Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-06-15
QUIZ FOR FARMERS
And THEIR WIVES
Some Things That Every Man
andWoman on a Farm Is
Fully Aware OF
NOW UNEQUAL PARTNERSHIP
Women of West Virginia Should Let
Men Know They Want to vote
and They win Vote.

And now come the opponents OF
equal suffrage with the threadbare
and overworked talk that the extern
sion of the franchise to women VIII
interfere with swomen's work. TINS
so-.alled argument is SO hoary IN
age and has been refuted so many
times in the equal suffrage states
that it as an insult to tie intelligence
of West Virginians to press it at this
time.
Every woman knows, and most of
the men know it as we'll, that any
work that needs doing is woman .
work. Especially do the woiG"n on
the farms of this state know that
there is no broad line of distinction
between her work and that Of her
men folks Who is there that ever
lived on farm but knows that eV-
cry one OF the following propositions
is absolutely true?
Every Woman Knows
When the men are late coming
home from market she does the
chores.
When they are busy with the hay
she miiks the COWS.
When an extra hand is needed in
the harvest she helps in the field.
Her outdoor activities are not al
lowed to interfere with her house,
hold duties. At such times she often
works far into the night, long after
she and her men folks have returned
from the field.
And she knows that her dignity
does not suffer and that she loses
none of her womanliness.
When taxes are due she draws on
her butter and egg money hidden
away in the blue sugar bowl.
To help pay off the mortgage she
spends long Winter evenings putting
patches on the boys trousers.
Does this not prove that the farmer
and his wife are partners? II part
ners, they work together, and if they
work together why not vote together?
There is no class of women in the
state that Works so hard and whose
work is so nearly identical with thai
Of their husbands and sons az that
of farm women, With a practical
identity OF Work, what becomes Of
the argument" that voting will de
tract from the sweet womanly dig
nifty of the wives and mothers? II
cannot be possible that anyone con
siders doing the barn chores any
more dignified than voting It cannot
be possible that anyone thinks that
an equal partnership is at ali equal
when one can vote bonds upon the
farm, which is the common stake Of
both
The men of West Virginia are toe
chivalrous not to listen to the request
Of the women for the extension OF
the suffrage to them. The only dan
ger is that the arguments favorine
the amendment may not be brought
forcibly to the attention of many WHIT
: viii be called to vote on the question
next fall. Right here is where thu
women themselves have a work t
perform. If they ask for the vote
x tiey VIII Set II. IHeTe Is HOtau}S
that the men of this state will no
/ give to the women if the men believe
the women want it.
Wives, let your husbands know
how you feel about this question o
+ voting. Let him know that yo,
/ want to be an equal partner with hin
/ in the stake which you both have il
the soil Let him know that the vot,
( will be a double protection to you /
by any chance the hand of deatl
should leave you alone with the part
\ nership thus broken. If you thus lie
him know how you feel about it, h,
will vote for the equal suffrag,
I amendment in November.