Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-06-29
mrs. DUPONT Tells
Of WOMEN'S HEROISM
Proving Themselves Fitted
for All Kinds Of Work,
She Asserts


Mrs. Victor dupont, ST., before conven.
ton of the Delaware Federation OF
Women's Clubs, at Rehoboth. Del, june
%, 1917.
we all know the heroim, devotion
and self sacrifice Of the noble women Of
the DAYS of our revolution, but It has
been in comparatively recent years that
women have realized how much more
they could accomplish by organization.
II was toward the end of the Civil War
that the work that the women had been
and were doing had been imperceptibly
paving the way for the concentrated and
organized efforts of women for a gwen
purpose That pioneer Of organized
women's work, for the help Of humanity,
Florence Nightingale was still spoken OF
with scorn and contempt. She was con
sidered 70 have unsexed and degraded
herself bv having. with twenty devoted
followers. gone TO the Crimea to nurse
the wounded soldiers of Great Britain,
and IL is a commentary on the change
of sentiment that when, fifty years
later. England entered into the Boer war,
the most important part of her military
equipment was n corp of eight hundred
trained nurses Clara Barton was just
entering upon her wonderful career. and
what the Red Cross is in America to
day, is largely the result OF her organi-
zation. 1t may be remembered that both
these great women were ardent support
ers Of woman suffrage. Florence Nightin-
gale had no leisure for active work IN
this particular direction, but in her own
words 'no one could be more deeply
convinced that women should have the
suffrage than she. IN 1868 she joined
the society for promoting it. she was an
annual subscriber TO it, and in 1871
sanctioned the use Of her name in sup
port OF the cause. and in 1878 expressed
for publication her conviction of the jus
tico of it.
At present women seem TO be prov
ing themselves fitted for all kinds OF
work All over the world they are
filing mems positions with satisfac-
tory results and for the first time in
history they are being called upon
officially by the different governments
for help. In tho United States they
have been asked by the men in pow
or from the President down to mobil-
lie for the defense of their country.
They have been petitioned to do al
most everything and are doing It,.
The work achieved by wo-
mems clubs has given an enormous
impetus to the cause Of woman suf-
/ frage. In the sixties, except among
the few earnest and thinking women.
woman suffrage was a joke and look
what 1t is today--a recognized politi-
cal power. And let as remember that
even in the sixties il had tho support
OF such men as Abraham Lincoln
Phillips Brooks. Herbert Spencer
recognized leaders Of the world N
craftsmanship and christianity. name;
which viii never be forgotten in The
history OF progress aud development
II woman suffrage had nothing back
Of II but Abraham Lincoln, It would
have enough TO prove the justice OF
! its claim. There Is not today in his
tory a man whose every public and
official utteranco carries more weight
than do those OF Abraham His BAL
lots arc moro powerful than bullets"
were used as the text of the sermon,
preached by Bishop Brent in St.
Paufs Cathedral in London at the
service celebrating the entrance
Of the United States into the war
period. Ponder the meaning OF those
words. Ballots are more powerful
than bullets" and follow out the in
evitable influence on the conditions
OF the nations OF the earth today II
women everywhere had the ballot.
Woman suffrage Is no longer a ques-
ton OF If IL is merely C. question
Of when, and every observer OF pres
ent day conditions must realize that
fact. but many people. both men and
women. arc still Indifferent to the
question. and also many people. both
men and women. really ARE for wo-
man suffrage only they don't know Il
yet. They just haven't found them
selves, and yc. it can be proved out
Of their own mouths.
Ask the average man II he believes
in tho justice Of the American Revo-
luton, and of course he will answer
yes" Ask him the cause of it, tax
alton without representation" Ask
him II he believes in a republican
form OF government, again he answers
yes" What Is a republican form Of
government? A government with the
consent Of the governed, not a govern
ment with the consent OF half the
governed. but government with the
consent OF all the governed The
question of whether they want to vote
or don't; whether their vote will do
any good or whether Il won't; whether
It is necessary or whether II isn't;
whether we bubble over that silly