Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-02-16
HEARD ELOQUENT SUFFRAGE
ADDRESS.
Mrs. Il. \. LOgsdOn Home From Des
MOines Where She Heard Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait
Speak.

Mrs. E. N. Logsdon, who is presi-
dent of Winneshiek county's organi-
zation of the Suffrage Amendment
League of the state, recently attend
ed a meeting of the equal suffrage
association at Des Moines, and she
has written the following letter to
Public Opinion, about the meeting:
DEBORAH, Iowa,
Feb. IA, 1916.
Editor of Public Opinion:
Dear Sir
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait gave an
eloquent address on the equal suff-
rage question, Sunday, Feb. 9Th, in
Des Moines. She is National and In
ternational president of the suffrage
organization.
A dinner was given in honor of
her visit in Des Moines, at the Younk-
err Brothers tea loom at $50 D. M,
Monday, Feb. eth. The county presi-
dents over Iowa were invited to be
present together with the suffrage
women and members of the men S
league for equal suffrage. After Il
social time we were all summoned to
the banquet. The bouquets on every
table were our color, yellow flowers;
M re Wi
ed the walls of the spacious room,
twenty-five girls wearing yellow sash
es bearing the inscription "votes for
women" wre present to wait upon the
tables. After all were seated we found
there were two hundred and sixty
present. Mrs. Gait the honored
guest of the evening came in with
Miss Flora Dunlap, our state presi-
dent. Governor Clarke and wife,
Mayor Hanna and wife and several
other prominent people of Des
Moines, including lawyers, judges,
one member of the board of control,
editors, doctors, one jewish rabbi, as
piring politicians, and business men.
The dinner was excellent and very
Iappetizing. After dinner while we
sat at the table, Miss Dunlap rose and
announced that Mayor Hanna, who
by the way is aspiring to the Office of
Lieutenant Governor, would make
the first address of the evening.
He thought Iowa was facing
great privilege, that of granting
equal suffrage to the mothers, wives
and daughters of this great state
which stands first in so many things
and ought to take step forward
now and measure up to this oppor-
tunity Governor Clarke said we
needed a few Paul Revere's to go up
and down and over this state in ear
nestness, sincerity and enthusiasm, to
win votes for the consecrated intelli-
gent chris ian women of Iowa. An
other man, a judge, college class
mate of Mrs Cats, said if he or his.
son was denied the franchise he
would go to war to get his right,
but this denial Of suffrage for women
was disrace to American manhood
He said we have not kept our pledges.
This is a government for the people
and by only half of the people. We
tax without representation, we gov
ern without the consent of the gov
erned. We are the sheer of Europe,
who says we pretend to be a demo-
cracy and then deny the noblest wo-
men Of the earth representation. 1t
is lasting shame upon us and now
when the campaign is on we are let
ting them do all the work. Let us as
men get out and work for them to
help gain the ballot for them. The
other men were all very enthusiastic
and seemed willing to be called upon
to tour the state for equal suffrage.
Mrs. Gait was called on last and very
earnestly gave us a message TO can
vas every rural community district
town and city. She said it is work,
work and never lag till you have ac-
complished the end and aim for the
franchise of the women of Iowa. We
must win for the example we will be
for the middle west, the north, the
south and the east. Let us cheerfully
take up the slogan, "votes for wo-
men,"
Yours respectfully,
MRS. e. n. LOGSDON.