The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-04-21
The Suffrage Movement

from the Samson, Ala, Advertiser
| the following paper on woman suf-
| frage that was written and read by
Mrs. George E. Roberts, wife of a
son of Mr.. and Mrs. j. B. Roberts
| " Dawson, at a recent club meeting
in the former town:
For years our public halls and
auditoriums have resounded with the
question: Shall women be given
! the ballot?' Many are under the i'm
! preston that England and America
are alone in the agitation of this
question, but not so. 1t is a matter
that is commanding the attention of
the whole civilized world. There are
suffrage organizations now in twenty
two different countries.
The women of New Zealand and
Australia possess all the political
rights of the men. The women of
FINLAND have equal rights with men,
and since 1906 twenty-five have serV-
ed in parliament. In Norway, SWe-
den, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince
Edward Isle, Quebec, Burma, British
India, Austria-Hungary, Java and
Siam women have the municipal bal
lot. In England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales women vote in all cleo
tons except for members OF parlia-
ment. Even China stands pledged
to woman suffrage. France is inVes-
tigating the question and has recon-
mended that it be granted as rapidly
as may be deemed feasible. Yet our
country boasts that she has the lead
in matters of civilization. Still she
is absolutely Indifferent when it
comes to question that is to mark
a new era in the history of the civil
lied world. Is she to let some COun-
try that has been in the background
for centuries take the lead in this
all-important question? We hope not.
Still it seems so, when We consider
the fact that the number of women
who are asking for votes in this
country is larger than the number
of men who have ever asked for
anything in the entire history and
that more and larger petitions ask
ing for votes for women, have been
sent to legislative bodies than for
any other measure. Yet we have
complete suffrage in only ten states.
However, the suffrage organizations
have increased tWo-fold within the
last year. Lively SLLtC 10 VI 5cAIANCO
now except South Carolina. Our
most intelligent men have come to
our side, so we think it only mat
ter of a few years before we will be
our husbands political
equals. Statistics show that where
women have the ballot they have
used it in larger numbers, frequent
ly. than the men. They always vote
on the moral side and according to
regardless of party.
While. on the other hand, a large
per cent of men are utterly lndlner-
ent to their right to vote-sOme not
voting at all, while others vote &C
cording to what the machine men
say and pay. Moreover, where wo-
men vote the vote of the men is
steadily rising.
MANY consider the suffrage ques-
ton practically new, but | find from
an investigation of facts that our
Observation-Disclosures were just as anx-
ious, if not quite so persistent, as we
to have their rights recognized. The
seeds of suffrage were sOwn when
our fOrefathers. and mothers came
over to America-the wilderness-to
make homes for themselves. Then
there was no law except to defend
and preserve the law. In this the
women helped to make and execute
the law. They stood by their hus-
bands and shared equally with them
the dangers, the trials, and the hard
ships of those pregnant days, and in
order that the man might have the
full help of the woman he placed the
musket in her hand that she might
assist him in defending the home.
And when he gave her the musket
it was not with any fear that she
would not know how to use it. In
those days when the home was in its
worst stage men were glad of Wo-
mems judgment, but after they had
helped the men win independence
the shame of man begins. These
men. all of whom would have read
ily admitted that without woman's
help they would never have gained
framed a constitution
DISTINGUISHING women. Before the
war the cry of the men had been
taxation without representation.
Now the women raise the same cry,
and the struggle for their rights has
gone on ever since. 1t was, however,