The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-31

added responsibility without added
privileges; that women were no longer
protected as they once we're, but must
protect themselves.
He made his strongest plea for equal
suffrage from an educational stand
point. He said that the vote was an
education just the same as attending
school was an education, that II women
were not forced by the economic. in
dustrial and social conditions to work
in the mills, factories and offices side
by side with the men; IL they were
provided for and protected as they
we're century ago. he would still not
only be in favor Of extending to them
the privilege OF casting the ballot, but
would be in favor Of law compelling
them to vote whether they wanted to
or not, just the same as he was in
favor OF compulsory school law COM
polling children TO attend school, be-
cause woman's influence was needed in
political and social life and 1t was her
duty to lend to the country and COM
nunity her intelligent expressions
and view points. This would not be
merely doubling the vote. because of
her peculiar outlook upon life. and her
vastly different interests. Therefore
men and women both needed her ex-
preston of these special interests and
views.
He said that woman suffrage was not
a sudden thing which had sprung up,
but a great evolution,-the climax of
a movement which has been going on
for more than a century,-that equal
suffrage was merely the perfecting OF
democracy He declared that equal
suffrage and democracy were one and
inseparable, that no man could be in
favor OF democracy and opposed To
suffrage; II he opposed one he un-
consciously opposed the other. Ho
spoke of the high courage, the daring
and the spirit Of progress which
spurred our glorious ancestors on and
on to better things, in their struggle
for democracy, deploring the tendency
OF some OF the men Of the present day
toward conservatism and cowardicc
which made them both satisfied with
conditions as they are and afraid to
change thing once established.
He laughed to scorn the arguments
advanced by the ants, saying that they
had no meaning at all, but were only
conservative ideas to check the prog
ress of true democracy. He met their
charges that women's votes had not
in these few years brought about alb
solute perfection of conditions and
goyernment,-such as the women's
failure to avert the labor strike in
Colorado,-my saying that IL woman
suffrage was to be considered failure
because women did not bring about a
perfect condition of things on the
morning after the election when they
were given the vote. then male suffrage
must also be considered failure be-
cause men had not made conditions
perfect after having voted for hun
dred years.
He asked the men to consider their
own families and see II they did not
believe their mothers, wives, sisters
and daughters as intelligent and as
capable as themselves. He paid
beautiful tribute to his own mother,
saying, 'she is the finest woman in the
world" He did not say, however, that
he believed she would soil the hem OF
her garments II she walked to the
polls on election day, or that he would
consider her any less a LADY, On the
contrary. he praised his mother and
his three sisters as being intelligent
alert and wide awake, sensitive to
every public movement, and declared
them Just as capable of contributing
their share toward the government as
himself. He wondered at mems lack
of faith in women which subjected
them to the indignity of being treated
like children and depriving them of
their right to acknowledgment, to Gull
tivate the noblest and best in them,
the chance to find themselves, thus de-
prtving men Of their valuable cooper
alton in doing the great work of the
world. As comparison he asked
whether 1t would be better for the rich
man to teach his son trade and allow
him to carve his own way in the world,
or to protect him and provide for him
all his life aad then leave him his for
tune.
In conclusion he dwelt for a little
while upon the greatness OF our ma
tive land and our glorious ancestors
who fought to make America what It
Is today, the open door to the oppressed
of all nations, the land OF equal oppor-
tunity for all men. rich and poor. the
beacon light Of world, the land which
says to all races, "Come unto me all
ye that labor and are heavy laden and
! viii give you rests-our own United
States Of America, and appealed to all
men to give the women Of their coun-