Evening star., 1915-05-18

Mr.. Weinstock.
The criminals would protect their
The origin of punishment is vengeance.
You are mad at some ono and you pun
| ish him."
Equal Suffrage Panacea.
IT tho women Of the nation were en-
franchised. a remedy for Industrial un-
rest would be found, declared Mrs.
Chrystal Eastman Benedict OF New
York, of the Congressional Union for
Woman Suffrage. appearing before the
commission yesterday afternoon. She
urged the commission Immediately to
report to President Wilson that women
should be given the vote. Commission
| er Lennon suggested that the commits :
| sion could report only to Congress. and
| that Congress would not meet again
1 until December.
| Mrs. Benedict. Wilson can do It. #
you would make him understand that
| the future of the democratic party oe-
| pends upon this issue. the women would
get suffrage. You could let him kno"
| without making formal report
| Women are today on the point OF re-
| bellion." Mrs. Benedict continued
against the slow machinery of 1ustice
| They demand federal action prompting
| the present indefensible disfrancnse-
|
| struggle of women for the vote lasts
| much longer. 1t will engender bitter
| ness between men and women "hiCil n
| will take many years to overcome. l.
| Is very undesirable that this splrlt
| among American women should be per-
| mitted to grow and spread. But Wher-
| ever injustice exists there musl be re-
| sentiment"
Sign Of Helpfulness.
"Disfranchisement." Mrs. Benedict
| said, is the sign and symbol of social
| helplessness; 1t greatly hampers women
as class in their work for liveli-
| hood.
This is most plainly seen In the case
| OF government employees. Political Off
clais are obviously more anxious to con-
| cliiate voter than a non-voter.
woman employees of the government
| are Disseminated against all along the
| line Many of the civil service exami-
nations call only for male competitors,
where the positions might suitably be
| filled by women. OF the twenty-four
pending civil service examinations, all
put two are closed to women.
women are Disseminated against,
TOO, When appointments are made. The
chief of department calls for the
names OF male clerks. for work which
woman could do equally we'll In the
year ending June 80, 1912, four women
TO three men passed the examinations
| ior work under the civil service rules
IN washington, but the men were ap-
pointed in the ratio of more than two to
| one.
Cites Difference in Pay.
The wages of women are lower than
mems for the same work. The average
male government stenographer gets a
wage of s1.600 and $1.SOO a year, for
which a woman gets $1,000 and s1,400.
The standards set by the government
AFFECT the private employment of wom-
en-. too If the government discrimi-
mates against women and adopts a dou-
Bile standard of wages, the private en-
| ployer will surely do So
1t would be impossible for the gov
! ernment to maintain this practice If the
women or the country were voters as well
| as the men.
In private employment also the lack
OF vote constitutes serious Industrial
handicap for women"
Says Law Works Against Poor.
The testimony of the suffragtst spokes-
woman interrupted that of Clarence S.
Darrow, counsel for unions in several
notable trials. who argued that the poor
man had not equal opportunity before the
law with the rich man.
| He said:
| THE courts do not consider a question
at point and administer Justice" he con
tinued They look up the law, in books
II they were to take questions up with
out the Intervention Of lawyers they might
accomplish something But when a rich
corporation goes to law 1t hires the best
legal talent Pitted against 1t is a poor
man, whose lawyer is probab irving his
i first case. 1t If was prize ring and you
pitted dwarf against a man like Jack
Johnson, the crowd wouldn't stand for 1t.
But that happens every day in the courts .