Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-01
The Evening Star N.v.u.per comp.p,
Political Equality for Women.


equality to women is not vitality essen
tial to the winning Of the war in the
sense that if this justice is for the
present refused or postponed the war
will be lost. The women of America,
while denied political equality, have
from the very beginning Of the war, as
patriotic Americans, responded with a
devotion and enthusiasm equal to that
of the men to their country's call to
war-service and war-sacrifce. They
have not held themselves aloef from
war-work until they could bargain for
compensation in political rights. They
have not by strikes or threats to strike
coerced Uncle Sam even into doing po-
Gtical justice.
As they have given themselves to their
eountry's service SO far in the war
.,devotedly, unselfshly, whole hearted
1y, self-sacrifcingly-so they will con-
tinue to serve, no matter what hap
pens or fails to happen on Capitol Hill,
until the war ends in victory.
But the grant of political equality
to women, if not vitality essential to
the winning Of the war, is an inevi-
tab5 result of victory in the war for
world-democracy, and its present grant
is natural. wise and peculiarly op-
perfume measure of war preparedness.
The women of America have no ma
tion-wide representation and the men
and woman Of the District of Columbia
have no representation at all in the ma
tional government, which taxes them
and sends them to war or demands
from them war-service and war -sacri-
fce. Pending constitutional amend
ments remedy both of these un.Ameri-
Fan, un-republican, n-democratic con-
ditions.
Both amendments should be quickly
submitted by Congress to the people,
not because refusal will make slackers
of the women of America or Of the
iWashingtonians, but because of the de-
mands Of consistency and justice, of
national pride and self-respect, of the
spirit of true Americanism and right
cous hatred Of autocracy in any guise,
and Of the patriotic impulse toward full
preparedness of the nation as the
champion of democracy and represen-
tative government everywhere in the
world.
Neither Washingtonians nor the
. women Of America will work and fight
less vigorously and enthusiastically
for their country if these unjust dis
examinations, slurring their American
ism, are not Immediately corrected.
But should the nation take advantage
of this unselfsh, patriotic devotions
The shock of war electrifes the
Amerieanism Of the nation as we'll as
the individual, of Americans collect
lively as we'll as individually. Will not
the nation, now demanding of the in
<iividual a purer, higher, stronger
Americanism, respond on the instant
ITO its own appeal and thoroughly
Americanize itselfs
In the impressive and inspiring
words of President Wilson: 1--WE are
glad to fight thus for the ul-
innate peace of the world and for the
liberation of its peoples, the German
people included. The right is
more precious than peace and We shall
fight for the things which we have
railways carried nearest our hearts-for
democracy, for the right of those who
submit to authority to have voice in
iaheir own governments"
The women of America and the men
and women of the District of Columbia
are among "those who submit to au
thority." Are not all Americans then
fighting in this war for the American
'woman's right and for the Washing
1onian's right "to have a voice in their
pown government? Or is there an
s3mplied proviso in our proclamation
(which causes US to fight in this war to
establish representative government
for men only and not for women, and
everywhere in all the world except in
the capital of the great representative
republics
Fear is a recognized influence in rem