The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-05

dUlo " tSuCA Dut Ill uuS llHl5
the schools were opened to them. In
1880 colleges were opened to women
and then many arguments which are
now used against equal suffrage were
used to bar women from the colleges.
In the years between 1850 and 1860
there were three issues bound to-
gether-temperance, anti-slavery and
woman's rights. They were all Ques-
tons of human rights. In 1852 the
f1rst woman's rights convention was
held and Susan B. Anthony became
the leader, which place she held for
f1fty-two years, derided by the public,
loved and respected by those who
knew her. At the close Of the civil
war the fifteenth amendment was
passed to enfranchise the colored
race and the amendment was SO
worded as to permit Of the interpre
tation that it gave franchise to
women since race, color or previous
person from voting. Two women did
vote to test the law and were prompt
ly arrested. Later amendments clear
ly barred women, admitting to the
right the most iIliterate colored men.
Susan B.'s Amendment.
Susan B. Anthony then drew up
the amendment which is still called
Susan BIS amendment that the right
to vote should not be dependent
upon sex. At every session Of con-
gress this amendment has been pre-
scented and at every session turned
down in some way or another. until
the last session Of congress when the
vote on it was deferred until next
December. Do you understand why
the vote was deferred. There are
four million women who will vote for
president in November. Both parties
want those four million votes and
both were in consequence afraid to
vote against that amendment. While
the federal law has been defeated an
nually since 1869, the states have one
after another voted to give franchise
to the women and when the time
comes that the number of women
voters are strong enough, congress
will pass the constitutional amend
ment and the women of all the United
States will have the voting privilege.
Now as to what the women In the
western states have done with their
privilege of voting. All the laws for
women and children read alike In the
western states; they are called
'women's laws they have to do with
the welfare Of women and children,
child labor laws, sanitary laws, lave
making a safe environment for the
home, property rights for women, and
equal ownership of children.
"In Massachusetts it took fifty-hve
years to secure the passage Of the
law giving the mother equal owner
ship with the father of their child.
In Colorado this 'aw was passed nifty
DAYS after women were given the
| franchise It is not because men are
evil that these laws are not passed;
it is because they procrastinate. 9TH
er things seem to them more impor-
tant.
| Find It's No Failure.
Some times you hear IL said that
equal suffrage is failure In states
| where it has been tried, but we have
! the endors ement OF the governor OF
every equal suffrage state. One state
where the vote has been given to
women has ever voted to rescind the
privilege. Anti-suffragists often say
that equal suffrage has been failure
in Colorado and to refute that on
| two separate occasions the Colorado
| legislature has gone on record by
saying that it is a success and that
they recommend it as a sane politi-
cal measure.
suffrage for women Is a natural
elimination of the rights already
given women: that of education and
the opening Of the professional and
industrial world for her. The work
done in the club has been step to
ward franchise for women, their
study OF civics and their interest in
the cities and in public affairs. The
federated clubs everywhere have en-
dorsed suffrage and in the clubs you
find the educated thinking women OF
community. In this country there
are eight million working women who
should by virtue of their economic
contribution to the state, have the
privilege to aid In making the laws
by which they are governed We
want this right of franchise for the
women of Iowa. for the sake Of the
state itself as we'll as for the cause
of suffrage throughout the country"