The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-06
SEES SUFFRAGE IN 1917.
Mrs. Wyman, Head Of Equal Suffrage
League, Makes Prediction.

beiore an interested gathering ol
> Barre women and a sprinkling of men IL
ycstry of the Universalist church last
evening, Mrs. Frances X. Wyman OF
Manchester Center, president OF the Yer
: mont Equal Suffrage association, gave
an account Of what the movement whicl,
has for its immediate object the fran
chise concession to women is doing, has
done and proposes to do in the very
near future Notice. now, the portent
of the proximal adjective, for Mrs. Wy
man is one of those women who have
good reasons for believing that suffrage
extension will come to Vermont in the
next session of the general assembly.
This she ardently believes and, more
over, she thinks the suffrage measure
would have been written into the law
of this state in the last legislature lad
it not been for the poll tax impediment,
which. if the bill had become s. statute,
threatened to work hardship in fam
lies where single breadwiuner would
have had to assume the poll tax bur-
den OF his wife and several adult daugh-
ters.
Mrs. Wyman, as one of the foremost
suffrage champions in Vermont is deadly
in earnest She argues with the convic-
tion of one who believes her political
doctrine to be infaliible. From the out
set her auditors accorded her ready
hearing. Rev. j. B. Reardon spoke brief
| liz in introducing the president. Women
OF to-day are dscontented for physical,
economic and political reasons, said the
| speaker, and throughout the course of
her remarks she enlarged on these rea
sons. The single standard of morality
has much to do with woman's dissatis-
faction with her condition. Equal suf
frage aims not to establish a breach be
tween the sexes but to knit more close
lv the bond which already exists. Out
OF this discomfort is growing desire
for purer homes.
With reference to the call for the eco
nomic emancipation OF woman. Mrs. wy
man cited the fact that more than S000,- |
600 women in the United States are en-
gagged in gainful occupations. The doors
Of opportunity in the business and indus |
trial world for women are only partially |
opened; they demand equal pay for work |
performed. Because OF the inequality |
noted in economic conditions, women and
their work are exploited, as they are
exploited in vice. Equal franchises will
bring economic freedom in the home.
The married woman, measuring her lot
by and large, has no money. In ex
change for assuming the role of the
home maker rearing children, etc, she
receives her board and clothes and at
the end. what? One. third of the Joint
earnings OF the husband and wife.
Home is woman's sphere. said the
speaker, in discussing the political rea
sons for equal suffrage. Woman is the
mother Of the race and there is no
grander work than hers. But the law
takes her own work out of her hands.
The state owns her children. tells them
when they shall attend school, and ar
ranges. according to the collective needs
OF all the children, the curriculum which
they shall follow after they reach school,
Mothers voice is drowned out and she
has only an indirect influence in mat
ters that vitally interest her own of.
spring. Woman needs the ballot for q
her self-expression. II is for mans in
tcrests that she should have the right I!
to vote.
Suffragism in its larger aspects has
no criticism OF mans work, Mrs. Wy
nan continued. although il realizes full
well that man is qualified to legislate
Tor mankind only from one viewpoint !
Naturally his trend on all questions is i
,long commercial lines. Opposing the q
extension of the suffrage are found all $
interests that thrive on the exploitation
VI the people, the liquor interests. and o
hose who are indirectly concerned with Fl
he exploitation OF womanhood; the a
antis." who may be ignorant or indo. Il
ent. those who have no capacity for -
unusual thinking and good women who is
re not awakened TO woman's needs 81
among the forces that are fayoring equal in
ufraee are the general federation of T.
.omen's clubs. national educational so.
ieties. the national grange national h,
rades union leagues for women. the :,
.orld W. e. II. T.. the national fedora. :;
ion OF miners and MANY others.
IN closing Mrs Nyman briefly re-.
lowed the progress which the cause has
iade. Eleven states have full suffrage. y,
sycral are allowed 20 vote in presiden- VI
al elections others may vote on school W.
lattTs, and 50 on. Even in far-olr ~
hina and India women are awakening se
ne movement has made tremendous bg
rides IN Vermont. Mrs. Mvman added 10
M in many localities thoughtful women VI
h awaiting the day When a local league NJ
ay be organized. ~ rapidly has the lir
ate association grown that to enumer.
10 the enrolment would be- well nigh ho
lpossible The speaker paid tribute 90 'if
le legislators Of the 1915 assembly by tal
,scribng thpm as a splendid body ~ AN
en-. Probably = majority Of them. she =,
ought. would have voted for the suf- N,
age measure could the poll tax impedi- =,
ent have been eliminated. The Oh -,
aele. - already mentioned led MANY -,
embers of the legislature % guard
-ainst working = hardship on family
ads who might be impoverished ~
wing t0 paF many poll taxes. She a..
.oted several representatives "a pre- N''
ting that suffrage VII come in 1917.
il.arra l..llI.