The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-31
OPEN LETTER
ADDRESSED TO
MRS. OLIPHANT
On the Suffrage Question is Is
sued by a Woman from
Denver.

Mary L. GETS. Of Denver Coo.
VINO spoke in the court house sun
day afternoon and who is making
campaign tour of this state in the
interest of the woman suffrage
amendment. addressed the following
letter to Mrs. Oltphant Monday morn
ing
From what can hear you are
going over this state scattering the
same venomous lies and misrepre-
sensations with regard TO suffrage in
Colorado that you scattered through
out Montana two years ago. fol-
lowed you there and gave you the lie,
and at one time you met Amy Ed
mundS, of Butte in debate and suf-
fered most inglorious defeat at her
hands. But with all your shameful
attempt to defeat suffrage for the
women OF Montana II carried by tre-
nendous majority and you received
the Just rehuke OF your dog-in-the
manger policy. Your name Ia spoken
today In Montana with derison and
contempt. Your story OF Colorado is
a ISSUED of falsehoods from start to
finish, Among other things you have
we're not opposed to civil war but on
the contrary had themselves caused
the bringing in Of the federal troops
to help shoot down the miners. i
was one of the 5000 determined
women who gathered at the state
house of Colorado on the morning
Of April &c, 1914. and demanded and
compelled the withdrawal OF the muir
derous gun men and thugs imported
from Michigan and West Virginia
as many as the miners of West Vir-
ginia in 1912 had not left on the
NIL stdes-by the mine operators.
These was the ones who, at the COM
mand of their bosses destroyed the
tent colony OF Ludlow, shot down in
cold blood and burned to death
women and children. When the
news fthis awful tragedy, rlyalinS
the deeds of most barbarous ages
mashed over the wires, the mother
heart OF the state was thrilled as by
electric shock, and the women came
together with the one single and I'M
ninching purpose of putting stop to
these heniOus murders. And we did
put a stop to them and in all the
world there stands not forth
mightier argument for woman sug-
frage. An argument against which
the puny efforts of such as you fiy as
chan before the onrushing sweep Of n
mighty west wind. And 1t is a west
wind and only we who live in the
West know Its resistless force. Ii
has swept the western states clean
OF the rubbish Of prejudice such as
feeble hands try TO pile IN as bar
rler and is gathering force for the
hnal sweep OF your rubbish pile into
the Atlantic ocean.
The calling into Colorado OF the
FEDERAL troops was another strong
and unanswerable argument for sur
trage. That body Of enfranchised
women knew the law and though
stirred to the depths OF their being
were not moved by sentiment alone.
Ihey knew that when country was
under martial law it would be i'm
possible to withdraw one military
body without substituting another. /
Therefore a body of disfranchised
women would not have been likely tn |
have known this: but we know il and |
we reasoned, and justly so. that since
this was the fact it would be better
to bring a body OF federal troops who
would be under the command OF the
federal authorities and not under the
domination Of those who had en-
ployed and commanded the gunner. |
And We were right. absolutely. and
the murder of our women and chill
dren did cease.
And now when anyone says or in
slnuates that the women of Colorado
put the federal troops into Inc
southern coal fields for the purpose
o. shooting down the striking miners
mat one lies, and knows that he lies,
Cor she).
MARY L. GEFFS.
vi Colorado and proud of the fact.
AUIAT0R'e DEATu