Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-20
CITIZENSHIP CLASSES
FOR VERMONT WOMEN
Speakers at Meeting of Equal
Franchise League Would Have
New Voters Instructed in
Civic Responsibilities Which
Await Them With the Ballot

Citizenship classes in which the women
OF Vernon may learn more about the civic
responsibilities which await them In taxi
ing the vote were advocated Mt the meet
ing of the Equal Franchise League at the
New Sherwood parlors last Tuesday night
DR.. Marion Horton of Windsor State
president of the League. and by Mrs.
Nancy Schoonmaker of Hartford. Conn.
director Of citizenship work in Vermont.
Mrsr-.F. O. Shattuck, president of the
Equal Franchise League in burlington.
presided.
! Ideas of Political Education" was the
subject of the tax by Mrs. Schoonmaker,
who described i'm some detail the attempt
which has been going on in Connecticut
for the past two years to prepare the
women for intelligent use of the ballot,
even before they received II.
| The best way to make good American
citizens out Of American women, accord
ing>to Mrs. Schoonmaker. is to teach them
why our government is better than any
other government
Some of tho ways in which this teaching
D rs been done In Connecticut were outlined
by the speaker. Citizenship classes nave
/ been conducted In a series of six lectures
+ one each week. upon the Following SUD-
jects: o. Town and county government;
(0 Borough and city government:
! go State government D Ma
tional government. t5) Politicai
parties; and 80 New Problems.
! In these lectures a general idea OF the
civic problems Of the country was given
and the women received wider view
I point of the tasks which are before them
| in taking the suffrage rights upon them
| ker
/ although the men have made mistakes
! In the past the world is SO used to these
that little Is thought about them, but
that every mistake in government made
! during the first five years after the
women begin to vote will be charged to
the women, regardless of who is really
J responsible.
There was never a woman born" said
Mrs Schoonmaker "who did not want
to reform, change something. That is
just our nature. The world needs scrub
bling up and we want to find out how to
do it,
The war helped much to bring suffrage
to women, said Mrs. Schoonmaker. be-
cause it taught the real value OF democ-
racy. Many people do not seem to be
lieve in democracy in this country to-day
and claim that it has failed. If it has
people are not able to govern themselves
but because not enough Of the people arc
, ready to get in and help clean up condi-
tions Too many men have said that
politics is too dirty for them. that they
| want to keep out of it. This Is not tho
| attitude of the good citizen and the
women of this country must be good citi-
zens. No woman Is too good for politics.
| In the old days. when nearly everything
we had was made in the individual homes
of the country. women might have been
too busy to take an interest in politics.
but to-day everything We have and every
thing we do is determined by the govern
ment.
For woman to remain apart from
the government to-day" said Mrs.
Schoonmaker. "is about as reasonable as
for her to say that she will remain
, apart from sunshine"
The speaker declared that the women
should not blame the men for conditions
as they exist, but should take hold and
help To improve them where they need
Improvement. for it is as much the job
of the woman As that OF the man. AL
though women will vote on all matters
of government. there probably Will he
certain matters in which they will take
special interest, including working condi-
TORS for women and children, marriage
and divorce laws. child welfare and
| everything which concerns children. Mrs.
Schoonmaker mentioned several laws
which, through injustice or wrong inter-
pretations, have caused hardships and
great wrong IN certain cases.
DR.. Horton, State president of the Equal
Franchise League, spoke briefly before
the talk of Mrs. Schoonmaker, and again
after her talk. Dr. Horton outlined some
Of the plans which are being made for
carrying out the citizenship classes, in
Vermont.
The distinction between suffragists and
anti-suffragsts has largely died out in
the State and all are joining in the cit'-
zenship classes, since all wish to pre-
pare to use the vote intelligently when
they have the opportunity. All organiaa-
tons in the State which include women
will be enlisted in this work. Women 5
clubs. oranges, churches schools. colleges,
etc. will all be asked to cooperate in
helping women to form classes and learn
the affairs of government.
A political education committee will be
appointed by the State committee of the
Equal Franchise League, and IA citizen
ship chairman will be selected in each
community to head up the work in that
community. There will be, also a general
survey of the State and all existing or
ganizations which can help in this work
A central citizenship class in each conf
munity will be organized, and to this class
will be sent DELEGATES from various clubs
and Women's or liza atoms who will take
back to their ,nizations the lessons
learned at .entral meeting. thus
reaching Il, Humner of women.
DR.. Horton vas of the opinion tina,
every Vermont woman can learn more
about civics and government In general
and that all patriotic American womer
will take an interest in these citizenship
. classes.