Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-20
Relation of Suffrage
to Working Women
BY FLORENCE KELLEY.

y never IN tne hlstory OF the human race
have children and young women formed
as they do today. an important part Of
the working force of great industrial
communities wholly apart from their par
ents and the family life.
In the telephone and telegraph service
something like a revolution would be
caused II suddenly all the young people
under the age OF q were withdrawn. In
retail trade tho cash children, bundle
girls. wrappers and Junior clerks are an
extremely important part of the whole
working force.
Every Improvement in machinery and
in Industrial organization tends to sum-
mon to the ranks OF industry an increas-
ing number of young recruits.
How long these young workers shall be
employed in a day my be literally a
matter OF life and death for them. Within
my own acquaintance more than one
young girl has died of pneumonia, rseu-
Inatisrn. tuberculosis. due directly to
overtime work with the accompanying ex-
haustion and loss Of power to resist dis
ease.
= Now the health, morals and intelligence
Of the rising generation are peculiarly
objects of solicttude of women. To de-
prive women of an equal share of power
to determine the laws for these young
workers Is to give cruelty unequal power
TO sordid employers.
In manufacture, older men form a
larger part Of the total working force
than in retail trade. And the older men
are voters. Factory laws are obtained
therefore, with greater ease than work
able laws for safeguarding the health and
welfare OF children and young girls.
A sinister chapter too which too little
attention has hitherto been paid is the
failure of our legislatures and courts to
afford young girls protection from seduc-
ton, assault and enslavement in infamous
houses The difficulty involved in OBJ
tanning the conviction of malefactors IS
known only to the few faithful souls who
have attempted TO obtain due punishment
OF these grave offenses. Mothers in any
community are more, deeply stirred by
these offenses than, by any others, but
Judges and juries vary beyond belief in
their treatment of criminals guilty OF
crimes against girls.
: 4 In one western state q woman worked
fourteen years 10 secure the. enactment
Of a workable statute. to punish crimes
against female minors. At last such a
law was passed and vigorously enforced.
: Fourteen criminals were sent TO the peni-
tentiary. Then young lawyer offered
his services to one of the criminals to
free him by showing that the law. was
Unconstitutional. because the title should
have read ito define and punish crimes
against female minors" whereas though
in fact the two words define and were
definition was contained fn the body of
the statute. Upon this frivolous ground
the supreme court OF the state held the
statute invalid and nine OF the fourteen
criminals were forthwith freed. The re-
naming five were too poor or too ignor-
ant to obtain counsel and remained in
the penitentiary. The patient woman
whose work was thus frustrated con-
hnued the agitation. The Legislature,
after great effort on her part. re-enacted
the statute with the title complete. But
the nine criminals could not again be
tried for the same offense and remained
at liberty IT 10 hard to believe that
such weary effort would be needed II the
mothers and the teachers were a part OF
che voting constituency upon whom
Judges and legislators depend for their
political careers.
1t is the children of the poor who form
the working contingent in retail trade.
1t is the daughters of the poor who
chiefly fall victims to the basest crimes.
Poor young ignorant, unorgani0ed. they
depend for protection upon laws framed
and enforced by persons Older than
themselves. Is 1t safe or sane to exclude
from the fun share Of power and respon-
slbDlty the mothers and teachers. the
older women whose first care is for the
welfare OF the young?