Barton County democrat., 1914-09-11

suffrage should be extended t0l
every free man.
1t found another law under
which q man must own property |
before he could hold office. The
Democratic party repealed that |
law and declared that any man
who can persuade his neighborS
10 elect him shall have the right !
to hold office.
1t must not be supposed that
these things have come without a
struggle. The law of primogeni-
lure was repealed al the end of a
struggle; the right to hold office
was extended at the end of a Strug-
gle. Every step on the road to
personal liberty has been contest.
ed, tut so far as personal liberty
is concerned, The battle between
equality and special privilege has
been won. 1t has been won by
equality; but no sooner had the
spirit Of democracy won the bat.
tie for equality than tile spirit of
privilege, the same old spirit,
transferred the fight to indus
trial affairs, and during your life
time and my lifetime the contest
has been conducted in the field
of the industries.
Considering the time at my dis.
posal and your familiarity with
the subject, | must pass our indus
trial struggles and devote myself
to the part that woman has taken
in the great struggle for equality.
The changes | have pointed out
in the status of men have been no
more fundamental than The
changes that Rave taken place in
the status of women.
Before the Revolution the wo-
men were divided into classes in
every way as the men were divid-
ed into classes. 1t was supposed
that the Lord Himself, had design
ed one class of women for the par
ior and another class FORTH kitch
en-. There was no middle ground.
A woman could not work and be
a lady. She was forced into a
class.
With this division and with
these characteristics our mothers
went into the Revolution to min
gle their tears with the blood of
their brothers. They did their
part and when they came out, they
were carrying in their boSoms the
spirit of rs, the spirit of democ-
racy, the spirit of equality. As
they rubbed their eyes and looked
about, they saw the drawing of a
new light. They heard from ev-
cry stump that a man is entitled
to an equal chance with every
other man and they began to won
der by what justice a woman
should be denied the rights and
the privileges for which her bro
theirs we're so willing to struggle.
She saw her brothers entering a
new life with new opportunities,
new hOnorS and new freedom.
and, sustained by the new spirit,
she demanded that she should be
made a part of the new order. II
was no longer an answer to her
that from time immemorial there
had been a woman'S sphere and a
mans sphere. While her brother
occupied his old uninterestinc
sphere, while he was without the
right to inherit or hold office, she
was content 10 occupy her old un-
interesting sphere; but when she
saw her brother entering a new
and better sphere, she demanded
the right to enter it upon an equal
ity with him.
She had learned the language of
equality. and, almost before the
sound of the last cannon had ceas.
ed. she began TO speak that Ian.
guage.
She directed her assault against
a law, ancient as civilization,
which prohibited a married wo-
: man from holding property in
her own name. She demanded its
repeal and it was repealed. An
other law provided that her wages
should belong to her husband
She demanded that this law be re.
pealed and it was repealed.
: When she came to marry, she
found a contract under which she
must promise to make her hus
band her master. She cried out
against this contract and it wa.
chonood