The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-09-07
awoMANs HOUR HAS STRUCK"
Declares Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait TO
Woman SuGrtg as.

ISOLATION, in her address before the an
nual convention Of the association here
to-day pictured the suffrage movement
as having reached crisis which means
that The Woman's Hour has Struck
Earnestly, she exhorted the women not
10 lose heart but 20 recognize the pres
ent opportunity which II seized with
yigor, enthusiasm and will, means the
final victory of our great cause in the
very near future
She said, in parts
"The great war will bring untold
changes in its wake it presages a total
change in the status OF women, In Eu.
rope, from the Polar circle 10 the Aegean
sea, women have risen and taken the
places made vacant by men, and in so
doing they have grown in seli'respect
and in the esteem OF their respective ma.
tions. Indeed Europe is realizing as Il
never did before, that women are hold
ing together the civilization for which
men are fighting. great searchlight
has been thrown upon the business oi
nation. building and II has been demon
strated in every European land that It Is
a partnership with equal but different
responsibilities resting upon the two part
ners.
THE war will soon end and the ar
mics will return TO their native lands,
To many family, the men will never
come back The husbands who return 70
many a wife will eat no bread the rest
of his life save of her earning.
"What then will happen after the war
win the widows left with families 10
support cheerfully leave their well.paid
posts for those commanding lower
wagesq Not without protest The eco.
nomic axiom, denied and eyaded for cen
turtles will be embslloned on every FAC.
tory, ooiinting house and shops Equal
pay for equal work. and common ~
tice will slowly but surely enforce that
law. The European woman has risen
She may not realize it yet but the wom-
an 'door.m in every land has uncon'
sciously become a door lamb. She VIII
have become accustomed to her new dig
nitv bv the time the men come home She
will wonder how she ever could have
been content lying across the threshold
now that she discovers the upright lamb
gives so much broader and more normal
a vision of things.
"In Great Britain, which was the storm
center OF the suffrage movement for some
wears before the war, hundreds OF bitter,
active opponents have confessed their
conversion to woman suffrage on account
OF the war services OF women. Already,
three great provinces Of Canada, Manito-
ba. Alberta and Saskatchewan, have CIV
on universal suffrage 70 their women IN
sheer generous appreciation OF their war
work. Even Mr.. Asquith, world re-
nowned for his immoyable opposition TO
the parliamentary suffrage for British
women, has given evidence Of change
of view. Some months ago he announced
his amazement at the utterly unexpected
skill, strength and resource developed
by the women and his gratitude for their
LOYALTY and devotion A public state
ment issued by Mr.. Asquith in August,
was eouched in such terms as to be IN
terpreted by many as a pledge TO include
women in the next election bill
THE significance OF the changed sta
tus OF European women has not been
lost upon the men and women OF our
land: our own people are not 50 I'M
learned in history, nor so lacking IN ma
tional pride that they will allow the re-
public to lag long behind the empire,
presided over by the descendant OF
George the Third. If they possess the
patriotism and the sense OF nationality
which should be the inheritance OF an
American. they will not wait until the
war is ended but will boldly lead IN the
inevitable march of democracy, our own
American speciality
LAS the most adamantine rock gives
way under the constant dripping OF wat
or. so the opposition to woman suffrage
in our own country has slowly disinte-
grated before the increasing strength OF
our movement
"Tbe edifce OF woman's liberty means
completion. Over our heads, tantallzlngly
near hangs the roof of our edliice--the
vote. What is our duty? Shall we spend
time in admirng the cap stones and cor
nice? Shall we lament the tragedies
which accompanied the laying of the cor
nerstones? Or. shall we, like the build
ers of old, chant. 'Ho all hands, an
hands. heave to- All hands, heave to!
and while we chant, grasp the oVerhang-
ing roof and with long pull, strong
pull and pull together, fix 1t In place,
for ever more?
Let us then take measure OF our
strength. Our cause has won the en-
dorsement OF all political parties; every
candidate for the presidency is SUI
fraeist. 1t has won the endorsement OF
most churches; it has won the hearty
approval of all great organizations OF
women. 1t has won the support OF all
reform movements; il has won the pro-
pressives of every variety. The majority
Of the press in most states is with us
Great men in every political party,
church and movement are with US. The
names of the greatest men and women
of art science. literature, philosophy, re-
form, religion and politics are on our
lists.
I'VE have not won the reactionaries
of any party. church or society and we
never will From the beginning OF things,
there have been ants. Before the vote
is won. there must and viii be gigan,
tic final conflict between the forces OF
progress, righteousness and democracy
and the forces of ignorance, evil and re-
action. That struggle may be postponed
but il cannot be evaded or avoided. There
is no question as to which side will be
the victor.
"Shall we play the coward then, and
leave the hard knock for our daughters
,brnx- OURSELVES fufO the