The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-11-13
Political Rights Of Women in Iowa

The following is a paper read be-
fore the Thirteen Club recently by
one of it's members:
The history of the struggle for
political equality of men and women
discloses three stages: ridicule, ar
gument and adoption. When Iowa
was admitted into the union the de-
mand for "wOman's rights was just
becoming articulate and the sugges-
hold office was frankly ridiculed 1t
must be noted, however, that from
the beginning the division of opinion
was not between men and women,
but between the progressives and
conservatives of both sexes. There
were men who admitted the justice
of the enfranchisement of women be-
women in Iowa who oppose it. And
now down through the years by wo-
man untiring efforts by discussion
demands, her editorials, her speeches.
and her organized work in political
equality clubs she has been able to
obtain training in the practical nrob-
lens of administration and political
tactics and in these years of struggle
she has gained much in knowledge
Thus, the year 1919 finds women
of Iowa possessed with only these
few political rights:
The right to vote at municipal and
school elections, on questions invOlv-
ing the issuing of bonds or the in
crease of tax levy.
The right of women owning prop
erty within certain drainage dis
tricts to vote at the elections con-
corning the administration of such
districts.
True, women have filled many Of
fees of ability and trust by appoint
ment such as pOstmistress and her
assistants. enrolling and engrossing
clerks. and stenographers, also state
librarian: Likewise women have
frequently served as notaries public
court reporters and as members of
certain committees appointed to visit
penal or charitable institutions
where women and girls are detained.
Women have also gained few cleo
tive offices, such as county superin-
tendent and members of school
boards. Women of Iowa TODAY would
be given the right to vote for -"esi-
Dental electors and members of the
U. S. congress, for governor of state
not for some who say thew would
grow coarse and masculine because
they would be associated in such a
horrible and degrading way with
men. Still women ride in our. cars
and IN our autos every day side by
side with men and seem to enjoy it.
They work in our stores, teach in our
schools side by side with men. They
20 20 to church side by side with men;
with men and yet this constant as
sociation has failed to make them
either coarse or masculine. But vot-
ing is, of course different. Mrs.
Coggshall said, 1T is less than IS
years since change in the law ia
vorable to women has taken place in
any part of the U: s. and none of
to ask for the ballot. The remnants
of old time restrictions remain Were
it not so we would not have this top
ic up for discussion this afternoon,
Prejudices die hard. The creed Of all
nations has made the subordination
of woman the corner stone of her re-
ligious character. The literature OF
all our past is saturated with this
idea. If we accept the story of Gene
the clothing business furnishing the
fig leaves for herself and husband
it is pathetic that the gro~-4', of g.
600 years does not yet in many states
of this union allow the wife to own
her fig leaves. You probably read
in the daily PAPER short time ago
of man in Connecticut who was so
tired, Of the fancy gowns ',is wife
nersisted in wearing that be burr cd
them. He was arrested for Tho de-
strUction Of prono-tv but nothing
could he done with him hecause as
was plainly shown. man has = ri~I1'
to do what he pleases with his own
Women in favor of political rights
are tainted with the assertion they
are seeking to don their husbands
clothes, while the facts are women
have always worn mems clothes.
They are now struggling for women
to have the right to wear their own