The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1915-01-14
What the Suffragettes Might Do.

frage question with as much grace as a
professor sldesteps admiring phrases for
squallmg baby, he is nevertheless 'in bad"
with the suffragettes who are making such
strenuous efforts to force the matter of suf-
frage as national issue.
Perhaps, IN no better way, can the ignorance
OF the average woman be better illustrated
than In this; they have either lost sight of the
fact, or they never thought of it, that each
State has the right to adopt or reject, what
ever legislation it sees fit to adopt or reject
and that it is unconstitutional for any meas
ure to be forced on State, from the National
laW-maklng body, unless the greater number
OF the States have already adopted it. Even
then, the question of each individual State
taking the measure as law, would be open.
While Mr.. Wilson has made a great many
blunders, he did not in this case and his reply
to the committee of women was the only one
he could have given. There have been far
welghtier matters than that of suffrage which
SO decided stand on
Statistics of the results, where suffrage has
been granted, continue to be made known, and
IN recent census of Denver it was shown
that, since Colorado granted suffrage, the per-
centage OF divorces had increased enormously
In Denver alone, it has been shown that the
number Of divorces is just one-half the num-
Der of marriages.
Argument to offset this is offered, but it is
not altering the fact as it stands. that, with
more liberty, recognizing women as less able
to accept the new order as philosophcally as
men would, the standard has been lowered,
and the results do not Justify the claim that
was made, of a lettering Of conditions when
suffrage was granted.
If those women who are working SO hard
+11rv, 4Ia;r
and effort toward the things that are CRYING
for attention. and work as hard for them as
they have for the empty honor of suffrage,
they might relieve distress, ease aching hearts,
and make a standard which would lift every
State in which it was made, thousand per-
cent.
One of the most crying needs Of the hour
is to provide for the widow mother, who is
not able to leave the little ones of her~family
to the care of others, and who cannot bring
herself to part with them, for the homes and
asylums which are all the STATE has to offer.
In several of the States, pensions are
already given the poor widow, who is thus
able to keep her little brood under her wing,
and make the home for them which will count
SO much in the shaping of their lives.
The State could go even further; it could
make of these pensioned widow-mothers, the
foster mothers Of other homeless, parentless
little ones, and add further to their income,
by paying for the keep and the care of those,
whose ultimate home will be an institution Of
public or private charity.
If the club women, and the women who are
working so hard for suffrage, would take hold
of this question; if they would look to the
mill-districts, where the little workers, pa
tient, faithful and often lily -nourished, are
glad to work even at the back breaking tasks
they have to do. because of the fact that they
can "be home with the folks" the facts which
thnU would ovofhpp pvnn ON a chort Uicit would