New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1921-01-22
"WOMAN SUFFRAGE"

Our very worthy principal. mem
bers Of the faculty, friends and
~esteemed classmates:
. We have now arrived at that
skeriod Of American history when
Woman Suffrage" is acknowl-
edged, and was put into effect for
. first time at the Presidential
= Fction held November ID, 1920
ell NAV that day be remem-
befed by those who have been
working for the ballot for woman
suffrage ever since Susan B. An
thonv first pleaded for the cause,
| will not here acknowledge
my position with regard to Wo-
man Suffrage but rather mean to
discuss it from both sides. First,
let it be known that Susan b. An
thonv wanted equal suffrage
rights for women through Fed
eral Amendment through the
Constitution of the United States.
Such an amendment would nat
urallv enfranchise all women OF
various races and for this reason
was opposed by some states OF our
country. who chose to control the
privilege of voting by state rights.
But after these years we nave
been granted the right OF ballot
bv Federal Amendment. Let us
concede that this was the quick
est way to arrive at equal rights,
who will venture to say it will De
the most satisfactory? SIN
cerelv hope it was not Federai
Woman Suffrage which just re
Gently caused the state Of ILLINOIS
TO offer for inclusion in their state
constitution the right of marriage
within that state, of white ana
colored persons on a per1ectly
equal basis.
Yet let us hope that nothing
NAV ever be done to cause dlssat-
isfaction in the ranks OF women
voters because it was SO granted
Now that we may ENJOY the
privilege fought for so hard THESE
many years by those staunch
champions of equal rights, let US
strive to use this precious priv
iege so that it will not only adj
vance the cause for which women
have been working so hard, but let
ne hope that it may be bound to
the benefit of this glorious coun-
trv of ours, and it's entrance INTO
all matters political be Of eVerlast-
ing benefit to all.
Sometime ago | was interested
IN an article which appeared III
one of our Southern magazines en-
titled "Needed a Broom. Ac-
cording to the author, the whole
system Of politics in practice IS
protection. AS a gambler is IN
terested in an alderman. SO IS the
financier in a president. \ per-
son who says politics is to dirty
IN dabble in is always the one
who later criticizes the govern
ment. If politics is dirty, it is
only because good men and wo-
men refuse to do their part OF the
work. Let it be known that until
Americans realize that govern
ment is as important as 1000
clothing and shelter, there will De
little improvement. In polltics
there is always difference III
PARTIES which is a matter OF geog-
ranhv or Inheritance. If a man
has beer a Democrat, he goes on
being a Democrat. even # ne
doesn't know a definition for De-
mocracy. We are all OF u.s.
donbtless more or less familiar
With the words Of Decatur's I'M
mortal toast, when he said:
isOur Country! -,
Nav she always be in the rlghti
Rut. right or wrong,
Our Country! :,
This to the minds of the Tween
tieth Century politicians, seems
in MANY cases at least, to have De-
come:
"Mv. party! -,
Nav she always be in the right!
But, right or wrong,
My party!'
Women have one advantage /
over men ga clean slate. 70
litical movement has not become
a hardened tradition with them,
thew have no false gods to bow
to. nor are they forced to hide be
hind the shadow Of Thomas JEFF
ferson. one of the greatest and
most progressive men Of the age.
Women are free agents, they can
vote for whom they please and
mark their ballot as they please.
IF men were given the same OPP
II MIGHT The noSSible