The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-10
VOMANS AS SEEN QUO EYES, IF
Already Efficient as a
Lobbyist, Is Verdict,
and a Powerful Inhu.
ence for Better Laws

Ia WIZ
legislation" said Herschel Jones, ehe
as field agent for the National Child
Labor Committee has won hvs Ssp.
cessive campaigns for hett.s cbils
labor laws in Mississippi. Ncntuc>y.
Arkansas. Georgia and Alabama
without their hep we cou1S not havA
secured these advances. 1-nrpura
their network 1T clubs a.ncn
possess the greatest single agency
outside the press for educating pubic
opinion.
women are the leaders in ,ha
attempt to meet the social prnblems
Of the South. This is partly hccaus.
Southern men have been occupied with
pioneer industrial development. T-e
last conference OF tho Alabama Eod.
GRAFTON Of Women's Cluhs was almost
a sociological congress-. Men who
dropped in to these meetings were
a%stonisned at III" intelligent discussion
of state and municipal problems.
The clubs had a State legislative
committee not merely amiably to n.
dorse bills but to lobby and CO mpa ,yn
for them. Neither did these women
spend themselves over a wide rang.
" bills. but selected four or t,.
measures upon which TO concentrate
the interest of the State.
1T Is the Southern womcn whn ara
really facing the facts of ill,teracy and
ignorance in the South. Il l. tley
who are demanding that the prcScic.
Of the negro no longer ne NJ, VOL 10
stand in the way of compulsory edhi.
cation and better schools"
Does the Southern woman max.
q good lobbyist" I asked.
Yes. Ia her everlasting credit. for
Southern men have done their hes' 10
discourage her. When she is ~ineffec.
tive it is usually because she is n
experienced. There is often much
na,vete about her first attempts a,
lobbying" Mr.. Jones smiled remlnis.
Gently for a moment.
Her frst attempts at lobbying
usually ran something like this. The
legislator begins: why. Mrs. Davis
1t certainly isn't fair t. your daucr.
tiers the way you keep looking
younger every day, You're looking
mighty fine this morning. And how
are your cousins over in Cartersvilie.
Miss Minnie and Miss Lou: Mss
Minrfes certainly going to he a great
BELLE and SO on until Mrs. DAVIS
breaks In TO tell about the child labor
bill or whatever she's working for
Wen he thinks she has about reached
tie point Of asking for his vote some.
thing fanind0 him ~ usl,a. N a.. ,Inu
he had with her grandfather on a GER.
tain notable occasion. Not until she
gets home does she realize tina. she
has had a pleasant talk, but no dea.
mite promise. Then she has to start
all over again. Gradually she ac-
auires skill in keeping such men to
the point. pricking their false z
ments and watching the men who
promise n thing and do another.
There Is scarcely a Southern State
too In which a woman has not almos,
single handed secured some much
needed Law for better living conditions
o. such women Jean Gordon Of New
Orleans Is a type. She has been the
foremost m Of the South in az
tation against child labor. She won
L~ouisiana's child labor law and IN
1905 gave up her leisure to become
factory inspector Of New Orleans. A
city that stands to-day among tho
nrst In the enforcement OF It's child
labor law
"Women are destined 10 Weld their
greatest power in States where the
Initiative and the referendum h,,
teen adopted. In Arkansas .he
women's clubs. working with the A.
kansas Federation OF Labor. secured
twice the required number Of ~gn1.
lures 10 bring the child labor hill 70
a vote n left such a trail OF effect.
arguments in their wake tina tho law
carried By a two to one vote o, tho
people.
ITO my mind women have a higher
vision Of craftsmanship than has II.
average man. Social legislation. n.
object Of which Is to develop hcalth or.
more intelligent, more efficient human
beings. appeals to them. This interest
Is a Specialization OF the mother n
stinct. II Is this vision az race m
provement over a long period o, 'irn@
that has made the German nation N
efficient. What Bismarck and 'e
present German Emperor have done
through autocracy American women
pr" trying to do through demnrrn,y.
TEis. as ! see it, will he women's cor-
tribution to the craftsmanship ~ 'ue
future"
That women's political e~ffeCiiyores.
extends TO national issues is pointed
out by DR.. John b. Andrews, secretary
OF h American Association for Labor
Legislation. who played an imperfect
part in the passage of the "phossv
jaw bill.
DIR. Andrews told 10Y the women :
clubs OF the nation lent their str-u.'h
To the friends of the 'phOssy Jaw
hill, whose passage would pru'r,'
workers in match factories from RE
terrible Gripping and mutilating cil,c =
Of phosphorus poisoning. They nul
only sent delegates To washington u..
wrote scores of letters themselves 'I
carried on campaigns in their Aun''
towns on the theory that lubbyluG .'
gins at home. To this end they 3.
cured the columns ~ the local rie%'
c~anvassed their friends. and in some
towns ~placarded The stores.
When n man stopped N the bakery
to buy a LOAF OF bread for his WI. ID
placard In the showcase urged han.
Write to our Senator" When hc -;
in the Ia rber's chair he stared at zoe
reminder. Write to your enator
When he went up to the cigar stand (.
sign jumped out at him and sad
. y $1,000