Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-14
WOMEN ARGUE STRONGLY
FOR EQUAL SUFFRAGE.
Miss Katc Gordon, of New Orleans,
and Mrs. Stephen Putney Make
Addresses.
MRS. c. v. MEREDITH pREsIDEs
Question, Miss Gordon Says, Is
Merely Whether South VIII Act
Through States or DO Forced
Through Federal Amendment.

What want 10 know Is. who gave
mon tho right In representative form
OF government to cay whether or not
women shall voter" II was Miss Kate
Gordon. OF New Orleans. who in brill
Liant address on tho subject OF votes
for tho Southern woman last night In
tho auditorium OF tho Jefferson Hotel.
made this very pertinent query. The
occasion WAS mass Getting held
under the auspices OF the Euqal Suf-
frase League OF Richmond. at which
Miss Gordon and Mrs. Stephen Putney,
of wythville, were the speakers
The audience. rs Mrs. Putney said.
was necessarily an Intelligent one.
being n Richmond audience, and many
telling points were made by both
speakers.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE A FACT,
NOT AN EXPERIMENT
Miss Gordon said that people made
the mistake of speaking Of woman
suffrage as an experiment, rather than
n fact: and she showed how through
out the civilized world II had been en-
tended to women everywhere more rap
idly than in the Eastern United States.
She said that in representative gov
Stu"eul Sutn rs InlS the OH
which II is built is that taxation with
out representation IS tyranny" and
that governments derived their just
powers by the consent OF the governed"
and declared II "is n sad commentary
on our government that 1t did not fol-
low that principle In including the
whole people rather than men alone"
She sketchcd briefly the grounds on
which the franchise WAS extended to
men.
WANTS TO KNOW HOW THE
SOUTH WILL PROCEED
III we should follow that often
repeated advice and tell women her
place Is I'm the home. taking her out
OF industry Tomorrow, tho wheels OF
industry would cease TO turn forever"
she asserted.
AZ Southern woman and president
of the Southern States Woman Suf-
frRSe Conference, Miss Gordon said her
particular mission was TO md out how.
with emphasis on how" Tho South
was going to have suffrage extended
TO women. By national amendment or
State enactment, for" she said, the
South cannot always stand In the way
OF progress"
So tho conference is following the
advice OF President Wilson, who said
tho Democratic party must take such
action as an organized body, and tho
cratic National Convention OF 1915,
asking for a woman suffrage plank,
which, II refused. would force South
ern women TO ask for a Federal amend
ment
Mrs. Putney made special plea for
tho child-for woman's Inherent right
TO care for the child
'Oh, you satisfied women" she ap-
pcaled. have YOU right in your
clean, pleasant homes to put your chill
dren to bed In comfort and forget that
other woman who lives in n base
inent and whose babies work all night
in the mills?"
First II was TO property holders; then
an extension on educational grounds.
and then 10 Industrial workers. On
me hrst two counts the said women
we're barred because they had no prom
orty rights under the law. and were not
given the possibilities for education
But" she asked, can any one DENY
mat women have always been factors
N industry? They have always been
producers. How can they he denied the
right to vote through that extension?"
She spoke OF the ballot FOR the working
man es his source OF power. and said
Ia the United States needing Il to-day
for their protection.
WOULD HAVE woMAS,s VIEW
IN ENFORCEMENT OF LAW
In speaking OF certain conditions
UNDER which children work In States
where there are no child labor laws
she told OF weeA toes OF ave and six
Years who are kept awake during the
long night hours by man whose duty
IL Ia TO GO the rounds with water bucket
ana sponge and mop the little faces
to Keep their eyes open
She said women wore the n.,ura,
cleaners. Why not give them rho riuht
70 act on questions pertaining 20 SAM!
tetion and 10 cducationr
Among other points made by tho lat
Ter speaker was that If there were laws
on the statute books. they would he on
9oreed; that women have a di~erept
viewpoint from men. and for that rea
son both should be represented we
90 not want 70 dahhle IN politics" she
shio. nNt we DO want 10 &c" the body
poittic whole thing, and not hoI,;.
MIS- G. v Meredith introduced the
speakers. and there was an open dis