Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-01-13


in the general sense OF the words is what both
forces do want. But, bless you lhere 5 aistihc-
tOn with difference
Anyway congress will be asked to pass an equal
rights bill which is an amendment 10 the Consti-
tuition. And the women voters are apparently
t(tyffty on the proposition. AT least they are
already arrayed in two hostile camps. The Ma
tional Womun's party will take the offensive. In
the other camp possibly the leader is the National
League of Women Voters In this camp are also
the National Consumers league and the National
Womans Trade Union League. And the welfare
organizations are many.
Do you remember during the suffrage cam.
paign, the women who pcketed the White House
grounds and went on hunger strikes when jailed
for that plcketIng? Well. those militant sufra
gists are the core Of the National Womans party
After suffrage was secured they voted on the
question Of going out Of existence. They decided
TO remain In the field and campaign for equal
rights for women in addition to votes for women.
The party was reorganlzed Mrs. 0. H. 7. Bel.
mont, woman Of large wealth and OF social po-
stion, was elected president. She made large
contribution to the party. 1t has now purchased
the "0ld Capitol" at Washington and renamed
II the Watchtower for Women. This watchtower
consists 0f a row Of three old-fashoned. spacious
stone houses. This row was used from 1915 to
1919 as a meeting place for congress while the
capitol was being rebuilt after the destructive
visit of the British during the War of 1912. Per
haps the watchtower may later he the headquar
tiers of campaign for n woman president. Any.
way it is the headquarters of the campaign for
equal rights fr women.
Miss Alice Paul, who has made a name for her.
self as a militant suffragis second to none in this
country il the dominant Snfrit of tho \otinnoI
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 h. 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 It's leaders. Mrs. Maud Wood Park is Its
president Miss Jane Adams is a vice president
Of the National Consumers league Miss Agnes
Nestor is president of the National Women's 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:
1.-THE rights Of citizens Of the United States shall
not be denied or abridged by the United States
or by any state on account of Sex
So the nineteenth amendment simply gives WON.
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. II Is no exag-
geratiOn to say that both camps consider the
achievement OF the vote as merely the beginning
Of woman's emancipation. Both camps hold that
no woman will be really free until every dsab.
ity, legal as well as political is removed
TO bring about the removal Of every disability
the National Womans 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 |. Women shall have the same rights
privileges and immunties under the law as men,
with respect 20 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 dOmiclle, residence and name; acquiring, con-
trolling. holding and conveying property; owner
ship and control Of labor and earnings; freedom
of contract including becoming party In any
capacity to negotiate instruments or evidence of
indebtedness, or becoming surety or guarantor
becoming parties litigant; acting as executors or
administrators Of estates of decedents custody
and control Of children and control of earnings
and services of such children grounds for divorce
immuntes or penalties for sex offense; quaran-
tine, examination and treatment of disease
"And the rights Of married and unmarried wom-
en- with respect to these matters shall be equal.