The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-02-04


in the general sense of the words Is what both
forces do want But bless you, there's d1stlnc-
ton with difference.
Anyway, congress will be asked to pass an equal
rights bill which is an amendment to the consul
tuition And the women voters are apparently
'ffty-fifty on the proposition. At least they are
already arrayed In two hostile camps. Inc Ma
tional Womans party will take the offensive. In
the other camp possibly the leader is the Natlona
League of Women Voters. In this camp are also
the National Consumers league and the Natlonai
Woman's Trade Union league. And the "welfare
organizations many.
Do you remember during the suffrage cam
pagn, the women who picketed the White house
grounds and went on hunger strikes whep jailed
for that picketing? Well. those militant suffra-
gists are the core Of the National Woman's party
After suffrage secured they voted on the
question of going out of existence. They oecldeo
to remain in the field and campaign for equal
rights for women in addition to votes for women.
The party was reorgsnized Mrs. o. 81. r. Bel
mont q woman of large wealth and OF social po-
stion was elected president. She made large
contribution to the party. 1t has now purchased
the "Old Capitol" at Washington and renamed
1t the Watchtower for Women. This watchtower
consists of a row of three od-fashioned spacious
stone houses This row used from 1873 to
1919 as a meeting place for congress while the
capitol being rebuilt after the destructive
visit of the British during the War of 1872 Per-
haps the watchtower may later be the headquar-
tiers of campaign for woman president ANY,
way, it is the headquarters Of the campaign for
equal rights for women.
Miss Alice Paul, who has made a name for her
self militant suffragist second to none in this
country is the dominant spirit of the National
Womans party, And this equal rights battle Is
her fight.
The National League Of Women Voters is the
new name ,of the old National American Suffrage
association. 1t is the direct descendant of the
organization formed by Susan B. Anthony Eliza
beth Cady Stanton and other famous women back
in the middle of the Nineteenth century. 1t has
not approved of militant methods. 1t has always
largely outnumbered the National WOman's party,
of comparatively recent origin. Mrs Carrie Chap
man Gait, former president and now president
of the International Woman Suffrage association,
Is one of its leaders. Mrs. Maud Wood Park is its
president. Miss Jane Adams Is vice president
of the National Consumers league. Miss Agnes
Nestor is president Of the National Womens Trade
Union league
Now, both camps agree, that the securing of
suffrage was only a first step in securing equal
rights for women The nineteenth amendment
to the Constitution reads thus
"The rights of citizens of the United States shall
not be denied abridged by the United States
or by any state on account of SEX.
So the nineteenth amendment simply gives wom-
en- citizens the right to vote 1t does not give them
equality with male citizens before the law in the
manifold affairs of everyday life. 1t is no exag-
geration to say that both camps consider the
achievement of the vote as merely the beginning
of womans emancipation. Both camps hold that
no woman will be really free until every disabil-
ity legal as well as political, is removed.
To bring about the removal of every disability
the National Woman's party has been campaign
ing to secure the adoption by the state legislature
of the so-called blanket BILL This bill is as fol-
lows:
.Section L. Women shall have the same rights
privileges and immunites under the law. men,
with respect to the exercise of suffrage: holding
office under the Government either State or local
eligibility to examination for any position affected
by civil service regulations; jury service; choice
of domieile residence and name; acquiring. con-
trolling holding and conveying property; owner
shin and control of labor and earnings; freedom
of contract Including becoming q party in amy
capacity 10 negotiate Instruments or evidence OF
Indebtedness or becoming surety or guarantof;
becoming parties ltigant; acting as executors or
administrators Of estates of decedents; custody
and control of children and control of earnings
md services OF such children grounds for divorce;
in,.nunities or penalties for sex oifense; quaran
fine. examination and treatment of disease.
.And the .1ghts of married and unmarried wom
an with respect TO these matters shall be equal.