The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-10-01
ADVANTAGES OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE. !.
An interesting Paper BY Mrs. j. W. Long, Read Before
the Women's Federated Clubs Of Leon, on Friday,
September Is, 1914.

fell that she is not only the best
State Supt., but the best state off1-
cial Colorado ever had. 1t has also
been repeatedly said that even the
poorest women legislators were SUI
perior to the average male mem
bers.
10 women have sat in the Legis-
lature in the past 20 years. In 1912
.43 out of 81 country superintendent
were women. More than 500 WO-
men serve on school boards, in 1911
63 women exclusive of those serving
on school boards were elected to the
offices of power and responsibility.
Practically every one of these women
brought to her Office degree of de-
votion and zeal for improvement. To
the women of Colorado is given the
honor of the enactment OF some or
the best laws in existence. They are
laws to make the world a better
place to live in.
In very many of our states good
women are interested in progressive
legislation. Some of us are inclined
to say What is the use after all.
Woman suffrage may result in adj
vanced legislation; but where is the
gain after all?
AS men and women become more
nearly equal, as society's view point
widens and justice is therefore more
nearly Appropriated in human lnstl-
buttons, the gain can be figured in
dollars and cents.
The U. S. Census report for 1900
showed that in the four states where
equal suffrage then existed the av-
erage earnings of men We're greater
than in any other commonwealth in
the union; and that in Colorado the
most advanced state of the the
average earnings were highest.
Men Women
Average whole
U. S.. $513.O6 $4,000
Utah .S563.3S $254.S0
Idaho .$6O3.41 $3O7.SO
Wyoming ..$62S.16 $3O3.S3
Colorado ...$63S.63 $S54.55
These figures if they mean any
thing, mean that woman's advance
toward economic and political
equality with man, instead OF hurt
ing directly helps man. They mean
that men have less and less to COM
pete with low standard of wages,
and the inevitable result of this will
be to increase rather than decrease
mems earnings.
In Idaho the women carry on their
political efforts largely through their
federated clubs of which there are
about SO in the state. In the state
of Washington it is said of the
women that they paid no attention
to newspapers, to campaign litera-
ture or to what workers said to
them, they studied the situation for
themselves and then voted as they
pleased. The old-line politician is
dead as a door nail. The women
have revolutionized politics.
One of the greatest advantages to
be gained by women suffrage is that
of uplifting mankind to higher
standard of morality. Womanhood
stands for all that is good and pure.
AS an incident of this we have that
of Mrs, Riddle of Colorado, in the
1918 legislature when a segrega-
ton bill for fallen woman was be-
fore the house, she attacked it on the
ground that fallen men as we'll as
fallen woman should be segregated.
A representative offered to insert
such provision. There would be no
men left said Mrs. Riddle and the
laughter that followed lasted 10
minutes. Just before the roll was
called she arose and said, Let him
that is without sin among you cast
the first vote Not vote was cast.
The question of woman suffrage
has been before the U. S. Senate and
there was developed among the
members very strong sentiment for
it. Senator Works of California,
said that he was proud of the women
of his state and also proud OF the
men who were broadminded enough
to grant the franchise to their wives.
Senator Skafroth of Colorado, said
that it is claimed that we will in
ject into politics an element that will
degrade our elections. Can that be
true when we know who the parties
ere to be given the franchise? Who
are they? They are our mothers,
our wives, our sisters and our daugh-
tiers: and is there man in high or
low position who does not recog-
nize that there can be no contamina-
ton from that source, but that it is
an elevating influence. No man will
admit that his mother, his wife, his
sister, or his daughter would be
more likely to commit election
frauds than himself, and that being
the case where can women be an
influence for evil. The influence of
women has always been for good
both in conventions and elections.
Let man of immoral character be-
come a candidate for Office in my
state and his chances for nomination
are very slight The great moral,
social and industrial questions which
now form so large part of the po-
lltical program show the vital need
of the judgment and influence of
both men and women, and it is on
the crest of this wave now sweeping
over the country that woman suf-
frage must be carried to victory.
Who'll rock the cradle, did you say,
when the woman votes? The fact is,
why can't she get the one she had
the day she paid her taxes?