Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-01-04
wlnt The Women Did In California.
San Fernando, CAL,

letter Ju HOW tuC SdinPdi6" "oS WI
ductedin Harper's Ferry, and must say |
that she deserves much credit for the
thorough and business-like manner in |
which t1e work at the polls was carried
on November 7th for our great cause.
Califprnia, as you undoubtedly know.
is a Suffrage State. and had the pleasure
of seeing women vote and saw how the
campaign was conducted. The polling
places were much more orderly than
those in West Virginia. Every one was
perfectly sober and acting IN gentle
manly manner--perhaps due to ladies at
the polls.
There were ladies on the election
boards-in fact they had an active part in
the whole election, even TO re-electing
President Wilson. So you can see what
the ladies' did out here, reelected our
President, turning California Democratic
for the first time in history in a presl-
dental election. wonder what DR.. w.
w. Brown thinks of this ?
Among The arguments that have heard
against suffrage were, that the women
would have to neglect their homes and
children to go TO vote. Here in California
the women were organized, and those
who could not conveniently leave their
homes, or who lived some distance out,
were sent for in automobiles. One lady
would stay at the house and look after
things, so that the one who could mol
otherwise leave was quickly taken in
machines TO the voting place and returned
home in less time than it takes to think
about II.
People say that women would have to
pay poll tax. Why, women abolished
poll tax in this State, and California is
not bankrupt either. The schools as a
whole excel those of any other State in
the whole Union. Here in San Fernando,
for instance, town of $500 population,
they have magnificent high school build
ings and grounds. costing with equipment
$3.50, 900, and two new grammar schools
costing $50, 900 each, with the most mod
ern teachers and methods. California
has thousands Of highways. Los Angeles
county has over two thousand miles
alone, and all of them equal to the best
paved streets in Washington. Can you
imagine trip by automobile from San
Diego to San Francisco, a distance of
over seven hundred miles. and paved
boulevard all OF the way? Not a Speck
of mud. Some difference from the mud
holes in West Virginia that people call
roads. These are all taken care of by
bond issues voted on by the people and
with no appreciable increase in taxes.
So you can see what women have done
from this standpoint. Women have also
done away with the graft that formerly
existed in collecting poll taxes. II used
TO cost the State sixty cents to collect
each two dollar taxes. This is all saved.
The increase on the property holders
bred dollars valuation, far less than the
average man paid before. The richer
the man, the more his share, as it should
justly be.
Women here take greater Interest in
civic and local affairs than the average
man does in West Virginia, and do not
neglect their homes either. They have
been great factorin cleaning up politics,
eliminating those Objectionable features
which have been so long drawback TO
our Democratic form of government.
And do you know, Mr.. Snyder, men out
here are awake TO this fact, and do NOT
have TO be handled with yellow flowers.
They are justly proud of their women.
Booze and prohibition are thrown up
to the women when they talk suffrage.
Men ask why the women. do not vote
California dry. Women will vote this
State dry, but at the present time they
feel that it would be an injustice 10 make
the State totally dry. There are in Cali
fornia $4,000 acres In grapes. Of these
10000 are wine grapes, which are grown
on land fit for nothing else. Over 90 per
cent OF these vineyards are on side hills
or in sandy places where there is very
porous soil which will not retain water.
The grape vine will subsist where Moth
ing else can. Over one hundred thousand
people are dependent on this crop for
support. Would it be fair to make their
crop worthless all at once ? Not at all.
These women are human, and those peo-
pie are gradually turning TO some other
industry. When the time comes and all
is ready they will have dry State
From anotherstandpoint, these Western
men, seeing their wives struggling side
by side with them in making their homes
in a new country such as the West today
is, know that they are worthy TO share
also in the political fight to better living
conditions. Where granted the ballot
the women are doing their equal share of
breaking through Inc mel OF ola nan-maoe
laws and securing better living conditions
for herself and family.
What kind of woman does modern
man admire and seek for wife? Is it
the clinging-vine type, the sweet, simple,
little society bud ? Mol II is the trim
business-like girl who is capable and
alert, who can take care of herself, who
will make the best and most enjoyable
wife, and can best manage household
in other words, this is the day o; efficien-
cy. This IS the type OF women that are
found in the West and are the ones who
take the active part in securing new and
better laws for the people ia general.
SUBSCRIBER.
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