The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1916-11-11
VIEWS OF women
ON THE FRANCHISE
Northwestern Federation Makes
Plea For tho Ballot.
STANDS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

ouo"o0u ToTSoT SOuOuOSo 6UtOu0Ia9
Ito Campaign With Votes For Womsr
. a. Paramount lssue-Platform Call,
For Effective Legislation.
By MINNIE N. SCOTT.
Chicago.-The Northwestern Fedora.
ton Of Colored Women's Clubs, Mrs.
]. snowden Porter, president, has done
a noteworthy service in its work to Sc.
cure the ballot for women. In the
campaign just closed the federation
adopted and used the following as its
platform and plea for fair play:
A group Of Illinois women, encour-
aged as they were by the hope Of this
new emancipation offered to them by
their state and realizing the opportuni-
ties afforded them In their work Of 80
cial service through the ballot, are CO.
operating with their sister workers
having the same or partial rights In
their effort to make national suffrage a
fact, thereby giving to all women the
power to use the ballot for the purpose
Of securing such legislation as win pro-
mote the advancement Of all citizens
Of all sections Of this country.
Deeds, not words" Is q motto much
believed in by this group Of earnest
women, and they set about the work
of organizing women Of the "old north
west and the new northwest" with
these ideas in mind at their first an
nual meeting, held at Wichita, Kan,
adopted as their platform of principles,
among other planks, recommendation
for national child labor law and one
for universal suffrage, asking the ma
tional parties, which intended to make
their appeal to the voting contingency
for support, to incorporate these prin-
ciples or their substance in their 1915
platforms.
This organization has been carefully
watching the situation since that time
and analysing the pledges of the par
ties and their nominees, especially
those Of the Democratic and Repub-
Ican parties, Woodrow Wilson and
Charles Evans Hughes. The paramount
issue, SO far as women are concerned.
Is universal suffrage, for It win be
through this source only that we can
hope for such legislation as we have
continually asked for, which will bring
to us all the other progressive meas
ures along social and economic lines
and assure to the home and the COM
munity the security and welfare of the
people.
Universal suffrage will make the
child labor law secure. We have work
ed for, hoped for it a long time. There
fore we want to stand by our own
platform and urge all women to CO
operate with the "vote for women"
movement. Such laws we have also
looked forward to as a protection to
our children and future men and wo-
men and q safeguard to the health and
happiness Of the breadwinner, but
when we analyze this legislation care
fully, given us in the eleventh hour,
presumably for political purposes, we
find little Of merit In the giver.
America is again in travail, the re-
suit Of which we are hoping and pray
ing will give birth to national woman
suffrage, that new emancipation to-
ward which women have been work
ing and hoping for more than forty
years, hoping and working to free
themselves from bondage Of Unequal
ity. As at the time of the emancipa.
ton Of the Negro slave, SO it is now in
the affairs Of the nation. Mems hearts
are failing them for fear Of what is
coming upon the republic, whatever
they may say to the contrary. They
are seeking everywhere for solution
Of the problems which are continually
confronting them. Wars and rumors
Of wars, disasters by land and sea, Ia
Dor complications, the tariff question.
many matters Of social and economic
interest, are constantly engaging the
attention of our wisest and most sober
statesmen. They invoke the cohsid.
Grafton Of congress-, and still they are
far from solution. Our country was
never in a more unsettled condition
since its discovery than It is at the
present time.
Wherever women have been given
the franchise, either partial or in full
home and community conditions have
been bettered because laws have been
made better and more secure. Yet, as
"a little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump" there must Of necessity come
retardation Of effect, and we can
only hope for universal and steady ad-
vancement when all the women in ev-
cry part Of the country shall have the
power to express their desire through
the ballot. Until then we shall con-
tinue to see our country rise and fall.
like the ebb and flow Of the sea.
Four years ago there came to US q
new party with new platform, with
new planks. offering us protective
child labor laws and woman's suf-
frage. This party was to woman like
the cloud the size Of a mans hand
The hope extended then has grown un-
til. like that cloud, 1t has grown for
us to the typical pillar Of fire." lead
ing to the promised day, as our fel-
low men have extended that franchise. |
The new planks Of 1912 have become
tha vital focuac - <ho c~rrpaf<pv. SvS.x