The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-30
WIN WAR BY
VOTES FOR WOMEN
Continued from page u

!, by conjecture. It is not alone the
voices of statesmen and Of news
+ papers that reach me, and the voices
OF foolish and Incorporate agitators
. lido not reach me at all. Through
many, many channels / have been
made aware what the plain, strug-
Cling workaday folk are thinking
upon whom the chief terror and suf-
fering this tragic war falls. They
are looking to the great powerful,
famous democracy of the west to
lead them to the new day for which
they have so long waited, and they
think in their logical simplicity that
democracy means that women shall
play their part in affairs alongside
men and upon an equal footing with
them. II we reject measures like
/ this in ignorance or defiance of what
a new age has brought forth, of what
they have seen, but we have not,
they will cease to believe in US; they
will cease to follow or to trust US.
They have seen their own govern
ments accept this Interpretation of
democracy-seen old governments
like that Of Great Britain. which did
not profess to be democratic, prom
Use readily and as of course this
justice to women, though they had
before refused it, the strange reve-
lations of this war having made
many things new and plain, to give
this as well as to peoples.
Are we alone to refuse to learn
the lesson? Are we alone to ask and
take the utmost that our women can
give-service and sacrifice of every
kind-and still say we do not see
what title that gives them to stand
by our sides in the guidance of the
affairs of their nation and ours? We
have made partners of the women
in this war. Shall we admit them
only to a partnership of suffrage and
sacrifice and toll and not partner
} ship of privilege and right? This
war could not have been fought,
: either by the other nations engaged
or by America. If it had not been for
the services of the women-services
rendered In every sphere-not mere
ly in the fields Of effort in which
/ we have been accustomed to see
| them work, but wherever men have
worked and upon the very skirts and
edges Of the battle itself We shall
not only be distrusted, but shall de-
r serve to be distrusted If we do not
5 enfranchise them with the fullest
: possible REIMBURSEMENT. as it is
) now certain that the other great free
I nations will enfranchise them. We
cannot isolate our thought and action
. In such matter from the thought
: OF the rest of the world We must
: either conform or deliberately eject
what they propose and resign the
: leadership Of liberal minds to others
The women OF America are too
: noble and too intelligent and too de-
r voted to be slackers whether you
< give or withhold this thing that is
mere Justice; but / know the magic
8 1t will work in their thoughts and
spirit IL you give it to them. I pro-
:, pose 1t as l lrould propose to admit
n soldiers to the suffrage, the men
8 fighting in the field for our liberties
i and the liberties Of the world, were
they excluded. The tasks OF women
!, lie at the very heart Of the war, and
i i know how much stronger that
heart will beat If you do this just
b thing and show our women that you
t trust them as much as you in fact
), and Of necessity depend upon them
: Have l said that the passage of
: this amendment Is a vitality neces-
II sary war measure and do you need
t further proof? Do you stand in need
d of trust OF other peoples and of the
trust OF our own women? Is their
true an asset or is it not? l tell
you plainly as the commander in
e chief Of our armies and of the gal
l. liant men in our fleets, as the present
= spokesman of this people in our deal
e ings with the men and women
throughout the world who are now
our partners, as the responsible head
OF great government which stands
y and IS questioned day by day as to
e it's purposes. it's principles, its hopes,
whether they be serviceab1e to men
u everywhere or only to itself and who
: must himself answer these question
> 1ngs or be shamed as the guide and
= director of forces caught in the grip
OF war, and by the same token in
. need OF every material and spiritual
resource this great nation possesses.
, tell you plainly that this measure
which ! urge upon you is vital to
the winning Of the war and to the
= energies alike of preparation of
battles. And not to the winning of
war only. 1t is vital to the right
solution, Of the great problem which
/. we must settle and settle Immediately
!, when the war is over. We shall
need then in our vision of affairs as
we have never needed them before. the
y sympathy and insight and clear moral /
instinct of the women of the world.
The problems of that time will
strike to the roots of many things
. that we have not hitherto questioned.
and |, for one, believe that our safety
in those questioning days, as well as
: our comprehension of matters that f;
touch so closely to the quick will
depend upon the direct and authori-
tative participation of women in our
counsels. We shall need their moral
sense to preserve what is right and
fine and worthy in our system as we'll
=, as to discover Just what 1t is that
ought to be purified and reformed
Without their counseIlings we shall
} be only half wise.
This is my case. This is my an
peal Many may deny its validity if
they choose, but no one can brush
aside or answer the arguments upon
which it is based. The executive
tasks of this war rest upon me. I ask