Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-28

To the Editor OF The Times- Dispatch.
co srr.wd note With pleasure that you
mas verified my statement that MT
Catt offered the services OF the Nation.
American Woman Suffrage Associatio
70 the government in the event of wa
That the Anti-Surrage Association nre
coded them IN this Offer is most wei
come news. Tho iabors of the suffrs
been In vain. when all women, eve
tho antis." promptly leave tho shel
tered seciusion Of their homes, an
offer themselves for any sort Of pubii
service that may be required Of thei
in this crisis.
The splendid way in which America.
az we'll. are standing soIidly back O
the government in chs great hght, an
both metaphoticnlly and actually put
to win this war. 10 Tao great outstnnd
ing fact of which the nation may b
4, . That every now and then we hear
amonBs, the auffragists. or Mrs. An
ME Riley Hale, amongst the .'antis.
g pD ear In opnosition to the great pre-
tration. Is to DO deplored. but happil
they are SO few that their voices ar
drowned in the great chorus OF loya
these United States.
II Is true that Miss Rankin vote
a So1;n c war. So Also did ki,eh!n; Q.
men In the House. But Miss Ranks,
Is not the official representative of tn,
W9mnn snfrragis,s OF this country. no
woman sufrrasists by that negativ
vote any more Than KItchin rcprcscntc.
the majority OF men In North Cardinal
No" Since that vote. however. she
like Kttchin. is supporting the admin
'stration measure for winning the war.
l must repeat my statement OF last
400 i'm
against Miss Rankin. According TO heb
speech In the congressional record shy
been. cha rech rsh. did. however. pro
test against meeting lawlessncss WITH
Ia wirssness. and condemned the lynch
members Of the l. W. w. from Arizona.
SO also did Woodrow Wilson. in n
telegram 10 the Mayor Of that Arizon,s
Miss Rankin speaks for herself and nos
as tho representative OF millions o.
suaraEists in this country.
AS TO ne charge that suffra sist. arr
chiscment OF women during the war
whether in England or America.
maI,r pot Of ihe 1an, ,hat The
evidently did not 80 regard them. els,
the British House OF Commons woult
never have passed the woman suffrage
or the Canadian Parliament have giver
the vote in August last TO the mothers
wives, sisters and dauEhters of sol.
diers. or. five Canadian provinces
through their respective Legislatures
hsve given state suffrage to women iI
the past two years. Women have voted
In State elections. but have not YET
used the vote for members OF Parlia.
ment in Canada.
Mrs. Henson Is mistaken In saying
were drafted. Tho CONSUMPTION ACT
was passed just two months ago. The
men arc not yet drafted. All the
100000 Canadian soldiers are volun.
tcers. one in every fourteen from the
suffrage provinces. one in every IN
The same spirit OF democracy which
prompted Canadians to give women
the vote. also sent them In such splen:
did numbers to the battle fields OF
France. where democracy was at stake
asking for Immediate enfranchisement
I'VE arc lighting for democracy. for
the right OF those who submit to au.
thority to have a voice in their own
Eovernm emit" whether In Europe Of
America.
with tho world leaders OF dem ocrscy.
Woodrow Wilson. Theodore Roosevelt,
Herbert Asouith and Lloyd George,
standing hack of us in this campaign,
we can afford TO disregard the croak-
ings OF the ANONYMOUS gentlemen whom,
woman suffrage would prove harmful
TO American society" and laugh at tho
inconRruity OF the statement that 10
give women the vote would threaten
tho very existence of our great ex-
pertinent in democracy
IA women. the Other half of the poo
ple cannot vote.
Richmond. Va. October %. 1917.