South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-24
Women of Wealth
Experience w ant
Desire Interests Outside of
Social Whirl-Turn
to Suffrage.

We are so accustomed 10 thinking
of the wealthy as blessed Of the gods
and envying them the many treas
ures which they possess and which
are denied US, that it is hard TO per-
ceive the prOpriety OF using the
term want in connection with them.
Yet many OF them, particularly the
women of that class. do experience a
want, more terrible and more soul
killing perhaps. than many that we
Of the proletariat endure-the want
of a useful occupation, a definite
aim and purpose in life---a dearth OF
that OF which some have too much,
that great. energizing, world build
ing. race impelling sum of human
activities called work. From the
viewpoint OF race development. next
TO the being who Is crushed by the
burden of excessive poverty and toll,
the creature who is most to be
pitied in life is the useless, idle but
terfiy of fashion, victim of his own
excesssB. prey Of his own vices, be-
reath all his brilliant exterior OF
culture an object Of racial degenera-
ton and decay. Whether regarded
in the light of divine command or
as a grim Jaw Of biological evolution,
IT cannot be gainsaid that certain
amount of labor is essential to
growth and development. To cease
to struggle and TO strive means TO
retrograde.
Some Fight Luxury.
A majority of the women who suf-
fer from a plethora Of riches are
content to burn up their lives in a
teverish pursuit of gayety; but some
there are in whom the instinct of
race preservation is so strong that
they fight against succumbing to
the anasthesia of idle luxury. De-
prived by their wealth of those
homely occupations which have for
unnumbered centuries been regard
ed as woman's appointed labOrs, they
turn to new thoughts, new interests
and new tasks. They take up set
Element work. club work, and, being
brainy and having ample leisure to
study, progress sooner or later TO
the suffrage movement, recognizing
in that the gateway TO a new field Of
dCllNllN lot lAein. WIFI TIC re-
sources of wealth and power at their
command, they are valuable asset
TO the suffrage movement and the
names OF many of them, notably
that Of Mrs. o. II. p. Belmont. are
writ large on the roster OF suffrage
workers.
While the suffrage is simply to
gain the ballot, ii is natural and
right that women of every class
should work together in harmony to
that end. Having but one object in
view. they can present a united front
in the battle for its attainment.
While not one of those who believe
that women will always vote as a
sex for the best interests of III sex
and children, but rather that they
will, like men. divide politically
along class lines and cast their bal
lots for their own material interests
largely, yet 1 am glad TO see the en-
thusiasm of the wealthy women in
the suffrage camps When the right
TO vote. which after all is but a
means TO an end, shall have been
attained, women will undoubtedly
divide into warning political groups.
But it is also undoubtedly true that
momen are. to a greater extent than
men, solicitous for the welfare of the
race, and being more sentimental
snG altruistic, they Will always con-
slider the good Of society as a whole
to a greater degree than men DO.
There are scientific reasons for this
which will not be elaborated on
here.
But whatever the effect of the ex-
ercise Of the franchise by women
may be. the movement is certain 70
attract an ever growing contingent
of women of wealth and brains, who
find therein the logical outlet for
their energy and ambition; and it
has justified its existence If only be-
cause OF the fact that it has furnish
ed a medium for the social inter
course and mental growth Of women
of all classes and taught them the
value of concerted effort in a COM
mon cause.