Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1915-12-02
lBy D. w. GaID

Ny - W. >t"AAS
For a quarter of a century,
the writer edited and published
a newspaper, the PLAINDEAL-
Err, at his home, Philippi, West
Virginia, and if the files were
accessible, many things could
be found, that would meet his
condemnation with the light of
today.
During the period of the early
publication of his paper, we oc-
casionally read of something be-
ing said or done in relation to
"woman's rights or sometimes
phrased as woman suffrage"
but it was presented then in q
very different condition that
what faces the people of the
state today, as it now comes in
way that meets with the APP
proving eve of intelligence.
Then, there were very differ
ent conditions to be met at the
polls, but today, in almost any
place on the American contir
nent, the presence of a lady is
perfectly in place, and the fool
hardy objection falls to the
ground, but now and then"the
relation of the women of this
country to the country have so
changed, that they are an impor-
tant factor in all the relations
of life. in business as well as in
social life.
Today the women of the coun-
trv in many instances are real
estate owners; engaged in the
mercantile permits have their
money invested in manufacture
ing businesses, and are not only
investors, but their brains are
the leading means of driving
success to the enterprise; then
we have the women engaged in
nearly all, if not all of the avo-
cations of life; the lawyer; the
doctor; the merchant the teach
err; the inventor the preacher;
the leader in business enterprises
of various kinds; the farming,
and successful too; the salaried
woman;- the clerk; the steno-
grapher; the skilled and unskil-
led laborer, in fact, the women
of the country are playing
their part in lifAs makeup. and
the MONIES are just as charming
and enticing as ever.
One of the assumed reasons
for opposing the right Of fran
cllise b., ing extended TO women
is their place is the home and
granting it for the argument
sake, that the home is under the
care and management of the wo-
men of the land, but that is no
argument, why she should not
go out and purchase the grocer
les, the household needs, or, that
she should not go to church, to
lodge, to the societies existing in
her neighborhood, but all these
are part Of the proper makeup of
to add to the business of her
the successful woman's life, and
treatment. she should not only
be given the rights generally
conceded to be hers, but she
should have the same rights
that other citizens in shaping
the general rood of the country
and that can only be done by the
exercise of the right of selecting
or having say in the selection
of the persons who are to off
cially represent the country in
any public capacity, and she
should be granted the right to
vote, because it is RIGHT, and
moreover, it should and will
purify the franchise of the
county.
AS citizen Of West Virginia,
residing temporarily in the Dis
trict of Columbia, | have always
had patriotism enough to go
back to my home to vote, and in
1912 went back, with my per-
sonal influence and voted for the
amendment, that was carried by
$4,000 majority and if I live, l
will be back there at the next
election, to cast by vote for the
constitutional amendment, to
give the right Of franchise to the
women Of the state, and 7 may
find time during the campaign
to do even more, as I must give
to some time to advise the voters
of the state, what might have
been"
The country is growing bet
ter, and the objection, that once