The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-05
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 WiIlvote.

And now come the opponents Of
equal suffrage with the threadbare
and oyerworked talk that the extern.
sion Of the franchise TO women Will
interfere with "women's work." This
so.called argument Is SO hoary with
age and has been refuted SO many
times in the equal suffrage states
that It is an insult to the intelligence
West Yirginians. to pressAit at this
time. :,
Every woman knows, and most OF
the men know it as well, that any
work that needs doing is woman's
work. Especially do the women 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 a 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 milks 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 womanllness.
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 boy" trousers.
Does this not prove that the farmer
and his wife are partners? X part,
ners, they work together, and II 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 that
OF their husbands and sons as that
OF farm women. With a practical
identity OF work. what becomes Of
the argument" that 7oting 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 dignihed than voting. It cannot
be possible that anyone thinks that
an equal partnership Is at all equal
when one can vote bonds upon the
farm, which Is the common stake Of
both.
The men Of West Virginia are too
chivalrous not to listen to the request
Of the women for the extension Of
the suffrage 70 them. The only dan,
ser Is that the arguments fayorins
the amendment may not be brought
forcibly to the attention Of many who
will be called to vote on the question
next fail. Right here ID where the
women themselves have a work To
perform. II they ask for tho vote
they will get It. There 10 nothing
that the men Of this state will not
giye 70 tho women II the mon believe
the women want5it
WiySl. lot your husbands know
how you feel about this question Of
yotinE. Lot him know that you
want 10 DO an equal partner win him
u tho stake which you both have II
ths soil. ~ h!p know shls thsiycls
VIII 20 . double Protection % ysI 10
" anY chance the hand OF death
thaald leave you alone with The part.
nefship thas broken, 10 You thus Iiet
aim know how YOU feel about IL, he
VIII yets for The equal Suffrage
amendment IN November,