The Washington herald., 1915-12-01
LOCAL ANTI QUOTES FIGURES.
Mrs. Stoddard Says Women Prefer
to Work for Men Than for
Other Women.

Are the suffragists impervious t.
| facts?" asks Mrs. Joseph NJ. Stoddard
1 prominent Washington anti-suffragist
| in a communication to The Herald datec
| November %; "or do they regard fact
as inessential in a controversy? We
Often hear this misstatement made b,
| the suffraEists-that there are 10000
wage earning women v no need the bal
lot for their protection There are s.075,'
| 7I2 women and girls 10 years of age Of
! over employed in gainful pursuits, &C
cording TO the last U. 8. census, 5,sU-
| go or about s. per cent work for wages
: OF the remaining ones Is per cent are
| women who own their own business and
employ others. or they are in a profes-
lawyers, ministers, etc. while IS per
cent of them are at work on home farms
and are not paid wages.
"Of the wage earners only 2.o46,3ee, less
than one-third of all women employed.
are in factories. stores. canneries. hotels
and in occupations generally covered by
| labor laws. With the ballot at their
command they would be hopelessIy in
the minority, even though each and
every one voted. Only 1.Ss.55e, or 15s
per cent of II women gainfully employed
arc Of voting ags.
when we realize that these women
are better taken care OF in male suffra re
States than in States where women vote
as comparison OF the labor legislation
will truly show. such remarks as the
| factory girl Is the paramount issue and
the women Of the West are putting her
welfare above party ties and partisan
ship by Miss Joliffe, seem not only in
congruous and paradoxical but ridiculoua
Also that the working woman in the
West as well as in the East could not
be free until they had suffrage Such
statements are misleading and out Of
place.
Votes do not raise wages. Wages have
rot ben raised in States where women
vote and are not higher in comparison to
the wages Of men than in male suffrage
States.
when We consider that 2,Sao.sS. or Is
tics, or engaged as laundresses in private
families or in occupations OF a domestic
nature, why have not the women who
employ these women who can raise or
lower their wages. regulate their hours,
In fact. settle every point in this ques-
ton OF domestic service without recourse
to men or polltics-why have they not
been more successful? Why has domestic
service become almost a stigma and why
does each year see thousands Of women
filling factories. shops and Offices, often
in the employment and under the direc-
ton OF men rather than to do woman's
work with a home. food and wages under
the direction and supervision Of women?
There are not 1900 900 women voters
in the United States. as the suffragists
persist in stating. and 100000 votes will
be turned against Mr.. Wilson IL he fails
to endorse the Federal amendment for
suffrage. There are 3.6s5,Is5 women hav-
fFarr a. I'll
when We allow for those who fail to
vote and for the many who have no
grievance against President Wilson this
number will be materially decreased
Put the factory girl above the Presi-
cent"' the new slogan adopted by the
Union. Is only one more
sensational cry which has become an
integral part of the suffragists' advertis-
ing campaign.
Such attacks only react upon the in
stigators and lower whatever may be Of
excellence in the question"