Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-12-13
SUFFRAGISTS
ASK FOR PEACE
Oppose Preparedness and
Say That War Fails
of Objects
-n a.
SEVERAL MAKE TALKS
SEVERAL MAKE TALKS
Miss Jean Gordon Says Male Legis-
lators Protect Shrimp Better Than
Children.

Richmond. Dec. 49, Appeals for
peace, argument against preparation
for war as preventive against. war;
and a. general plea that women, who
have borne their share in all i.hu-
man effort and who have contributed
much towards the general welfare
be enfranchised featured the, session
yesterday afternoon of the Southern
States Woman Suffrage Conference.
Miss Laura Clay, of Kentucky,
spoke in behalf of u: general peace
movement, and said that war fails OF
all the objects claimed for it. and
that it is not even preventive OF
further disturbance.
an upbuilding armaments, she
said, every European nation Wed
with each other in that dread prepara-
ton, and. instead of preparation act
ing as a preventive against war, It
urged the several powers on, and to-
day we are witnessing the greatest,
bloodiest and most sacrifcial conflict
in human history"
Miss Jean NJ. Gordon, of Louisiana,
who has appeared before the Legisla-
ture of that State in behalf of indus
trial reform, made a special appeal
for child labor laws and for improve
ment in all industrial conditions. She
| told of how Louisiana had cared for
and protected its oysters and its
shrimp. while when women appeared
before the State governing body to
ask that laws be enacted for the pro-
lection of children they were asked
to wait for few years.
"The State" Miss Gordon said,
threw all it's protection around the
oyster and shrimp because it meant
money for the State, but when we
asked that it afford protection for the
children, they told us to wait-to wait
when human: life was involved, and
when women and children were bear
ing burdens. that should not have been
thrust, upon their shoulders.
Miss. Clay, who, twice addressedSher-
! self to? the audience, asked for a Fed
eral enactment which would give wo-
men, the privilege of voting for Cor
gressmen and Senators. This, she said,
would not interfere with States
rights. and it would help the purpose.
Discussing the issue brought about
! by a foreign element. she said that
the greatest danger to the nation
comes from the hyphenated American.
"The man." she said, comes in as
a subject and becomes citizen of
the greatest and noblest country in
the world. But the woman comes in
as subject and remains a subject
There is nothing to draw upon her
love in this sex aristocracy. She has
I nothing to hope for here, and her
sympathy naturally remains with the
| land of her birth. Give them the same
privileges that you give to man.. and
there will never be even an excuse for
such treachery as we have seen and
| known" r.
In making her appeal for general
peace, Miss Clay said, "War fails OF
all the objects claimed for it: 1t has
been proved that it is not even pre-.
ventive of further disturbance. In up
building armaments every nation IN
Europe Wed with every other, and in,
stead of preventing war those vast
armies brought it about and made this
tremendous conflict possible. It is for,
tunate for US that we are saved from
the calamity by the stretch of sea
which lies between us and Europe
and by the Monroe Doctrine" She
said that arbitration had been founc
effective, and that the efforts made al
The Hague had accomplished good
She cited the Atlantic fisheries con
troversy, between this country ant
Great Britain, as an example of thu
power of arbitration.
4 Miss Gordon. spoke OF her effort t.
effect industrial reform in louisiana
She said that she wanted to see tn
d State protect its children IS it pro