The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-10-08

4 ROy Andrews was an IDEAL ACCOMPANY
list for both the vocal and violin selec-
tions.
= In a brief Introductory address Mrs.
Traitor said that she was glad TO see
so many Interested people present
, showing that they were interested In
suffrage and asked Mrs. ID. @. Willard
to explain the suffrage movement.
Make Organization Permanent.
Mrs. Willard stated that the women
aimed to make the local organization
| q permanent one, with q regular
tire and place OF meeting. and that
the organization was political with
the object of obtaining equal voting
rights with the men. She expressed
the hope that the time would soon
come when the women could vote
for the government as well as the
men, and hoped for the cooperation
of all which would help to make the
local organization a success, and help
to exert the influence that would bring
the ballot to the women of Minnesota.
! Mrs. Traitor then introduced the
! speaker. expressing the pleasure OF
I the organization at having this well
known woman present to deliver an
address.
| What VIII Be Written.
When the future history of Man
! kato Is written" said Miss Stearns,
1T may be recorded that on the even
| ing of the twenty ninth of September,
/ 1915, certain women and interested
men on one side OF the river gathered
at a meeting 10 learn how to get the
franchise, while on the other side OF
the river, at another meeting. gather
, ed those who are enfranchised to hear
Congressman Davis, the man they had
, elected to office, speak to them. In
twelve states OF the Union this situa-
, ton would be impossible. II is in
conceivable that such division should
be In any suffrage states.
II am not a man -hater-not a sour
ed leftover. | believe the American
man is the finest speciman of man
hood on earth today, but dreadfully
| near sighted in the matter of the
! franchise. Women are trying to get
, the franchise just to help along I'm all
good works. We hope to be sometime
on equal terms with men, so we can
walk side by each as we say In Mil
waukee, and help in all matters of
moment. Women are bound down by
dreadful tradition, the government
has always tried to keep back the prog
ress OF women down through the
ages. and have made martyrs of the
leaders in progress. In the beginning
the women OF the colonies had the
franchise. They had the absolute fran
, chise in colonial days, but gradually
II was restricted to the male"
Examples Of Inconsistency.
Miss Stearns gave a number of ex-
amples Of the inconsistency of allow
ing women to vote for some things
and restricting them from voting on
others, saying that although they could
vote for a $1,000 school building they
could not vote for a $4,000 city hall
She told how I'm Wisconsin the voters
we're using a voters handbook, cost
ing rs cents, which had been compiled
by woman, whose name was Dolly,
but that she had only put her initial
to the book, thus playing a joke on
the entire body Of male voters. She
also told an interesting incident of a
Greek who went to Hull house, and
was taught by Jane Adams until he
could pass the requirements for
United States citizenship, and how
when he went to vote he politely ask
ed Miss Adams to vote first, being
much astonished when he found that
the teacher" could not vote, but that
the pupil could vote. Miss Stearns
scored the argument OF some that
women were not intelligent enough
to vote by saying that ninety out OF
every ninety-four who came out Of
high schools and normal schools were
women.
Women Do "Eear" Arms.
Some people say that women should
not vote because they cannot bear
arms" she said. That always makes
me smile. Why, every Monday morn
ing thousands of women all over the
country bear arms i'm order to do
their washing and make their lords
presentable. How about those who
bear soldiers? Are they not just as
important as those who fight in bat
tle?"
Pays Big Tax.
With many examples of the injus-
! tice Of taxation without representa-
ton Miss Stearns continued her argu-
ment OF why women should be given
the franchise. II pay a big tax but
am absolutely unrepresented at the
polls" she stated. "If / put the money
in a corporation can vote as a stock
holder. but II I put II In home
cannot even vote for the govern
ment Of my town. James Otis has said
there Is no such thing as virtual rep
/ resentation, such as some say the
women have. Not one woman has
been asked whether there should be
war. Rabbi Stephen Wise has said,
Wars will cease to be waged when
women have a voice I'm the govern
ment'"
Miss Stearns scored the so-called
silent influence" which women are
supposed to exert over the ballot, and
gave examples OF the results obtained
| where women can exert the right to
vote, especially citing examples in
Chicago. She stated that womans' pol
itics would be humanity. and her boss
would be Almighty God. that she
would vote in terms OF humanity al
ways for the best interests of the
world. She drew attention to the fact
that the twenty states that are dry are
suffrage states. .
Il want TO do my share" said Miss
Stearns In closing. TRUE nobility of
life is honest, earnest service. Life Is
justified by love, and love is known
by it's FRUITS