The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-12-28

(AAdH0t b0Oa tAC sui aye
worker has learned something of the
problems of her rural sister who arises
at A O'Clock in order to care for Elk
children, four hired men. 10 cows and
% chickens, all with her two hands.
Perhaps in campaigning in the south
the suffrage worker is brought face to
face with the grave problem of gross
injustice and cruelty to the negro.
She is told that it is all right to talk of
suffrage for white women, but the
negro women must be kept from the
ballot the same as negro men. She
may even have witnessed the horrors
of a lynching, and she realizes that
votes for women on the ground of
democracy is a farce if that democracy
is denied to the sister American with
dark skin. Thus it is quite likely that
many former suffrage workers will
plunge deeply into theseconomic move
ment and there are doubtless many op-
portunities for service along that line
But what of the great rank and file
of women, the class that you and be-
long to, not one of US perhaps who had
any hand in winning the ballot or were
especially anxious in procuring it, but
who as conscientious citizens are will
ing to do our duty along political lines
If the occasion demands it. In order
to do our part in helping men to bring
about better order of things and to
put a conscience in politics, it is nec-
essary for US to inform ourselves on
some of the fundamentals of good cit
izenship. Thus we need education, and
education along practical lines. We
must be taught the A, B, G Of local
politics which touch directly the well
fare of our homes and our children's
lives. Neither voting nor politics is
lar ground Just as you become an
efficient housekeeper by just mastering
the simplest of household duties, so
you can become a useful citizen by just
leafning how to use your ballot at pri-
maries and regular elections without
mistakes. Perhaps we have been prone
to think of politics as something vague
or remote, but this is not true if we
begin, not at the top but at the bot
tom, and when we have concerned our
selves not with presidential elections
or inter-allied conferences, but with
such humdrum subjects as clean
streets, good schools, pure milk and
water supplies, decent environment
and respectable pleasures for the |
young, and when we have put into |
practical demonstration these primer
lessons in our own home communities, |
then we may begin to think Of gradu |
ating into higher class we may be-
gin to reach out to the wider vision of |
the nation, which is after all only the |
home community writ large.
In forecasting women's future devel- |
opment in the field of politics, prom
inent writer has tabulated it thus:
/. Women will not become less wo-
manly, less maternal by engaging in
politics, and the reason is that wo-
mans deepest interest, her eternal |
goal, the welfare of the human race,
remains and always will remain un-
changed. BY entering into politics she
does not change her goal but only |
of the ballot.
2. Women will not save America
politically in five or ten or twenty
years. and it is unfair to judge of their
influence over a brief term of years.
3. Their greatest influence in the
next few years will be in local and
affairs; the reason being
that such affairs touch most closely
the home.
A. Women will combine with the
better class of men in driving out the
machines.
5. In party organization women's
influence in the future will tend to
make these organizations more open
minded to the will of the majority.
Thus the power of bosses, male and
female, will wane.
6. There will be no "Woman's
Bloc" and any Woman's Party which
divides along purely sex lines will not
have political success.
z. Legislation which concerns itself
with the welfare of the race can al
ways rely upon the strong support of
the women. There is no subject which
will appeal more to the women of this
nation than the subject of child well
fare. Let me quote a few statistics
from a recent address of Secretary of
Labor Davis. He informs US that
there are approximately $50. 900 in
fants who die every year from pre-
yentable causes. Half million chill
1ren who are called defective or delin-
1uent are growing up almost totally
neglected. A million and a half boys
and girls of school age doomed to toll
in mine and mill and factory, and of
the 10000, 900 American school children
not one in ten is gaining in our public
schools all education that will fit them
for the places they must occupy in life.
You may ask what can women do to
remedy these evils and l answer
Everything. First of all they can cre-
ate public sentiment against injustice
Of this sort, and secondly, they can
organize their own sex to demand leg
slation which will remedy it. There
are innumerable instances of the sue
cess of women in forcing moral issues,
b1t let me cite one of the most notable
ones. | refer to the Federal Sheppard
Towner Maternity Act. There existed
among certain of the politicians at Al
Dany, New York. bitter opposition to
making the federal act effective in the
state. The women we're strongly in
favor of it, however, and thus 20 pow
srfuI women's organiza tiOns sought to
enforce its adoption. In former times
women could only have coaxed and
begged and plead for its adoption,
while the willy politician would smile
and in nine cases out of
zen pay no attention to their requests,
but with 2,000.OO0 voters back of it
he case was different and a state
measure, called the Davenport Bill.
vas passed. Senator Davenport him
Ielf gave the entire credit TO the
women who brought before the people
he great need for maternal and infant
ARE.
And thus the planning Of this great
forward march of women in politics is
I'D to the leaders. Let US hope that
hey will be real standard bearers. un-
Jelhsh, large visioned and unafraid.
Ne shall be happy indeed if the Amer