The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-12-07
DECLARES MISS LAURA CLAY OF
KENTUCKY, IN ABLE AND
CONVINCING. ADDRESS
Tells Of Great Good Wrought For Hu-
manity in States Where Franchise
Has Been Granted Women.


Miss Laura Clay. of Lexington. Ky.
among the famous national suffrage
advocates and of a most distinguished
family of the Blue Grass state. spoke
TO fair sized and enthusiastic audi
ence last night. in the assembly room
of the Board OF Trade. on why wo-
men Want the Ballot" under the aus
picies OF the Women's Equal Suffrage
League OF Ohio County. Her address
was ina measure along different lines
than is usually used by suffragists in
advocating the caue." She advanced
her appeal from practically the stand
point that II women are given the bal
lot that eventually the nation will be
better. physically. morally and socially.
This. she declared. had been proved
by the states that have granted wo-
men the franchise for many years.
Miss Clay based her argument upon
taxation without representation, for
which our forefathers fought" She
prefaced her address by taking up the
struggle OF the colonies for liberty.
carrying her audience up to the recent
state elections in which the suffrage
movement was defeated.
Miss Clay was introduced by c. Bur.
CESS Taylor. chairman of the meet
ing. He declared that there was no
logical argument against women vot.
ing: that any one who had the right to
participate in the government had the
right TO vote. Mr.. Taylor also made a
brief speech after Miss Clay had fin
ished her address. urging the women
to get busy" in the attempt to carry
the suffrage movement in this state in
1916.
Pledge Card Given Out.
Miss Flora williams. head of the
Ohio County Equal Suffrage league.
appealed to the audience to sign
pledge cards for donations to carry
on the campaign. She said that at
the recent West Virginia Suffrage
convention in Huntington she had
pledged $500 from Ohio county for the
cause: that WetZel county had prom
ised that amount and she could not
permit Ohio county to be surpassed
by Wetzel
Miss Clay. who perhaps il one OF
the most convincing and Impressive
speakers for the cause ever heard IN
the Wheeling district. spoke for an
hour. She divided her theme into two
distinct parts. namely the commercial
vacations OF man and that OF woman.
declaring that there were many pur-
suits in the Industrial world that could
be better filled by women. but women
are barred from these: that even men
admit that women could better do the
work than they. She also declared
that women-thousands of young girls
have been forced to work at occu-
patiOns that are iniuring their health.
uniting them for motherhood All
these wrongs could be adjusted IA
women were given the vote. she said.
Miss Clay harked back TO the days
when women made all the clothing
for the entire family in the homes.
when the hum OF the spinning wheel
could be heard throughout the Land.
when machinery was invented 10
supplant the making of cloth in The
homes and the knitting OF stockings,
woman was forced TO follow the ma
chimes into the factories" she dc.
clared. They worked in the homes
years ago but today they are com
PEELED to labor at the side OF men IN
l the factories. They work 364 days at
the side of the men. she said. land
the only day they do not is on cleo
! ton day when man Is off to vote.
Why Women Want TO Vote.
He votes TO put men I'm office "a
MAKE the laNes Wnlle woman mas nc
voice. which Is simply n question OF
woman working under mans laws OF
! starving. Ever since the world was
created woman has always labored
and made her living. One often hears
the sentimental individuals ask the
/ question Why does woman want "a
vote?' Because they work beside men
under his laws. pay their taxes and
! then have no voice in the government
] declare that Il is the worst stain on
I the fair name OF this country thai
women have no voice In making laws
under which she Is forced to work
and live she declared
Miss Clay said that in 1880 there
| were only one and a half million wo
men employed in commercial pursuits
and In industries. while In 1912 there
were more than eight million I'm shops
and factories. who have no protection
I that rightly belongs 20 them. but they
/ have to lay down their money 10 the
tax collector. She then told 81 the
sentimentalists that opposed the first
( High school opened for girls I'm this