Great Falls tribune., 1921-03-13
New York City, March 6.-Are wom-

New York City, March 6.--Are Wom-
EN- political menace?
This is the latest grave and import
ant question to be thrust upon the un-
suspecting nation by the governor OF
New York, Governor Miller not only
thinks they are; he has had the rare
courage to tell them so. His recent
ifcally at the New York State League
Of Women Voters, but, inasmuch az
there is a8similar feminine organization
in every state, he has succeeded in
placing about two million women vot-
ers on the defensive.
The menacing thing about the women,
in the opinion of the governor and
other male political leaders, is thar
they insist upon maintaining these in
dependent, partisan, feminine
leagues as political instruments, in.
stead of casting their individual lots
with the two great American political
parties, In other words, they are
working for the things they want as a
sex rather than as individuals.
The League. Of Women Voters replies
to this that it is the only way they
can make their votes count. So far the
ballot has availed the women nothing.
Woman suffrage today is, as Mr.. Gil
u
"a legal fiction" Women are affiliat-
ed in fairly large numbers with both
the Democratic and Republican parties
but they have, as yet, no party power.
That may be developed in time, but
meanwhile they think some other
means must be used to achieve wom-
ems rights.
The long fight for suffrage taught
the women the value of a non parti-
san organisation. For years individual
women worked for suffrage through
the two political parties without max
ing the slightest impression. They
might have been so working yet had
not the prohibitionists come along and
shown them a better expedient. The
Prohibitionists thrust the 18th amend
ment through congress by organizing
large and powerful non-partisan polit-
ical forces in every state. When q
political candidate announced himself
in favor of prohibition, they helped to
elect him, and when he declared him.
self against it,. they helped to defeat
him. The mans party did not count;
After watching the efficiency, Of this
method for q short time. the women
decided to initiate it. They, too, built
IN powerful organizations in each
state, and thus suffrage was forced
into the constitution only trifle be-
hind prohibition.
The Trouble Has Just Begun.
But having gained the ballot. the
women realized that their fight for
women's rights was still in it's infancy.
and they were unwilling to demobilize
an organization which had proved so
valuable an aid to victory. In every
state, therefore, the women's suffrage
ASSOCIATION was merely changed into
the state league of women voters, and
the national association became the
National League of Women Voters, re-
tanning a headquarters in Washington.
The league represents the conserva-
tive wing of woman suffrage. 1t has
no connection with the National Wom-
ans party, containing the more radical
feminists. which recently held its con-
vention in Washington. But both or
carnations are working for the same
things.
What are these things these So
called women's rights-which as yet
have not been taken up by the Re
publican and Democratic parties!
Equal opportunity with men, the pro-
lection of children, and the promotion
of education are the principal ones.
The women are solidly behind such
legislation as the Sheppard-Towner
(maternity and infancy bill, now be-
fore the United States congress, for
example, and likewise the Kenyon