The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-09-23
'tRY CONDOR

doubtless secured n few signatures. But
the paste II In your hat declaration
recently nude by the governor In u pub
lie hddress that such petition would re-
celve no consideration from him has cer-
t1lnlS put ut rest the minds OF those
who may have llnd any doubt as 10 Its
reception.
Tn mistaken impression created by
misleading articles published IN various
sections OF the country stating that West
virginia WAS bankrupt because of the
adoption OF prohibition has been repud-
lated By stale %Oric:nls. and the states
leading newspapers. 1t Is well known In
our state That the financial deficit which
extended over u period OF Il few weeks
was not CAUSED by prohibition. At the
last special session OF The Legislature a
levy WAS aid which will provide sutI-
cient revenue TO care for the deficit arls-
Ing under the license regime and meet
The states expenses, -
AS to the states present financial con-
dltiOn here is quoted excerpts from a
statement published by the West vir-
gina Board OF Trade 10 correct false re-
ports:
West Virginia Is not now and never
lins been. financially embarrassed. az
represented ny numerous reports spread
hrUadcast over the country. based on
lille ruinOrs and mIsinfOrinatlon. Like
many other states. West Virginia has
lost revenues 10y reason OF the enactment
Of Prohibition laws, n has also been
called upon 10 meet some unusual ex-
penses in connection with labor disputes
IN one small section, such as occur In
my great industrial community. but sue
cGS$iNe SESSIONS OF the Legislature have
met these difficulties by proper legislu-
;iOGi. anu West Nirgimu's credit should
and ubeg stand as nigh In the field of
iinhlGe ana government as n state IN
tile Union.
Equal Suffrage.
Mun% Of the pTeJudiCes and arguments
against wUInAns suffrage are based upon
CONDITIONS that no longer exist. Our M
ton has moved forward with such tre-
menduuS speed that only the most nimbie
w!iIcd among us have heen able to keep
pace with II. 1htis II happens that many
OF the arguments IN opposition to woin-
ems suffrage are us thoroughly out Of
date aud ridicuIotA and old fashioned az
Ii Il hoop skirt. Would We discuss the
question intelllSently we must regard Il
In the light OF present day conditions;
we must realize the great transformation
that ms taken place In our social and
economic conditions within tho past :wo
generations. (,
Fifty years ago there was but one wom-
ans college in America. and that was
not much more than a seminary. Today
there are Il hundred ind nifty wopen's
colleges. TO make no mention OF the many
c~O.eGucntional institutions, Seventy per
cent Of the graduates OF our high schools
are girls, and today there are more young
women preparing Off college than there
are men. In the educational tatus "
woman. therefore. there has been Il most
remarkable change.
Sixty years ago there were but Ave or
six Occupations open 10 womcn-teach-
ms. sewing, housekeeping and the like
AMI; all told, there were nMt a compare
lively few thousand women who were
earning their own living. Today there
are more than three hundred occt pa
lions open To women and there are today
upward OF SIX million women who are
supporting themselves by their own la
bcr.
In the face OF this tremendous fact,
what becomes OF the one-time argument
Ing themselves: Our fathers could nU,
have conceived OF IL time when the tn
dustriul. the commercial. the business
life of this nation would be vitality upon
the labor OF women. Were the women to
withdraw from the industrial work today
and return TO the conditions OF nifty
years ago. the nation would collapse.
The business and commercial world would
be thrown Into Il state OF chaos,
Fifty years ago there was not a wom-
ms club In existence. Today there are
more than eight thousand OF them. with
q total membership In excess OF two mil.
lion women. II WAS commended q genera
ton or two ago that women had no ca
pacltleS for organization or for collective
work. What weight has an argument
today based upon this contention?
The suffrage movement has been aptly
called the advertising department OF the
womnn's movement. And while we ali
must recognize that we are a part OF the
woman's movement there are found 4
few who refuse to he identified with the
advertising department. Suffrage Is
merely q meana to al end.
There is a feeling OF uncertainty ex-