The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-12-04
OF Interest to Women
BY wInona Evans Reeves.

4
When the Keokuk teachers return
ed from the state convention held in
Des Moines early in November, they
spoke Of being amazed at the disre-
spect shown the, American flag. The
officers of the state association sat
on platform which had been
temporarily elevated for the occasion.
Flags were nailed all along the edge
of this platform to hide the braces
placed beneath, An American flag
was used as table cloth and on
this was the water pitcher and other
essentials. In this day Of patriotic
education it seems Incredible that
this should have occurred and that in
Des Moines the capital Of Iowa. No
one can. remember all the provisions
of the Iowa flag law, but every one
can remember that the flag is only
to be used as a banner, it cannot be
put to serve any utilitarian purpose.
In connection with expression or
love and respect for the flag, we
have in this country a man whose
love for the flag is so strong 1t is
almost pathetic Travelling north in
Lee county on the Red Ball route, is
corner where before the days of
the rural mail delivery there was a
postoffice known as Downtown. In
the building where the store and post
Office used to be lives a veteran of
the civil war-Jack Pickard. He has
on his house tall flag staff and
with the regularity with which flags
are raised and lowered above an
arsenal or a government building. the
flag is raised on that pole and all
day until shutdown the stars and
stripes float to the breeze on that
prairie road 1t is a handsome flag
ard can be seen long distance and
the heart of every discerning traveller
must be quickened by the sight OF
Old Glory in that unexpected place.
When Helen Keller was here a
year ago, Miss Mary Fletcher gave
her a blue bird pin. because it seem
ed to her that Helen Keller was the
embodiment of happiness. A few days
ago Miss Fletcher received photo
graph of Miss Keller, across which
was written her autograph with a
sentence showing that she priced the
gift and still remembers the giver.
Every one who reads The Gate City
must know who Jasper Blines is, for
he has been contributing to its col
umns for all of twenty-five years,
perhaps longer. A short time ago,
through the kindness of Mr.. John E..
Mitchell, we met him personally. He
is very interesting man, interesting
in the way that one would imagine
Thoreau was. He loves the out Of
doors and used with the greatest ease
geological names and botanical terms
| that the rest of the company had not
even thought of in twenty-five years.
He is a student of history and be-
lieves that war is essential to ma
tional progress. In the course Of the
conversation he spoke Of some bust
ness arrangement that he had with
| some man and said: perhaps I
might have made a more profitable
arrangement, but this man would not
contend point and 1 always try to
avoid contention" Here was a man
believing in war for nations but peace
for individuals. He knows most
people in Keokuk, theoretically-and
few personally. He knows who
among them are interested in birds
and knows who are boosters for the
city and the special fad OF many,
and talking to him we came to real
ize that after all you don't have to
meet people personally to know them.
Last summer the American Wom-
an Suffrage association offered a
| cash prize for the best suffrage
slogan. Emeline Pankhurst was the
originator Of Votes for Women" an
English slogan but used generally in
this country The prize offered
went ito DR.. Eleanor Moore of Phila-
delphia, whose suggestion was BAL
lots for Both DR.. Moore said the
idea came to her while she was can
wasting in south Philadelphia last
year. She came upon an Italian Ia
borer who was violently opposed to
woman suffrage. She argued with
him and showed him the suffrage map
showing the twelve states and one
territory where women vote and
said, What! In all those states won.
en- vota and no men? Lady, l can
no believe" When she explained to
him that in suffrage states both men
and women vote, and that he was
wrong in thinking that votes for
women meant no votes for men-it
was then that the slogan Ballots
for Both" came to her mind.
Very recently a man died in Sioux
City who had made fortune written
in seven figures and he made it
raising radishes. When he was
little boy he worked in grocery
store and saw what a little bunch of
radishes was sold for five cents and