The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-05-10

all the weight of their political low
err INTO the balance against all forms
OF violence, against any arhitramcnt
of force. whether 1t takes the form
OF u war abroad or "a general strikc
at home.
Hatred mistrust of force is almost
a physical instinct with woman 1t
has been implanted II her soul by
centuries of weakness and by the
faet tina; ever since the beginning of
tInc she has been Great ng shelter
ing, protecting, rearing the young
lifo OF the world, with nothing but
her arms between it ard the rude
battery oil circumstance
Women throughout he world will
prove the sureSt sar, guard of It's
pe2ce, the strongest hulwark of the
horne
What special faculties what now
gifts of heart and head will women
bring with them into Our public life Z?
First, and Perhaps mot valuable of
all the freshness of an open mind
unencumbered by the mental conven-
eions and the mental traditions of
the part. They will approach the
Old problems from new angle.
MINDS MOVE RAPIDLY.
While men tramp a,cng the hard
Af'tsth A0od " CAiiEli W. iiidhb IfielE
own cut across county, and often
forestall them at the goal Their
minds move differently from mems,
less surely, less reliably, but often far
more rapidly and more directly
But tho great, the torturing ques-
ton which must confront each ono
OF us on the threshold OF a political
career. the question waich lies at the
root of the whole problem of the en-
Ew-~. ! -.
shall / strike the right balance be-
tween the claims. OF nS public and
my private life?
The right time to go into politics
is between twenty five and forty
when life is at the tx &C tide, when
our blood is running md not creep
ing in our veins, before the eyes of
youth have lost their vision of per
feet lines and true PROPORTIONS. and
got used to the deformlties OF the
world as II is, before custom lies
upon us with a weight, heavy as
frost. and deep Amos tas life"
WHEN TIES ARE STRONGEST
Hut il is during these very years
that we pass through cur most vivid
personal experiences aad that our
human ties are at Their strongest and
most inn crious. And these may pre-
vent the most human and the most
representative types Of their sex
from taking an active part in public
life or at any rate. from entering
parliament
1t was this dilemma which in
splrcd doubts in many thoughtful
people during the suffrage contro-
versy. and not, as SON supposed, the
obscurantist and rcact.onary view
that women belonged to lower
stratum OF animal development and
were not mentally car able Of regis
terinr vote or Of discharging the
duties ard exercising the rights OF
citizenship.
OWN CHILD PARAMOUNT.
1t Is n problem which every wo-
man must face and decide for her
scIf-~T have yet to decide it--but of
one thing | am cert ain that IL win
profit woman nothing to save the
whole world IL she lose her own child.
And OF another also / am sure.
that whether they go into parliament
or not women no logger can live in
an enclave or sheltercc personal hap
piness and we'll berg We need
Motive must nor-~sa criffce our
homes but their windowc must open
on the world, And VIXEN it's sights
and solAds pour in we cannot turn
away from their appeal The chal~
lcrre Of its great needs must he met
now. as it was Of GA, by a woman
with a child in her arms.