The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-03-13

garments for her family. She wove thu
blankets, sheets and table linen. made
The butter and cheese, preserved
fruits and vegetables for winter con-
sumption, washed, ironed and mend>
ed; scrubbed the floors and nodded
candles for lighting the home.
She kept the house tidy and was
often the instructor of her children.
She also grew herbs, and from them
brewed the medicines, which she her
self administered. It is plain to he seen
that in those days woman's place was
in the home. for she had no leisure
for outside work. But time, with its
discoveries and inventions has
wrought a change Man has invaded
the home and taken womans wofie
from her. H not only weaves the
cloth, but he makes the garments He
washes and irons the clothes, pre-
serves fruit, meat and vegetables,
bakes bread and pastry and makes the
candy. He cleans the floors with a
vacuum cleaner, milks the cows with
an electric mixer, and makes the but
ter and cheese. With a dynamo he
chains the electricity that lights our
houses and streets.
What is left for a woman to do?
No strong, capable woman can put IN
all her time caring for her home. No
woman with brains and high ideals
can waste her time with cards. fancy
work and movies, and so she has lei
sure to study conditions on the out
side. She finds country roads so bad
oh
on rainy days That, for the same rea-
son, the doctor could not reach tho
sick child in time to save it's life. She
sees the streets of her home town lit
tered with waste paper the sidewalks
sprinkled with cigar and cigarette
stumps and tobacco spit. She finds
that we need better schools. Juvenile
courts, police matrons, better sanitary
conditions, and many other reforms
that would tend to raise the standard
of cleanliness, morality and decenCy
in the city. But when she pleads with
city or county officials for better laws,
or for enforcement Of those we have,
she is met with paltry excuses. Women
found that what they needed most was
better men in office, men who would
enforce the laws and think Of the
good of the city and not Of personal q
gain. 50, they began to work for the
ballot. At last women have this bless
ed privilege, for which our forefathers
fought at Bunker Hill, and If they
viii use it, and use it wisely, on April
18th, Pensacola will be cleaned up.
This city Is our home, our dwelling
place, ard from this time on Pensa-
cola is going to be just as good, Just
as clean as Pensacola women want 1t
to be. Woman's special prerogative IS
to clean up. She may raise an awful
amount Of dust in the process but the
result will justify the means. It is
every woman's duty. as a patriot ard
q Christian to register and vote; and
if she neglects to do this, she should
not complain if her purse is snatched,
or if she slips on a banana peel or
soils her shoes with tobacco the next
time she walks down Palafox street.
We are proud of our grand harbor.
our beautiful blue skies, pure water
and balmy air, bu- these are not due
to mans genius or enterprise-they
are Cod given. We want to point with
pride to something man has done.
We don't like to have strangers ask,
as one did the other day, What do
you Pensacola people do with your
taxes?" If the women of the city vii!
do their Christian duty and help to
elect as commissioner a man who is
honest, shrewd, strictly tenn
porate, with some experience in deal
ing with those who are addicted to
ways that are willy and tricks that
are vain" we viii have what all
of US want-a change for the better in
our city government
For years many good people have
been asking God to clean up the city.
Don't do it. That's not His job. He
works through human agencies. Ask
Him to give you the sincere and earn
est desire, the mental stamina ami
moral courage to do it yourself.
ALICE SHEAR.