Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-18
TRIBUTES TO THEIR MOTHERS
Latest Thing in Suffrage Speaking
to Refer TO Maternal Predecessor.
KENNEDY ADDRESSES WOMEN
Declares that Justice VIII Never he
Melted ont 60 Them UntiI such n
Time a. They Are Given
the Ballot.

Suffrage speakers, taks notice. The
latest thing in suffrage speeches are per-
sonal tributes to old-fashioned mothers.
Ed p. Smith introduced the fashion, and
Halleck Rose tried It also. Comes John
L. Kennedy at a meeting of the Equal
Franchise society at the home OF Mrs.
+. VI. Fairfield Thursday afternoon and
establishes the fashion by frankly ac-
bnOwledging that he is following the
precedent established by previous speak
ers. In each case the introduction has
been a political subject that the dear old
mother hadn't time to be interested In
such as Interstate Commerce commits
sons, child labor laws and naturalization
laws, and in each case has been followed
by a strong speech IN favor Of suffrage
or opposed to It, according to the per-
sonal taste of the speaker.
Mr.. Kennedy addressed the women on
the naturalization law OF 1905, OF which
he, then a congressman from this dis
trict, introduced the principal amend
ment, which substituted the language
test for the literacy test contemplated by
the original measure. The speaker said
that the American people as a whole did
not appreciate their citizenship as fully
as the foreign born or aliens do because
the aliens have been subjects, not clti-
zens, OF the land from which they came
"I arm talking to you as ~ you were
men and voters" said Mr.. Kennedy, "foI
It won't be long until you are. Exact
Justice has not yet been meted to womer
and won't be until women are permitted
10 vote. The principles of the constitu
ton have never been fully adopted sc
long as only one half OF the people par
ticipate in the government. have M
sympathy with those who argue that suf
frage should be restricted or limited, be-
cause all must be permitted to partici
pate.
THE reasons underlying all argument
which oppose suffrage are the same rea
sons that have always been advanced
against progressive movements of women
They tell you that they withhold the bal
lot from you for your own benefit, t.
save you from yourself. The trouble will
the men is that they want you to b
happy their way, but the best way I,
make woman happy is to let her b
happy in her own way. one-half tn
problems of government relate to womel
and their welfare and women are just
capable Of deciding what they want a
the men are to tell them what they want
"I am sure that you Will remain a
charming, sweet and lovely no matte
what happens, for II takes more thai
the ballot to mar woman. No one ca
tell me that my mother. who reared te
children to manhood and womanhood an
reared them well, would need to take
back seat for any man in the affairs O
government. If she we're living TO-DAY
she would wish the suffragists god
speed"
Mrs. z. T. Lindsey then asked MI
Kennedy whether men forfeited thei
right to vote If they did not exercise tn
ballot for number OF years.
mo, they don't. but they should re
piled Mr.. KENNEDY. IF had my wa,
! would place an additional tax on ever
man who didn't so TO the polls. I wnul
do it by imposing a tax on every vote
to start out with and lifting the tax b
checking his name from the list whe
he had voted"
Suffrage songs were given by a quartz
composed OF Misses Margaret Guthri,
Jessie Conway, Marie RILEY and Hele
Grove.