Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-03-06

equal suffrage" please read this article
and then ..give reason for the faith
that,is in them. "-EDITOR.
If were a woman in 1918 would
tgive my first and best effort to this
thought, that politics is nothing more
nor less than public housekeeping
mere expression of the common will in
matters that pertain to the common
good.
Politics is not dirty game" in it
self, but has been made so by public
enemies, thieves, and traitors, and, to
protect themselves in their pillage and
corruption. they point warning and inn
ploring fingers at their own CRIME when
honest folk approach. Oaly less amaz
ing that this dodge is the fact that the
great majority are warned away and
perpetuate their despairs and rebellions
by refusing to take an active, intelli-
gent interest in the administration of
the peoples business
If pitch were spilled on parlor
floor, would you quit the house? If the
cook got drunk, dishonest, or inef
fcient, would you refuse to interfere?
l would ask myself the question,
"What, when and why is Home?"
A economic earthquake has shaken
the "od home" to pieces The found
atoms are crumbled, the walls are
spread, and the winds of the world
blow through To-day ten millions of
women and children are compelled to,
work that thy may live-not alone -
the pleasant professions and occu
pations, but in store, mill, factory, and
sweatshop.
Not alone in his regard, but in many
others, the home has lost It's feudai or
| antebellum atmosphere. The nation,
the state, the municipality -these three
have stepped in, assumed practical con-
| troll Of the family in its most intimate
relations-and are over-parents.
Compulsory education laws tell when
children shall go to school, how long
they shall be studied; pure food acts
prescribe what may and may not be
eaten in the home; building regulations
even dictate the character and COM
position of houses; there are laws that
specify the age at which boys and girls
may go to work, also the number of
hours of employment for men and
women each day. and the conditions
under which labor m v be carried on;
| franchise ordinances fix the prices to be
paid for such imperative necessities as
gas, water, electricity. and street CIR
service; health laws, truancy laws.
juvenile courts parental delinquency
laws, laws establishing the age of con-
sent for girls-all assume authorities
that were formerly parental; the tariff
establishes the price Of food. clothing,
and building materials; municipal or
dinances control gambling, liquor traf-
fic, and social evil, and so forth.
How then can woman look after her
own home and children except through
the law, and how can the law he con-
trolled except through politics?
| If were a woman in 1913 these two
fundamental things-the real meaning
Of politics, and conception of govern
| ment as an over-parent-are what4
would consider primarily and resolve
upon understanding For modern
woman to say: II have no place in
| politics, y is as though she said: In
name only will ! fulfill the functions of
wife, mother, sister, or communal
entity.
We have equal suffrage in Colorado,
and it is to to this that we owe many
of the fine, humane laws now on our
statute books for the protection of the
home and the people within that home
/ And if IWere woman in 19l2-living
in other than an equal suffrage State
Il would send for list of these Col
orado laws. All of them, when consider
ed will be seen to have had their iDcep-
ton in the tenderness and humanities of
motherhood woman's keener percepti-
vities with regard toinjustices, Unequal
tiles, and helplessness.
The International Parliamentary
Union-a worldwide organization OF
expert sociologists-has declared that
Colorado possesses the most humane,
most progressive, most scientific laws
for the protection of women and chill.
4 dren of any State or country.
i Had the women accepted the asser
| ltion that politics is dirty game
this verdict would not have been won
, nor would all these splendid safeguard!
have been thrown about the home. thu
, young, the weak and the helpless.
Having secured to myself concep
ton of politics as over-parentage-
still speaking as though were a wo
! man in 1921 would then address my
i self to an investigation and eonsidera
ton of the laws that fix my prices
rear my children and establish the en-
: vironment for my home. Are the,
: wise LAVISH Can they be improved
Are they honestly and justly admins
J, tered?
i The tariff and the trusts. like man
: other political questions. size down t
{ moral issues when put under the glass
e They are, in their essence. nothin
e more than claims that the strong sha
0 have the right to pillage the weak
: that extortion is legal and that re-
: sonable profits are only to be Unite
{ By Tie p0eksthc6k Of the eennunlur.