The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-11
Women Aid in Reforms.
npCRysTAL EASTMAN BENEDICT.


TIE Importance of having women
voters To support reform legislation,
especially legislation looking toward
human health and happiness, has been
pointed out again and again. Further,
,t'has been proved by the rapidty with
which suffrage States have advanced
IN social and industrial legislation as
compared with other States in "A similar
stage Of development. | have been
asked % point out specifically why |
think the vote in women's hands would
have FASTENED the undertaking Of onr
EMPLOYERS liability laws. and may SIN
ne of use in extending the principle of
workmens compensation.
To be brief. "workmen's compensa-
ton which Is now an accomplished re-
form IN most Of our great industrial
States, has given the workman the right
10 a certain moderate compensation
from his employer IN case OF work
accident instead OF the right TO gamble
al law for big DANA ges with the odds
at least 100 to ! against him. Now
where does woman suffrage come in?
FRS. 81 course there are woman work
er. injured as we'll as men.
Miles Dawson. II leading actuary, es-
'!ma'es that in about 10 per cent. Of the
Industrial accidents in this State II 1.
women who are injured Thus as j.
the case with almos: all labor legisla
ton workmen's compensation directly
Affects the lives Of women as well Ne
men. But women as Il whole have
far greater stake in this new law than
their interest as possible Injured work
ers
Indeed . IL women. the wives ant
mothers os working men. who realize
most kecny and mOAt completely the
economic disaster that almost inevitably
follows every work accident The rail-
readers widow facing life with two or
.hree 'i,'le children 20 support becomes
pert1rcc a stirring advocate of work
mems Cl'upensation The hard work
.rC housewife. who ny The most careful
buying, by mendlnC and patching, by
forethought and self denial. can just
make the contents Of one pay envelope
,as' I'll the next one Is in hand, she
knows % the penny what a work acci-
dent means. To have her man brought
homo some fine day with a broken leg,
n have all the same insistent demands,
70 meet the same hungers 70 satisfy, 10
add Doctors bills and medicine, and 20
hav" no pay envelope in sight for
weeks
Yes. tho economic aspect Of industrial
accidents comes closer To women than
Il docs 20 men. As voters. think
women could have been counted on not
N lose sight Of its pressing Importance
IN Tho general maze OF politics.
And there is another point l should
TX. - make. one thing that delayed
he coming Of workmens compensation
wa7 the unw.'llngness on the part OF
MANY w'rkngm"n to give up the slim
gambling chance of big mOnsy through
damage suit IN case Of accident for the
much smaller hut SAFE and sure provi-
SION offered by wo-kmen's compensation.
Here m" stcadving influence Of women
voters was needed.
Women, except the very rich, don't
'kN 'o AXE chances. They're not very
advau'urs,nme don't know whether
ms Is fau.t or n virtue. Bu' in many
MONIES ! know TINS quality is needed as
'alAnc" wheel Ard II women had
counted In politics i would have been
'fl' ms am answering Influence on the
so" of Workmcn'S compensation.
TAns We come back to the same in
eW 'h." conclusion: Mcn and women
az" 'N.""ut We need both to achieve
N" .rhos' human wisdom in govern
mo-