Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-28
WOMEN AND THE BALLOT
BY Frederic j, Haskin.

Washington, oct 2s.--Wlth one
rroa, icyialatIve victory---the passing
OF the Gable law making n woman >
citizenship a thing independent 0t
bor rriapa--the National League
~ Women Voters will take up as us
noxt adjective an adoption OF an
amendment 10 the Constitution fOTbio-
/ ding child labor. The announcement |
~ tho rarnpaign, 10 begin In earnest
| tbia winter while AZ state legislatures
! ara I'm session, has been made by MRS.
Maud wood Park, president OF the
League.
Ever eince the existing chlld-labor |
lava were declared unconstitutional
by the Supreme court. there mas beeh
n widespread sentiment In the couh-
trv I'm favor of writing into the Con
atitution Itself provision for the pro-
lection of children from tho expioith-
ton Of factory owners. But though
the moral support Of the public has
been present, the movement Tor Il
constitutional amendment has iacked
an organization TO crusade for lt|
Constitutional amendments nowadays
are put across by organized effort az
tho members Of the National League
Of Women voters are well aware, they
therneelves having constituted the
bulk Of the non militant equal sun
rage organization which shared in Tho
successful crusade 20 give women the
ballot with It's Ave million members,
the League Is looking forward 10
busy winter ns It opens the campaign
, for "A child labor amendment.
There are five resolutions now pend
r ing before Congress, each one pro
viding for child labor amendment TO
be submitted 70 the states f.r ratlfi-
r cation. The National League Of WO-
2 men Voters has not yet endorsed nny
, ono Of these All are being studied.
and eventually the League viii either
: get behind one ~ them, or have =
now one drawn and introduced in
a Congress as a resolution. Meanwhile
a campaign viii lie started throughout
the United States in favor ~ sUch an
amendment. with all but 'Wo of tho
, state legislatures IN session. tho at
tompt win br made 70 dclugN Congress
with resolutions adopted by these
, lcgislatures IN favor OF n child labor
amendment In addition. the women
r win work directly upon Congress with
petitions and in committee hearings
~ in Washington.
= The women expect TO secure the
u adoption Of such an amendment and
2 that Mt no remote date IN tho future
- Their attitude toward the successfl
m outcome Of their newest campaign 4
something more than one Of conf
m dence. II Is complete assurance o
r victory. Ae ono Of the general officer
~ expressed it; ANY reasonable thini
o- that the women OF America want q
D. Congress they can get"
80 No Other Issue More Important.
The announcement that the ISeagu
~ would take up the campaign for
W child labor amendment came afte
~ Mrs Park md other officers Of the or
ne Eanizs ton had made q thorough torl
IN OF the country sounding of n
iN continent Of the women voters.
Is evident that the women Of the cnur
~ try place no national issue ahead &
Mt the protection OF factory children.
While awaiting the adoption Of
Federal amendment. the members d
tho League intend to sec 10 4 tina
all existing state child labor laws ar
JS enforced. Many NJ the states alread
have laws forbidding the cornmercis
Is- employment OF children Of teude
OF years. In etates which have no Iee1e
Ir lation Of the sort that the Leagu
mt considers adequate the women wi
ty work for the adoption ot addition,
ar laws.
he The League Of Women Voters
ev the natural outgTowth of the suffras
n organization which for so many yea
is battled for the ballot. Now. havir
no secured the vote. the organized womt
.be Of the country are going ahead - p
,.r cure the legislative reforms which q
vote enables them 70 demand and o
tam. The League. however, Is by
means made up entirely Of the orig
mai suffragiste. Many Of the prese
leaders were among the "antls" du
ing the old suffrage fight. These 10
mer "antis", as we'll as the sunrag!e
themselves. agree that. women n,
having votes, the next important thi
Is 20 educate them to vote Intelligent
ana thus confound the former ua
"ant's' VINO held. openly or not. IN
- women do not know enough TO v.te
Being Educated In Politics.
In being educated" IN politics.
may he said that hundreds Of thou
ands Of American women are havi
a splendid time. Il has always be
assumed for them that they knew
instinct how TO ccok and bring
children but lacked the instinct I
'd'S politics tharr Is mans birthright. T
ars. women themselves are perfectly W
ing 10 accept all these assumption
In their own hearts they know III
they had TO learn cooking and the CA
OF the children; and So il IS restt
not 70 be expected - know politI
by instinct but 10 be the object OF ma
concern thac they De properly ed
... Gated. The process Of civic educati