Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-09-17
SUFFRAGE CLUB
Dr.. Horton, the State Pre-
sident, Addresses the
Local League

The Equal Suffrage Club held then
first meeting cf the season at the Wo
mans Club house Monday evening
but owing to the other social attrac
tons there was small attendance
The president of the League, Mrs
William Dudley Policy, presided anl
announcement was made that the
club would devote their meetings this
winter TO study class in citizenship
The feature Of the evening was III
address By the state president, DR.
Marion B. Horton OF Woodstock
lT. Horton spoke in general of the
great need for education of wo ncr
in the ideals of citizenship. Citizen.
ship is q state Of mind, Il desire tC
lead the life normal to Il group Of in
dividuala, the give and take, the re-
ciprocal relations which alone car
lead to harmonious living and happi-
ness for the greatest number. Each
woman must regard the duty and
privilege Of citizenship as the reli zion
in it., social form, and have in her.
self the desire to eniighten public Cp-
nion, direct its force, for NJ govern
mcnt can in the long run withstand
the power of public opinion. 1t Is es-
pecially necessarily at this time of
unrest, that woman should study and
think in order to have clear cut con-
victions of the burning question; of
the time. Many new elements are
finding their way into political life
and the problems of world and ma
tional politics are urgently demand
ing solution. 1t is quite possible that
4 new political party will come into
being before the next presidential
election, and women who are all like
ly to have their chance to vote ut
time must know definitely where they
stand.
State and town affairs must also be
studied and bcttcrcd according to
local needs. Women cannot afford to
close their eyes to any corruption in
their midst. An enlightened intelli-
x
ditions before reforms can be effect
ed. Women have long been accu"-
toned to regard politics in one or two
ways Either as force operating by
its own power entirely outside of
their interests and daily lines, or as
a menas Of corruption which would
pollute them by its contact. Both of
these modes of thinking must be
done away with before their citizen
ship can be made effective.
Politics is a part of human life
that is essentially good. Political ac
tivity is degraded only by the degra-
dation of those that may exercise it.
Women have every reason in the
world to go to work and help men
clean up politics. Men and women
should work together in politics as in
all human affairs in order to bring
about the best results. Neither sex
can afford to work alone.
To form ideals and convictions as
1 citizen without this power of vote
to influence legislation is like possess
ing house full Of electrical appli-
ances for making labor more efficient,
and no electrical current by which TO
operate them. For this reason VIC
need ratification without further de-
lay. The present status of ratifica-
ton is as follows
Sixteen states have already ratified
the latest being our neighbor New
Hampshire. Vermont is now bound
ed on all sides by states that have
ratified and territory in which women
have the vote. The Governors of
sixteen other states have promised
special sessions before January. One
more special session is called for this
present month. Two states certain
to ratify have regular sessions in
January. Ten southern states either
will not ratify OF cannot call special
session owing to provisions of their
This leaves margin
of three states, one of which is Ver
mont, and the present indications
seem to show that Vermont may be
greatly needed as the thirty-sixth
state. The Importance of this nation
lilly cannot be ovcrcstimated. YER
mont in failing to ratify quickly may
deprive women of the country from
yoting at the presidential election of
1920. We feel that we need the vote
n this state, but some of the other
,tatoc fboSo poora baavi1u h,1rdanad
With the problems Of women in in
lustry and child labor mind it even
more, and in our regard for the well
are of the whote nation we must
lelp and not hold them back. 1t is
'ur immediate task to prove to those
II power that the sentiment of YER 7
mont is for ratification.