South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-08
SAYS WOMEN WILL
OBTAIN BALLOT
Miss Florence WattIeS, Suf-
frage Worker, Speaks at
High School.

1.-The people OF Indiana are work
ing toward "a new constitution and
the suffragists Of Indiana are work
ing hard toward an equal suffrage
clause in that constitution. bat IL
is my belief that before suffragists
in Indiana or IN any other state
get a hearing they must in some
way show that their cause is in
timately related 10 the big life
problems which are perplexing the
minds OF men today"
This was the statement Of Miss
Florence Wattles OF LOgansport in
her address Thursday afternoon be-
fore the members and guests OF the
economic study class at the high
school Miss WattIes represents the
Equal Suffrage association Of In
diana under which the Economic
study club is considering organic
ing Mrs. r. W. Keller. president Of
the local Franchise league which
rs organized under the Franchise
league Of Indiana and Mrs l. $
FtckensCher. county chairman Of
the state Franchise league were
present and invited the memb ers Of
the Economic club 10 join their
body To which body the club VIII
give it's allegiance remains. how
ever. 20 be decided
Says Women Elected Wilson.
Miss Wattles. who spent the
month OF October campaigning for
suffrage in West Virginia, gave
much of her address over to analyz-
ing the significance of the recent
election, and its probable influence
upon the suffrage cause.
The women of the west IN
doubtedly reelected Pres't Wilson. q"
she asserted. and it must at last
be granted in view Of the com
plete re-alignment Of the western
states. that women are at last a
potent factor in American policies.
n fact. I don't believe there is any
one really alive in America today
who is not in sympathy with wom-
an suffrage, The Anti-suffrage or
ganizatiOn is clearly tracea BILE TO the
LIQUOR interests which have en-
trenched themselves behind the
woman in the home But they are
not fooling the intelligent men and
women Of the day Though the anti
suffragists sent strong workers in
10 the state of West Virginia this
falL they did not fool the intelligent
men of that state IL is my firm be-
lief that the only reason that suf-
frage was defeated in that state this
year was because men were more
Interested in the national heht and
the meaning Of its outcome There
fore had the suffragiSts Of West
Virginia not made a separate issue
Of their cause. but tied il up with
one or another or all Of the big
questions behind the national cleo
ton they would have won. because
they would have been able to hold
the attention Of the men whom
these questions are perplexing.
Predicts Ballot Coming.
81 do not think il will be Ions
before We have the ballot If il is
true. as patiently il is that the wom-
en- of the west elected Wilson. then
this administration cannot very
well refuse 10 hear our plea for the
national amendment Hughes stood
for 'AmeriCanism-' Wilson stood for
'Americanism'. Yet neither could
rightly stand for 'Americanism. as
that word is popularity understood
and refuse 10 hear the cause of suf-
frage."
Miss Wattles dwelt at some length
upon the significance of the Euro
pean war. the Grass materialism
which brought IL about and the con-
tracing spirit which had led Amer
lea 10 her determination TO keep
rnr az -