St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-06-19
WHAT THE WOMEN WILL DO AT
THE CONTENTION.

A Convention to re-write the Con-
stitution of the State of Louisiana
will convene in New Orleans, Sep
TENDER 14th. Under the laws made
by the 11S delegates chosen by the
voters of this State all the people
will be governed for the next Is or
20 years. Whether by design or ac-
cident the date selected for this aus
picious occasion is significant. 1t
was September 18th, 1874, when the
self-respecting, long suffering men
of Louisiana arose and threw Off the
yoke of reconstruction and its ac-
companying carpet-bag rule. Let US
hope that again the self-respecting
Justice loving, clear yisioned men OF
today will assert themselves and
clear the name of our beloved State
by doing justice to her women, by
running out ignorance and prejudice
and political oppression under which
women suffer equally, it not more,
with men.
Are the intelligent women of Lou
isiana willing to continue for another
twenty years to have their opinions
placed in the same category with
the idiot, the criminal and minor?
Are the thousands Of intelligent
working women, upon whom the
manufacturing interests Of this city
are dependent, content with the con-
ditions under which they labor. Do
they prefer the gallantry Of the
Southern manufacturer and legisla-
tor who continues a ten hour work
day, or the justice of the Western
States where women legislate for
themselves, and have voted an eight
hour day for all labor?
I Are the thousands of intelligent
women by whose efforts the non-sec-
tartan institutions of the State are
maintained, such as orphanages, day
nurseries, dispensaries, willing to-
continue patching up humanity
have they not yet awakened to the
cure, and that only by having the
direct power of the ballot, instead of
indirect influence can the youth of
the State be protected?
Are the thousands of intelligent
women teachers still blind to the i'm
proved conditions of their profession
in the States where women vote?
Are the intelligent mothers willing
to continue longer knowing that the
children they have borne and strug-
g1ed to raise do not legally belong to
them?
Are the intelligent men Of this
State willing that the opinion of their
mothers and wives be regarded as of
70 %h0v, %h0 0vaSyH
ion of some alien who has only been
in the State five years, or some drink
sodden tramp, or the keeper Of dives
where the souls of the youths are
scared and blackened
Are the business interests of this
State willing to continue bad bust
ness policy by turning from our doors
a class of immigrants who demand
justice to all men and women?
No State either socially or finance
ally rises higher than its womanhood,
and intelligent mothers are not COM
ing to Louisiana to raise children in
ion; where the community law rec
ognizes the right of the husband to
sell the roof over her head even tho
she earned the money to build it;
where because she is not a qualified
elector," she cannot hold any official
position in the State except that of
factory inspector.
Therefore, as president of the La.
State Woman Suffrage Association, I
call upon all men and women of the
State, regardless of creeds or party
affiliations to unite with us in pre-
senting to this Constitutional Con-
vention request that the word
made" as qualification for voting
be not written in the new Constitu-
ton, and also that they send in their
names and the names of as many |
men and women as they can secure |
to the suffrage headquarters, 336
Camp street, NV Orleans, within the |
next few days.
JEAN M. GORDON,
Pres. La. State Women Suffrage
Association.