Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-13
Woman's Responsibility.

The woman suffragists of New York
won without firing gun. Their
spectacular march on Albany was all
for nothing. The legislature. like
Captain SCOTS coon, said: Don't
shoot I'll come down." Woman
suffrage is coming. The movement is
gaining strength and impetus with
every hour. Soon the states will be
tumbling over each other to extend
the franchise to women.
Now, with the goal in sight. is the
ready to better fit
herself to assume the responsibilities
OF goveffnent- making than is the
average man?
Pictorial Review for February has a
splendid article on the way the wo-
men of some communities go card
crazy" and adds:
1.-The man who makes card playing an
obsession in his life is bad enough; but
what about the woman who is doing this.
She is too busy playing cards to bear
children, to manage her home, TO do her
marketing or to take any interest IN the
phases of city government which affect
the cost of living, the cleanliness of the
food delivered at her door, the condition
of the public schools attended by the
children Observation-Disclosures has
already borne. There is little room in
her mind for thoughts of social or poll
teal progress, the rights-and wrongs
of her wage-earning sisters; the enslave-
ment of little children in factories. mills
or fields: nor her duty to her fellow
citizens
This woman's paper justifies its
criticism by recounting actual condi-
| lions described by one of its well
known contributors. OF one of these
The situation seemed to invite fnvesti-
| cation. The speaker made it. not because
she was Inundated by a small audience
| but because il is part of her duty as a
writer for women to know what women
Fare interested in-whatever the size of
the city or town. She found three strata
| of society, each of which had its in
Vulnerable circles of card players many
| bridge and 800, differing ony in social i'm
| portance of the players and the size of
the prizes offered. There were II bridge
lunch clubs, meeting weekly at the
| cheon, followed by card playing until
$50 or g. There We're over 80 other card
organizations, some meeting once week
and two meeting twice week. all chron-
evening organizations to which both men
and women belonged, and half the social
events were card games.
| On the other hand, the various culture
clubs for women, which three years ago
played an important part in the civic life
of the community, are langushing to
such an extent that their demise is close
! at hand The Mother Club" connected
with the kindergartens of the public
school are attended only by the women OF
the. very poor class. The various church
societies commonly run by women are
in state of pathetic inactivity. The one
\ organization of this sort which shows
any sign of life is connected with very
liberal church which permits the giving
| of euchres with prizes as a means of
raising money And in this town the
schools are run by politicians. the mar
ket and diaries are unsanitary, the bak-
cries are disgraceful. There are no play
| grounds for children, no medical inspec-
| ton in the public school, not one sign OF
| the civic improvement for which the
/ progressive women are supposed to be re-
lsponslble!
4 ~ We are, confident that the RESPONSE
bilities of the franchise will prove an
intellectual uplift to womanhood as a
| Whole. And We are just as confident
that as the better elements of wo-
4 manhood rise TO the occasions-as
woman always does-the moral effect
will be felt upon our manhood, our
country and the world. Some com
munities may go card crazy" when
times are dull and unnteresting and
| thoughtless fail to observe the dan
ger. AS the above quoted says:
. Playing cards for amusement is d
good idea, but playing cards as the one
/ great prime object in life is quite an.
| other proposition. And this is What
| age woman is very much shocked if YO'
accuse her of gambling. She does moi
| play bridge for so much point, she eX
| plains with fine air of virtue. That il
gambling and very, very wrong. She ant
her fellow club members, say II or 16 il
| all, merely pay dues so cents or $40
game, the very significant sum of $500 oil
$500 goes to the player having the high
est score! 1t is easier to do this than t,
buy useless prizes. But, understand, tina
| If this womans husband should win o
lose the same amount at his club or at
local gambling house at poker, he woult
be called a gambler, and a wicked
wicked person!
The subject Of recent editorial by
Herbert kaufman, editor of Woman's
World, was Your Chance Has Come
Take It," And in that editorial
which was aimed at humanity in gen.
eral, he Demonstrate some o.
these wonderful gifts of which yot
have boosted. Quit talking am
climb"
Woman's opportunity is at the very
door. The manner in which sh,
refute the claims OF those men Wit
have believed in her capacity for gov
eminent making and the high moralit,
which she would bring to the fran
chise.