The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-03-18

SUFFRAGE MEETING IN osKA
LoosA LARGELY ATTENDED.
oaGANI ,ATION is PERFECTED
Miss Perkins, Official Organizer, AS.
sists in the Work and Delivers a
Message to the Women That
is Given Close Attention.

siSts in the Work and Delivers
Message to the Women That
is Given Close Attention.
The Suffrage meeting Saturday af-
ternoon at the court house was called
to order by the Chairman, Mrs. J. A.
Dewitt, aslo Secrearty of the Iowa
Equal Suffrage Association. Mrs. Dew
lit said in her Introductory talk that
the women must show the men that
they do desire the ballot and want
SUFFRAGE in the state of Iowa.
The Mahaska County organization
will make Mahaska county one of the
first to perfect its organization. Mrs.
Dewitt then introduced Miss Elizabeth
Perkins, official organizer Of suffrage.
Miss Perkins spoke as follows upon
her subject:
Miss Perkins Talk.
At the time the present war broke
out in Europe possibly the most i'm.
portant question before the world was
Equal Suffrage" In 1913 there were
II parlaments of legislature in the
world. Five continents and twenty
seven nations have equal suffrage at
the present time and there are only
three continents in Europe which
do not have 1t, and have not in any
way taken up the organization of suf-
ferage. In 1S47 Mrs, Margaret Brent
carried the estates of several promi-
nent men i'm Europe and at that time
votings were deciced by the property
one owned and cared for. Mrs. Brent
N htIf
was denied, and from that time to
the present the women have been ask
ing for equal suffrage
In 1910 at a convention held in Lon
don there were several delegates from
this country, but women were denied
a seat except in the gallery behind a
curtain. Apd in 1S4S we have the first
equal suffrage meeting in New York
when three women met at the home
of a friend, these three women drew
up the resolution and the rights of wo-
men, and the women of today have
never been able to improve upon the
resolutions and the rights then drawn
up In 1850 the first national meeting
took place at Wooster, Mass, and
nine states sent delegates. In 1869
was still territory, and later when it
was admitted to the union they held
it and still wanted it 1t w&s debated
and argued whether or not they should
be admitted with suffrage and in an
swer to their indecision the state OF
Wyoming said, I'VE come in with the
women or we stay out" After Wyom-
ing adopted it and was admitted to
the union we find the several states
following took it up and are still fol-
towing it.
Miss Perkins states that in all her
experience with the work she finds
that men do not vote as they think
but as the party which they represent
thinks That democrats favor the ques-
ton and Is being decided by the indus
trial states. At present time there
are twelve and one-half states which
have adopted suffrage, and the vote
to Massachusetts,, New York and New
Jersey this year. The vote comes to
Iowa in 1916 and at the June or the
December legislature where it will be
decided.
Suffrage ic Right.
Miss Perkins gave as her reason
for suffrage, that it is right. That the
government rests on the consent of
the government That the present
war grew out of the idea of democracy
which was given to the world by the
American people. That the use of the
ballot is a privilege and not a right
but that the woman want it by either
name That the right of representa-
,;,xlk
The science Of government takes its
place in evolution the same as man,
And that as a sixteenth amendment to
the constitution the women want the
word male left out making the ballot
equally for women and men. They
want to be considered a part of the
human race. Women's concern is with
the home, and not in it. Equai suffer
age is but another step IN the indus
trial conditions already taking place.
Women do not contend that they are
superior to men but that they are
equal. When baby boy is horn it is
conceded that he is born with ability
to vote, but a baby girl is not born
with 1t and is thought not able to learn
to vote.
Years ago the women would not find
time to give to the public welfare be-
cause they were compelled to sit at
home, make all the linens, carpets and
in fact every thing which was used
about the home until some men manu-
featured all these things. Some men
made it easier for her, until now she
has so little to do at home that she
must seek work outside the home.
That there are now nine million wo.
men out in the industrial world lisa
fact which canoot be over looked.
Iowa has as good laws as any state in
the union, and the men have more pro-
testion in the industrial world than
women. WHY should the mother con-