South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-08
WOMEN PROVED
RIGHT To VOTE
Peer Predicts Victory For
For SuffragiStS Because of
Actions During Conflict.

LONDON. Sept. s.-Writing in a
London newspaper, J. NJ. Hogge, |
prominent member Of parliament.
predicts victory for the women suf-
fragists as a result OF the splendid
work women are doinE to assist in
prosecuting the war. He says:
Women have done splendidly
during the war, from the mother,
who has given her son and watches
the casualty list with anxiety
through the long. weary months, to
the woman who is doing navy work
in our munition factories.
THE fact OF women has been
made patent TO the most cynical
woman hater. She has become ubi-
quitous, and what she is doing is
daily convincing skeptiCs about her
vote. Personally. / have never had
any difficulty about the franchise,
as / am in favor of everyone having
a vote at the age of p.
Soldiers Would Agree.
Il do not doubt that if the man
in the field and in hospitals recov-
asked they would enthusiastically
agree TO put the Red Cross nurse on
any franchise she desired. But this
is true of more than the Red Cross
nurse. Wherever women are work
ing and whatever they are doing,
they are impressing the public mind
with the ability, the thoroughness,
and the efficiency of their work.
ITO lose the interest of these
jealous women in the days to come
would be pure folly, and the only
way 10 retain this interest in the
great national movement is to give
them the vote, which concession, L
feel is now bound TO come.
I'VE are looking forward TO a new
patriotism. or rather an intensified
patriotism. after the war. Woman
more than man can assist in that
renaissance, and to leave them out
/ of a new register would be to put a
| damper on their enthusiasm, and in
/ Guce in them the regrettable feeling
that the nation was prepared to use
| them when their services were most
| necessary, valuable and indispens-
| able, and TO sidetrack them with
| little show of gratitude and even
! less consideration when the need for
| those services had disappeared.
Women's Work a Surprise.
"To many people the part that
women have played during the war
/ has been the greatest surprise of all.
/ They never suspected before the
\ great conflict broke out that woman
| could adapt herself to so many pur-
poses. 1t nevc~ occurred TO them
| that the day would come when wom-
ans labor would be substituted for
mans labor practically every sphere
| of usefulness-in banks, the coun-
! try house. the factory. on the tram
way car and the railway; indeed,
| wherever the demand for labor has
/ arisen woman has responded TO the
call and shown herself competent
] 10 nit that job
I IF women can do the work OF
| man they can debate the problems
| connected with that work as ably;
| they can form opinions about the
daily interests of life as accurately.
/ and they can exercise the franchise
as intellgetly.
The opponents of the franchise
| for women before the war more or
! less argued that political power must
ultimately rest upon physical force.
| Woman has shown her physical
force in productive channels that
have materially assisted the nation
I 10 prosecute the war. Her war work
has been definite form of physical
force, ard those who put their reli-
ance upon this argument have had
( it rudely shattered by the facts.
The munitions have destroyed the
] last refuge of the anti-suffragist."