The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-29
HARRIET GRIM IN
GOOD ADDRESS
PLEADS FOR PARTNERSHIP IN
GOVERNMENT. TELLS OF SUCCESS
OF WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE IN I'LL
N0Is. DELIGHTS LARGE AUD
FENCE AT GRAND.

1--WE women want the ballot to help
you men make a better government for
all the people," said Miss Harriet
Grim who addressed a large audience
on suffrage at the Grand tn last
evening. tits a big affair, this govern
ment of ours" continued Miss Grim,
IAN there are some things women
know about that men never think Of,
and there are many things you men
know about that we do not know, and
it is only by working together as part
ners that the whole task can be done
we'll"
known as the most eloquent woman
in the middle west Miss Grim fully
justified her reputation and she held
her audience completely throughout
her most interesting address. Possessed
of a beautiful clear voice, with perfect
enunciation h was distinctly heard In
every part Of the heatre. She is SO at
home on the platform, speaking as II
she was conversing, that the audience
felt as 1t were one big family listening
to the tale of a returning traveller. When
she faltered for a word n asked what
1t was she wanted to say no one
thought anything Of 1t when one in the
audience volunteered the information.
1t was just as If a friend had prompted
another in a group Of friends. That
the audience was delighted with her
address was shown not only by the ap-
plause which frequently greeted her
statements but also by the fact that
practically every person left a contri-
button in the basket for the benefit of
the state campaign.
"1n Illinois two years ago." said Miss
Grim, ut cost $4,000 to run our state
legislature. I went UP to the capitol
and Investigated the accounts and I
found that thirty-seven policemen had
been hired at three dollars a day to
guard the senate and the house. Now
when we realize that the legislature
mantc hIlf fhran H. We q weak and that
these policemen were hired for seven
days service, as a woman l wondered
where the necessity for 1t all came In.
That was the year they elected Mr..
policemen then. The next term 1t cost
$324,0 900 to run the legislature for one
session. That Is exclusive of salaries.
On investigation l found that fifteen
men had been hired to wind the clocks.
Now there were only twenty-eight
clocks in the whole state house and
every one was an eight day clock. 1925
was spent for pocket knives and there
Of the senate. The speaker had a spec
lay ~janitor. Now Speaker Mckinley is
known all over Illinois as the clean
young man." AS there were about ten
janitorS for the senate and the speaker
had a special one perhaps that accounts
for his reputation as a clean young
man."
About this time we asked for Up
preparations LOT Cn6 nome Luz uedL
children, and for blind children, but
they were all refused. Do you wonder
then that the women of Illinois wanted
the vote?
I stand here tonight as an enfran-
chised citizen of the United States. I
cannot tell you with what a feeling Of
pride l realize my responsibilities. l
look back over the years when men
fought for the right to vote, and then
the years of struggle for the enfran-
chisement of women, and l feel mighty
proud of the march of progress.
They tell us that without the ballot
we still have the indirect influence.
Why in Massachusetts it took fifty-fve
years to secure a law for the cO-guard-
ianship of children. In Chicago for six
teen years Miss Mcdowell of the uni
versity settlement has been pleading
with the council for better garbage
disposal They dumped it right back
of her settlement, a district that has
the highest death rate of any similar
territory in the world. But after We
secured the vote, Miss Mcdowell was
called down to the council n placed
on a commission to prepare plans for
better disposal of garbage and they
were given $1O,0 900 to work with. That
is how the influence of the vote works.
But think of the wasted years, think
of the children who have died that
might now be citizens. But now we
look for a better, cleaner Chicago and
a bigger Illinois.
In the civil war there was a reg
iment that was being held in reserve.
In the battle, men that were dying by
the thousands until the regiment in re-
serve was called in, charged up the
hill and spiked the guns that were
killing the men in the valley below.
We women are the force in reserve.
We want to help you men in the battle
of government, W. want to spike the
guns of corruption and dishonor, and
with you, working side by side, doing
our little part, make this a bigger.
better country for all the people"
Miss Grim was introduced by Mrs.
Clara L. Darrow, president of the State
league. Miss Grim will leave today for
a two weeks tour of the state address
ing many Of the chautauqua assem-
blies.