The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-08-01
OPPOSES MATERNITY" BILL
Miss Robertson OF Oklahoma Tells
Why She Opposes

Washington, July 29-Characteri-
zing the Sheppard Towner matern. ty
bill as class legis alton OF sex" and
describing II as potent with pattern.
alistic possibilities OF incalcuab dan
gers' Miss Alice Robertson! Oklahoma.
on y woman member OF Congress- in
an exclusive interviews The Wagli
ington Herald, makes an appeal to
the American woman voter to op.
pose Il. y.7 ~ ggse pe6a fF Ulr
The significance OF Miss Robert
sons attitude is lfbest understood
when il is remembered that the
Sheppard Towner bill is hte one
piece OF legislation upon which IS
concentrated the full strength of the
woman suffrage organizations and
which was to have been the monu
Ghent to mark the victory Of suf.
rage. lHL ~ GFVEf ga gbi-f 90
According TO other members of Con.
gress;r who were shown the statement.
MSS Robertson action marks de.
finite l'ne OF cleavage between the lady
froih Oklahoma and the suffrage or.
ganizations aud indicates that she has
thrown down the challenge to battle
TO the American woman voter, as
an individual
"On July %. by vote OF sixty three
TO seven-twenty.six Senators absent
the Tn ted States Senate passed the
bill variously known as the baby
the maternity" or the Sheppard.
Towner" bill This bin is now pend
ing consideration in the House. Its
supporters assert that II has the
undivided support of the women vo.
tiers OF America.
Il was one OF those millions OF con-
seryatiye home-loylng women who
never asked to vote, who dreaded new
aud heavy responsibilities. but God In
Infinite wisdom placed upon us the
burden, OF the suffrage. 1t matters
not now whether We sought this duty
or not, we cannot evade IL, and from
beowardiee -ore Incidence, we must not
fail cur count M y,r,.,i r.. &.
| 1T is your bounden duty your IN
'allenable right as any individual to
know the real meaning OF this bill,
Sead a postcard to your Senator or
member OF Congress or TO me ask
ing for q copy and when you re-
celve the bill, examine II carefully
see II il does not carry with 1t a
power. small In Its beginning and
seeming innocuous. but with pat
ternalistic possibilities of incalcul'
able danger. Ask other women
about it, ask your husbands, your
legal friends. and when you have
made up your mind tell us, your
representatives in Washington.
/ Remember the political women
! who are supporting this bill, wish
Ing the first test OF their power IN
Legislation to be q emaster stroke
have used the most touching and ir
res stible appeal that could De
placed before body OF American
men. Mothers of America, is THIS al
.insidious attempt to secure mos
dangerous class legisatlon-'h'
c,ass leg alton OF sex?
II oppose this bill, basing my ac
ton upon the belief that my sister
twomen have not been fairly dea
with, that even to the great hearted
sympathetic president II has beer
= claimed that the nlothefs want 7
and ask for II when the vast ma
jority know nothing. abou ut.
a have personally given more
time, study and thought to this bill
than to any other legislation now
pending; that has beeen my duty al
the only woman who could have I
right to lift her voice either for o
| against, as national law make
desiring to be prepared when Thu
fateful issue comes, to speak TO
the women in humble homes who's
toll is g'orified by love OF husband
and babies.
IF IN your judgement, this leglslo
ton is unnecessary for the reasol
that the family, the community tn
> standing local conditions, can car
: for their own or espionage, say So"