The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-27
PEOPLES FORUM.
MIR. Jones and Suffrage.

Ed Nirginian:
Sir have been Interested in the
reports concerning the reputation OF
women who called on Congressman
william A Jones, November 3. One
account said there were fifty or more
women and another said there were
twenty-five women.
Mr.. Jones would like TO see the Leg
islature of Virginia submit the amend
ment to the State Constitution for
equal suffrage. He says nine-tenths
OF Virginia women do not want sur
frage, but failed to say how he reach
ed that conclusion. He said he did not
know one in Warsaw who wanted the
vote. l knew Warsaw Was an mae
cessible place. but ] did not know IL
was that far behind in the march OF
progress
Regarding another statement that
only two OF the twenty-five women.
who composed the deputation, claim
ed Virginia as their home. The women
who composed that deputation were
representatives of women Of Virginia.
| know ! asked one of them TO repre-
sent me, because / was at work and
could not go. | have heard a good
many say they wished they could have
been there.
Yes, Western women have the bal
lot, and they are good enough to try
to help the Eastern women to get 1t.
am staunch Virginian. yet | want
-the-reter a Ha-I knew faaay-etAers
who want 1t. If Virginia did not per-
NIT the mon to vote because all Ftr-
GINA men did not want 1t. no man
would vote today. About one fifth of
the voting strength OF Richmond vot-
ed for Commemorative attorney re-
Gently.
1t Is regretted that the deputation
did not have women from Mr.. Jones
district. since he preferred that We
have grasred the meaning Of the ball
lot. many OF us consider 1t national
question. ] agree with Mr.. Jones that
the giving OF the vote to the negro at
the time Il was given was disastrous
to white and black alike.
Mr.. Jones says Il have not seen
nor heard of anything that convinces
me that Southern women of today
have discarded the views of their
mothers" The women who are ask
ing for the ballot today are very dif-
ferent people from the men to whom
the nation gave 1t in the fifteenth
amendment. Those people were freed
slaves, and many Of them very igno-
rant and they were being played for
all they were worth by INSCRIPTIONS
politicians These people are women
OF the United States, who have edu-
cation and ability They are willing
to measure up to the same quaiifica
tons to which the men measure, but
they resent being taxed without rep
resentation, being governed without
their consent, being punished If they
do not obey laws about which they
have not been consulted.
The United States gave the black
man the vote Mr.. Jones wants to
help the Philippine men to get the
vote. We are asking that he help
white women OF the United States &c
get the vote. We have helped to set
tie this country. we have helped to
develop it. and we are doing a large
part 70 the work TODAY
Mr. Jones shows us clearly the great
value Of the vote when he wants to
hear from those who put him in Of
flee namely, the men OF the First
District.
The Susan 3. Anthony amendment
In not an invasion OF States rights.
II the amendment is passed the Vir-
ginia Legislature will have to rat:fv
It. and so will the legislatures of the
other States. and not until 1t is ratified
by the legislatures OF three-fourths OF
the States does the vote come to wo-
men. The individual voters OF the
States elect the legislators, and they
vote on the question through the men
they elect SO every man gets his vote
Just the same.
We ask the amendment through the
nation. because II would save so much
money, labor and time, and many OF
us are working women with limited
time and means,
II one-tenth OF the won OF Fir-
gfnia want the ballot. they should have
IL, We would not keen one-tenth OF
the children of Virginia out OF school
because the others did not want An
education. We would not require one
tenth OF the women OF Virginia to
fast because the other nine-tenths are
not hungry.
have seen much which leads me to
believe that conditions of today are
different from those OF former days,
and that women of today are not
thinking about what their mothers
thought, but Of the needs OF the State
and the country today. and of the help
they can render. ! believe few wo-
men want office. but II they are more
competent than others for the work,
let them have ii. l have not heard
any woman say she wanted office. or
was working for the vote in order to
get an office.
The home has moved out into the
state and the country in many ways.
and the women must follow II II she Is
TO accomplish her work,
MISS J. s. JENNINGS
2os East Franklin Street.