New-York tribune., 1920-03-08
Suffrage Only,
Beginning Of
New Freedom
Republican Party Urged to
Correct Injusticcs Relat-
ing to Women in Eco
nomic and Business Life
1deal of Real Equality
Thirteenth, Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments
a. Basis for Fair Deal
. ~. Editor Of The Tribune.

10 the Editor OF The tribune.
Sir: Regarded from the standpoint
=, ,.tional history, economic progress
md constitutional development the Re-
publiean party is the standard bearer
a., the vital concepts that have come
~ ia denominated by the composite ad-
,..t;ve term American" 1t uniformly
-. esuged the trend Of thought un-
d.rlying the national outlook and has
nodded public opinion into construc-
.;vs achievement. One may be sure.
| .h.r.fore. that it will take no narrow
New of that great movement which is
.hont to sweep away the barrier that
;or centuries has permitted the sex issue
"a be an insuperable bar to the reali-
mtion Of those principles Of equality
and right which are set forth in our
Declaration Of Independence.
Woman suffrage in itself is . mere
,olitical phenomenon. Its strength is
a. an instrument, not as an achieve
ment. It flashes the light Of equality
in a sphere where heretofore there has
been shadow Of injustice, but essen
tally it is merely a means, not an end.
The effect of woman suffrage on
party politics is not to be decried, nor
NAV one underestimate the tremendous
moral force that it will exert in mat
ters Of legislation and administration.
but the thing for which women are pri-
marily fighting is bigger than this-it
is equality in the broadest. personal,
economic, constitutional and national
sense.
Inequalities in Laws
The attainment of woman suffrage
leaves untouched the inequalities in the
laws Of all the states touching women's
property rights, their rights relating
to their children. their liberty Of ac-
tion in commercial and economic ac-
in many other directions.
When the Republican party sought to
put life into the principle Of emanci-
patton for the negro did it merely pass
q suffrage amendment and leave each
state with an age-long fight for putting
the principle of equality into active
operation? The Thirteenth, Fourtee enth'
and Fifteenth amendments to the Con-
stitution furnish the true criterion Of
what is needed to realize the ideal of
political equality for women.
l. The Thirteenth Amendment, abol-
ishing slavery and involuntary servi-
tude, should be so enlarged as to wipe
out the whole legal concept of the sub
servience, inferiority and male control
Of women in marital and all other
iituatons.
lWipe Out Determinations
2. The Fourteenth Amendment.
guaranteeing equality Of right, priv
iege, and immunity under the law.
SHOULD be so enlarged as to eradicate
ni determinations between the sexes
vlth reference to property rights, con-
tact and commercial powers, child
control and the like.
3. The Fifteenth Amendment finds
us counterpart in the suffrage amend
nens, but this should be so enlarged
as to remove all existing disoualif-
eat'ons preventing women from holding
public Office. 4
The formulation of these PRINCIPLES
!hso our constitutional system falls to
the lot of the traditional party Of
progress. To leave them untouched ia
to 70 mss the whole aim of political en-
franchisement
INDEPENDENT VOTER.