The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-05-04
A Suffrage Lecture.
(COntributed)

hose WHO llSteuSu W Cuc duUFcSS
given by Rev. Eftie McCullom Jones
at the Methodist church Friday night
felt that the occasion was one of edu-
, cational value, in addition to its ap-
plication to the cause of woman suf-
frage. No Iowa woman has ever been
| identified with more humanitarian
movements than has DR.. Jones. Her
broad experience has deepened her
sympathies and quickened her intel
! lect, thus preparing her for effective
work upon the platform.
A part Of her address follows in
, substance:
When Wyoming was organized as
territory in 1869 women were given
equal suffrage with men. When after
twenty years of experience with wom-
an suffrage, Wyoming asked for state
hood the first article in the cOnstitu-
ton submitted to congress secured
the right of suffrage to women on
equal terms with men. This excited
much debate in congress- The terri
torial delegate wrote to the Wyoming
territorial legislature or council then
in session that he feared Wyoming
could not be admitted to the union
with the woman suffrage clause in
the constitution. The message was
wired back, 1--WE will stay out of the
union one hundred years before we
will disfranchise the women of Wy
oming." Thus it was that Wyoming
became the first white state on the
suffrage map. Since then Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, Washington, Nevada,
Oregon, California, Utah, Arizona
and Kansas have Joined the suffrage
ranks. The states of this vast west
ern area are contiguous. This is sig
nificant. If the dire results followed
woman suffrage that the anti-suffs
would have us believe, why, o why
did the men in neighboring states,
who had ample opportunity to know
the consequences of woman suffrage,
extend the suffrage territory?
In most, probably in all, of the suf-
frage states, the men out-number the
women. This being true, if suffrage
is failure, the men of these states
together with the vast number of
women, who according to the anti
SUITS, are opposed to votes for women,
could disfranchise the women Yet,
but one effort has been put forth to-
ward such an end. When the ques-
ton was submitted in California the
Union Pacific Railroad Co. was hav-
ing troubles of it's own, and was not
in position to fight the movement.
When it's difficulties We're disposed of,
it made the effort to get the question
resubmitted, but could not secure one
per cent Of the names of the electors
of the state on it's petition.
Mary McDOwell's experience with
tho Chic9pn cOl1noi1 furnishes n0ct
excellent illustration of the power OF
woman's influence withuot the bal
lot as compared to her influence with
the ballot.
For twenty-five years Chicago had
of garbage, as result the rate of
infant mortality was alarmingly high.
Babies died like flies. Mary Mellow
ell watched the little white collins
filing by to the cemetery year after
year, and recognized the cause OF the
mortality in the improper disposal Of
garbage. Furnished with plans, spec,
ifications and estimates she went be-
fore the city council to ask for an
appropriation for the erection of
garbage plant. She secured no hear
ing. For eighteen years, she labored
with the council without avail while
the little white collins filed by. One
day the Illinois legislature discovered
that it had it within it's power to ex-
tend municipal suffrage to the women
OF the state. Within two weeks after
the extension of this franchise, the
council that had turned a deaf ear
to Mary Mcdowell for eighteen years,
sent for her, invited her to present
her plans, specifications and esti-
mates, made the necessary appropria-
ton and built the garbage plant be-
fore the women of Chicago had ever
used their right of suffrage. Why?
Mary Mcdowell and the thousands of
women who stood with her in this
humanitarian movement had no long
er to work with the toy tool of wom-
ans influence. They were ''constit-
uents' now, now furnished with that
most effective weapon of defense and
instrument of accomplishment, the
ballot.
Mr.. Moling of Colorado, and a
group of other out-of-lowa people, |
came into the state, unlimited (for |
there was no state organization to ex-
tend an invitation) to conduct the |
anti-suff campaign. Mr. Moling and
his helpers are skilled workmen.
They have gained the skill that comes
from practice. They are the same
group that moves from state to state |
whenever the suffrage question is at |
issue.
Mr.. Moling has made statements
concerning the effect of woman suf-
frage in Colorado, especially as to |
taxation and financial conditions that
have been refuted by the Denver
of Commerce In 1918 Colo
RADIO reduced it's rate of levy for state
purposes from 4.1S to 1.3 mills on
the dollar.
Indeed it is generally true that the
tax rate is lower in states where suf-
frage has been granted than in any
similar group of states where women
do not vote. Following is COMPARE
son of rates in fourteen states:
NON-SUFFRAGE
Per $1,000.
w locOnslH 80 |
New Hampshire NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1900
vermont $500 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1888
lN lSSOuII -----------------.-..--.-.-. 1890