The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-01

lot which Miss Stevens seems so DESTROYS
Of bringing to their assistance. At least
they should not be coerced into assuming
responsibilities and pledges which the
majority Of then have not yet sought.
neither be burdened with a power 81
which they have not yet recognized to be
for their greatest good and that Of the
community about them.
Mrs. JOS. N. STODDARD,
Vice Pres. Dist. Col Assn. OPP
posed to Woman Suffrage.
To tho Editor of the woman's Herald:
Women do not want the vote" when
all the women want II they will get it."
women will not use 1t II they get it."
These are the things that we constantly
hear and they are obviously made up
out of whole cloth" How has 1t been
proven that women do not want the
vote? Surely not by the incessant work
they have done for years to get it-but
by the men voting on the question and
not representing them in any way. as
was shown by some Of the Representa-
tives when the vote was taken in the
House January II. who said that the
women In their families were, going to
vote against it So much for indirect
influence" and women being represented
by men! Has there ever been any real
attempt made to find out how many
women want It. and after all is this
a fair question? 1t has never been
asked Of any other body Of voters. Men
are not asked IL they will use their votes,
or II they will promise to better the laws,
or any Of the other questions that are
put to the women who demand their just
dues.
Testimony from the suffrage States
shows that they do use 1t when thew
get 1t, and in Montana, when the legis-
lature foupd that the new women voters
were in favor Of q measure its passa ee
az the present session became a settled
matter. committee suddenly reported
the equal guardianship bill indefinitely
postponed" and when the women saw
the chairman he was Surprised that
any one was interested in the bill" ana
II was promptly reconsidered and passed.
1t was the same with the child aid and
mothers pension law" and as soon as
It was known that the Good Government
Organization. which is the outsrowth of
the Suffrage association. was interested
IN q Dill II at once became one Of the
most popular measures of the session,
This Is an example of the moral
eject OF women suffrage and there ,
are many more and q long list of good
legislation that has been Accomplished
since women were enfranchised and
before they even had a chance to vote.
so they are expecting even greater
things when they come face to face
with women at the ballot box" I wish
I had room to give the list of the kind
Of women who vote in Topeka. Kan.
alone: 6.lo0 out Of 1850 are homekeep.
ers and Of the remaining 1850 there
are teachers. nurses. doctors, heads of
business organizations. etc, and there
are women like these In every city
and town of the thirty-seven non-suf-
frage States who want to use the vote
and cannot.
How much more easily women can
accomplish things In America than in
england. where wardress in Hollo- !
way Prison said to some OF the mil.
litant leaders. oh! you ladies, rd be |
with you II It weren't for my child. |
! am widow with one childs II only !,
these politicians knew what that
meant! They can talk fine about the |
widow. but when II comes to her earn. |
Ing livelihood they don't helm herr
some one has said that the demand |
Tor freedom expresses the vitality Of |
! nation and the militant movement, |
In expressing this vitality has carried I
women's demand for freedom from one |
Ind OF the world to the other: but /
thank God. we don't have to express
he vitality Of our nation In that way,
but there 10 room for Improvement /
n the amount Of halp the American |
men give us! Virginia men can do /
much at the next session Of the legis-
allure and before then. BY signtng the /
petition that 10 now being circulated, !!
% put the question before the votsrs1
n 1slsEwin they honestly try to .rsp-
resent the voaar Cordially.
WasAingtoa. d Co.
60 q =