The Washington herald., 1914-03-01
Women Answer, why I'm Suffragist
LEADERS IN FEMINIST MOVEMENT MAKE CONFESSION
Ask for Human Justice and Equality

I were shut OF by law from participation
in their country's affairs.
when grew older and learned how
women work In the world, under what
conditions and for what scanty wage,
saw, their need Of an influence that
would draw~them into public life and
help them work together for better liv-
ing conditions.
For short time I took care of an or
dinary American home. and-eve since
then i have been marvelling why a class
which gives such heroic service to the
community as the maker of the home
does, should be denied the rights OF a
citizen.
Every day reveals new reasons why
woman should gain greater Individual
and social strength"
Katherine @. Hopkins.
BY Katherine c.. Hopkins:
Il am suffragist primarily because
1 am enlightened. Before my awakening
was Indifferent In my ignorance to the
great cause of human fairness, and to
the selfish and often questionable motives
Of opposition directed against woman's
voice. vote and influence / had no con-
ception Of the unhappy conditions OF the
working women and girls OF our, land,
struggling under the hard yoke of man.
made laws. or OF the injustices and sell
fshness which industry has placed upon
one-half of our nations citizenship
Equal franchise Is not only funda-
mentally just and honest. but. In addi-
ton, conforms to the most rudimentary
laws of common sense. upon which all
true structures are built. unless We are
willing to acknowledge fully that the
average man engaged in politics is in
every way. morally, spiritually. and in
tellectuaily. superior to woman.
In my opinion II is full high time that
great improvements should be wrought
In the government of the human family.
and IL should not be necessary for me to
enumerate- In this brief expression OF
opinion the scores Of evils which man
today countenances with indifference, and
which experience. with the ever-increas-
ing sphere OF woman's Industrial and
professional activities in nearly every
walk in life. fits her admirably to think
and act upon an equal moral and in
tellectual footing with man for the well
fare Of the nation"
DIR. Corn smith King.
BY DR.. Cora Smith King:
II am a suffragist because l am a
voter, my precinct being No. 1s9 in the
city of Seattle, Wash. The word 'suf-
frage' means a vote, and the real suf-
100000 women voters in our ten States
and one territory where women are en-
franchised and the good work done by
these women voters would be the best
possible argument to make a suffragist
of me, IL I were not one already. The
National Council Of Women Voters. OF
which / am treasurer. Is about to put
out a leahet on the results of equal
suffrage up to date, which We think
will be full OF convincing material to
hand to those not already favorable to
the movement"
Nine f. AlIendar.
BY Nina z. Allendar:
AT an open-air suffrage meeting in
Cincinnati a speaker was interrupted by
a man who cried: What do you want
the vote for?-why don't you go home
and mind your own business
The speaker answered promptly, Il
want the vote so / can go home and
mind my own business. My home is my
business-but you have mixed 1t up so
with politics that there Is nothing I can
do without the political tool-the vote
Every woman who has tried to face
the world in a practical way comes TO
the same point, sooner or later-the
blank wall of political discrimination.
All industrial roads lead TO but one So
freedom.
Stronger than anything else. how
ever. is the overwhelming desire for per-
sonal freedom-to be able TO think and
a communicate speak as one having
authority rather than one receiving IA
vor from a privileged class"
i