents. In
+ two years in this great nation of ours,
as many people are killed by preventible
industrial accidents as were killed dur
ing the entire Civil war.
The following six industries lead all
others in Maryland in the employment
of women: Clothing, canning, tobacco,
straw hats, hats and caps, candy and
confectionery. The wage scale in the
straw hat industry averages S5.25 per
week, the highest average per week
in any of the SIX named. When the
highest average in one of our greatest
industries is only SIS. Is per week, surely
it is time to stop talking about the
/ crIOriaS Of ON. Ynopufa c+tr;pu intaracfc