The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-06
Convinced That Newspaper Editors Lawyers Only
EQUAL SUFFRAGE MEETING
Miss Grace Drake of Cleveland Gave
Interesting Talk.

interesting Talk.
Miss Grace Drake was social
worker in New York and Ohio for
seven years. but for the past four
years has been an ardent worker for
Equal Suffrage, that she could better
touch the fundamental needs of en-
ployed women.
Miss Drake lives in a settlement in
Cleveland and is president of the con-
sumers league. The members of the
suffrage study club and invited
guests were fortunate in having her
give a most interesting talk at the
Young Woman's club yesterday af-
ternoon Miss Drake said that jus
tice was the back ground Of practical
need of the ballot for in the last fifty
years, the entire status of woman had
changed In intellect there is no SEX
no women in college. Today there
are 100000 women employed in the
United States but a disfranchised
class can not project its labor. Wo-
men are in Industry and condition
not a theory confio onts us and there
are only two things to do about it,
get women out OF IL or make it safe
for them to he in it and the new in
strument cal,Dd the ballot is the only
way to make is possible
The women in New York state APP
pealed to the Albany Legislature to
have home Industries licensed They
spent one year in investigation then
went before the albany Legislature
for seven successive years and each
time lost their measure because of
the powerful manufacturing inter
ests against them. Finally they said,
lets have PETITION signed by
mothers only Thirty thousand
mothers names wefe enrolled. taken
to Albany and presented The man
who received 1t, said, This is very
well for this year but next year come
back with the names Of 5000 voters
and we will put it through" This
simply illustrates some of the injus-
tice met in this work
Miss Drake conducts vacation
camp for working girls, on the Hud-
son for four months each year None
Of these girls are paid more than six
dollars week. The girls are amaze
mic, underfed and overworked still
these girls heve a right to happiness.
These girls help support some one at
home, all they ask is living wage
and decent place In which to work
We sbould hslp create laws to give
them that Three million children
under fourteen years of age, are en-
ployed IN the United States. Women
must rise and demand an end to this
exploitation of little children Try to
get the right TO express with dignity.
at the polls, our opinion In relation to
women, for the vote is the great in
strumate of government Miss
Drake spoke before the legislature in
Ohio The anti suffragist who preced-
ed her said. leave us in the home"
Miss Drake then showed the need for
woman's work in the home in the
production. protection and conserva-
ton of food, etc Miss Drake said
there were no women on any board
of state institutions in Ohio. Wo-
mans work is the conservation of
life. She spoke of our need for equal
guardianship laws in Vermont and
told the dramatic story of how Massa-
chusetts got the equal guardianship
laid on her status books. These
were only few of the facts given
and many were from her personal ex-
periences. Miss Drake ended with
stirring appeal to the sheltered wo-
man, for the industrial woman, that
the world might be better for our liv-
ing.