Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-29
ALL WOMEN CO-CITIZENS
f4 SAYS CORA HARRIS, AUTHOR
Practical Method for Women S Obtaining the Vote-A
New Book on Suffrage, Including the Cave
Woman Period of Feminism

ganda by the book. Mrs. Harris never
thinks as other people do. She is always
herself. Even her references TO the Bible,
with which her books and conversation
fairly bristles, are original, tonic and
strike wonderfully deep down into the
roots of human nature.
THE DEMOCRACY OF WOMAN SUF-
FRAGE
Mrs. Harris has much to say about the
democracy OF woman suffrage, yet in the
pages of "The Co-Citizens' appears the
striking sentence: I'm their first stages
of growth all political movements are di-
vinely democratic. 1t is not until the
thing has been reduced to a working for
mula that some boss seizes the formula
and the tyrannies of monarchical meth
ods begin"
But" explained Mrs. Harris, political
or social democracy is one thing. The
personal democracy which suffrage instils
in the hearts of women is quite another,
and one of the most wonderful things
about the movement. 1t gives them a
democracy they have never had before,
and 1t gives them sense of responsible
ity. Awaken in any race or class the
sense of responsibility and you awake a
sense of their rights.
Woman suffrage is logical growth
out Of our times. Women in the past
and to a large extent now, are not the
citizens of our civilization; they are the
natives. A native is one who uses the
resources at hand and neither invents
nor produces. That is the position in
which women have been placed. There
undoubtedly Is something in the charge
that women are responsible in part for
the high cost of living through their lack
of responsibility in purchasing. The big
stores crowd the necessities in the base
ments. The upper floors and show win
dows are filled with luxuries. which are
bought by some women who do not in
any sense earn the money with which
they buy them. The woman who keeps
house and rears children earns a share
OF her husbands income. She is eco
nomically independent in that sense, but
/ refer to the women who do not earn
even that way.
Suffrage means that woman will come
10 think OF these things, that she will
have the right and the awful responsible
ity OF becoming a partner"
THE cAVEwoMAN PERIOD OF FEM
INISM.
Mrs. Harris paused a moment and her
visitor seized the opportunity to ask a
question about the femInists. The Lady
from the Valley smiled These extreme
feminists." she replied slowly and with
out emphasis, as II the thought had long
lain In her mind and the hot arguments
of the radicals had all sunk deep into her
nature and been weighed carefully for
what they were worth. These extreme
feminists," she continued represent only
the fever thermometer OF the movement
All movements pass through destructive
period. that Is the place some OF the
feminists are now. They represent the
cavewomen OF the movement
II am told that a woman who wants
old-fashioned things is narrow. It's mar
row, 20 be sure. that there Is nothing In
divorce-for no one who truly believes In
marriage believes In divorces and no one
who believes In divorce can ever really be-
heve In marriage.
II am told that some feminists don't
believe in marriage at all. Oh. well, they
are only sldnning the cat mentally-they
aren't thinking. Presently they'll marry
and take a husband and have stock IN
property and legitimacy and things that
are as deep as they are narrow.
Indeed. they will build the structure
again and they viii build we'll. I have un-
ending faith IN the good sense OF women
In general also. / have unending faith In
the universal deslre for woman suffrage"