The Washington times., 1914-11-03

the failure of these women at the
ballot box depends largely upon
whether the men voters will deem 1t
wise to Use the experience Of the
women for the good Of the state
and support the women at the polls,
which will mean that the male voters
will have to split their tickets. She
explains the growing interest among
women in things political as a grad
ual moving up In the ranks of the
generally know the things which
should be done and the way Of ac-
complishing them, and adds:
I'VE have been collecting expert
ence for years. and this experience
We are ready to place at the service
Of the state. Good government de-
mands our help. for government is
the machinery that must do for US
that which we cannot do for our
selves. One thing the women want.
to do Is to improve living conditions.
There has been much progress In the
last twenty years, and there will be
e. greater measure Of progress in the
next twenty. The experience Of
women Is unlike that Of men be-
cause it has been along special lines.
On all social questions women are
more expert than men,
Women's Part In Convention.
Concerning the constitutional con-
vention and the part the women
delegates may play in it, she de-
clares:
1.-THE selection Of the proper dele
gates to the convention" she said,
rs of more Importance than the
election of a governor for a COVER
nor's term is only two years, while
the new constitution is for twenty
deal more about the constitution
than many men give them credit for.
We all know for instance now a
constitution can tie UP legislature.
So we do not believe that a con-
stitution should try to legislate, but
that 1t should be open and free
enough to permit the passing of
suitable legislation whenever ,neces-
sary. The constitution should not
be a bill of particulars.
1T should be firm enough and
board enough for men to walk about
upon 1t and not Of so restricted a
character as to hamper their move
ments. To build just the right kind
of a constitution Is a most delicate
and important work and / doubt
whether men realize this as deeply
that some things are uneonstitu-
t;onal and that certain things. that
a good many of US think ought to
be done. cannot be done because of
constitutional restrictions. There is
much talk about women in public
life. don't mean those who work
in public offices for their living, but
those who are trying to learn just
what public life means and how the
interests of all of Us are bound UP in
it. Take a dozen women In a wom-
ems convention and ask them II they
have read the constitution of the
State and Of the United States and
I'll wager that more hands will go
up than will show If the same ques-
ton Is put to a dozen men picked at
random from a political convention
run by men.
TT is the nature of a woman to
help, to love, and to shielA. and the
more women who take an interest in
public concerns the better it will be
. for all Of us. There are some men
who thoroughly understand this, and
these men are lending a hand to our
cause. Every right-thinking man
who knows about women knows very
well that where a woman Is in
charge of the poor and helpless. in
that place there Is less suffering than
if a man were in charge"