The Washington times., 1914-03-04
1rs. Sherman Booth, Aggres-
Sive Lobbyist, Tells Why Her
Associates Need Vote to
Protect the Home.
Foman-Made Laws Shown to
Be Justification of Ability
and Dispatch, She Tells Her
interviewer.
Bv FLORENCE E. YODER.

By FLORENCE +. 1UDhk-
There is one question upon which
the antfs and the Suffragists both
agree-strange is il may SEEM we
are one in the statement that the
woman's place is the home, and that
all of her best efforts should be di-
rected toward its preservation.
This IS the statement of Mrs. Sher-
man Booth. a member of the Con-
rressional committee of the Nation
nj Wornan's Suffrage Association,
md chairman Of the legislative COM
n.ittee which did so much to win
equal suffrage for the women of IL
linois.
Mrs. Booths remarks followed the
reading OF the words of Mrs. Simon
Paruch. an ardent anti of New York,
who. in a speech before the New
York City Federation of Women's
Clubs. said:
The preseryation of the home,
which men, after winning 1t by
sacrifice of treasure, of health, nud
of blood. have given into cur keep
ing, presents to woman her true
mission. This il her divinely ap-
pointed fieId-a field, too, that Is
not diminished by the transfercnce
Of much household drudgery to
the factory. Rather has this re-
lease increased woman = OpPortun-
ity for enhancing the material and
spiritual welfare of husband and
child and brother.
We glory in this task as the most
potent in the worlds work, and
our chief opposition to equal suf-
fraGc is engcudcrcd by the fear
that these sacred influences upon
our dear ones. especially our mis-
sion ir the training of children
for high citizenship, appear to be
menaced by it,"
This is ind.ed the main plea of
the antis." said Mrs. Booth. with a
smile, as she read the paragraph
that womans place is the home.
Ne agree, for we believe that the
ballot is the greatest protection TO
the home that could be put in the
hands of women, and nave proven
CUIclus.vely that she would use the
ballot 70. such administration"
Taught Her Son, Also.
Mrs. Booth was Cne of the moving
factors in the Illinois fight and was
present at a whole session of the
legislature. lobbying for her cause.
During that time. she told me today,
she not only lobbied consistently,
but in the alternate days when she
maGo a flying trip home, she saw
20 the education of her son, and
taught him tie Montess0-I system
with such success that he learned
to read and write DURING THAT
SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE,
et the Gge Of four years.
This seems TO be L pretty apt il
luStratiyn Of the old saving that the
hand that rocks the cradle was hc!p-
ing TO rule the world. At least one
hand was on the cradle while the
other WAS lighting vigorously Tor
the rights OF other women.
We want the vote primarily be
ca:!swe OF the home reiterated
Mrs. Booth.
The state is 80 much the over
parent today that ] cannot look
after my homo without the vote.
The law says when the child shalt
ge to school. what books Ii shall
study. what food IL shall eat, what
carfare It shall paN. when il shall
he Naccinated ar given seruniS.
Furnishes the cEiId with truant OIL
ficerH. trTnHt Nck"nls, juvenile
courts and tells when IL may quit
school and nhen il may ::u 10
work.
1t IL through franchises gained
by the ballot that am told what
10 pay for m! wItcr. my Grs, my
Electric IiGhf, my frIcphone: II IL
by thr vote iIiat iiqu"r questions
are decided ard nr,iinanres adopt
ed fc= :he regulation of morals.
- happened to read Nesterda !,
where fhr women of itaEsas city
were protesting against a Feturn
10 tlc polio! of licensing prostitu-
ton and making the conmUnit! 4
shaTer III the shameful gains. In
urotnrr column saw where I'm
ordinance prohibiting saloons BcaI
sch"cIs aEd churches had been
S:G"theTcd fn cG-~-niItce ny an al
d"-Inar who happened 10 be kRn-
sas GifN's most notorious s1lOnn-
keeper. Are those NOT questions
that affect the home: And will
an,une say TINT the VcteieSs wom-
en- oG kansas city are ab.e "a
give their homes the fullest pos.
slide protcctiGn:
"Dne must also consider the seven
or ci:ht millions of women who
arr forced out .itt,. the home hy thu
n@ceS~itics OF existence. IL fhi,
N@"f armN of nndcrpaid, over
worked tDiIerS m have no yuicc
NJ all. II women ycied in New
York, do YOU think Amerjrn would
De shnmed %: the spectacle of ths
Tri:ucIc factory owners heinz
fined so for the very offcnse tha,
cnst the lives of I45 girls I'm q
former fire:
-iherc are as many home fen.
lures i'm municipal or state admin
istrati"n rs business features
Perhaps you may remember tina
the Indiana Legislature recently
passed a $4,000 appropriation fO,
the better care OF legs, and de.
fcatcd an appropriation OF S5,UO<