Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-11
SUFFRAGE NOT
CLOSED ISSUE,
SAYS SPEAKER
TUO Important Matters Still
Unsettled. Asserts Mrs.
Walter Mdyer.

"The idea that suffrage is a closed
issue is mistaken one" according to
Mrs. Walter Mayer, in a talk on "W omen
in Suffrage" before the Monday Club at
a meeting in the Propylaeum Monday
afternoon. while it is true that the
women of the United States have been
given the right te vote and hold office,
there are two important issues still I'M
settled in the question Of equal rights
for the newly enfranchised sex. The first
is that of management in political par
ties-whether men are to be given the
preference when party chairman are Sc
lected, or whether women are to be per-
mitted to exercise their right to serve
in such capacity. Men say We have not
had sufficient experience TO hold these
positions, but if We are never to be given
a chance at them. how will We ever get
this necessary experience?
LEGAL DISABILITY
Is SECOND ISSUE.
The second issue, which is attracting
the attention of suffrage workers, is the
question of legal disability. and this
question is of added interest because of
the fact that the women are divided
among themselves regarding it. On one
side are the women who would do away
with the State laws which discriminate
against them, even though in so doing
they relinquish also the laws designed
to favor and protect them. They wish
to compete with men on equal terms and
expect neither favor nor sympathy. OPP
posing them is the more conservative
class, which believes woman, by reason
OF her function Of maternity, must neces-
sariIy be favored under the law and
prefer TO keep the laws which are I'M
favorable to them if in this way they can
hold on to- those which protect them. cit
is a problem which will not be easy Of
solution"
Mrs. John Downing Johnson, who for
many years has been active in woman'S
political movements expressed dissatis-
faction with politics as she has found
it in her discussion on Women in Poll
tics" Gas a young girl, learned
politics was only next to religion in i'm
portance. The political parties of those
days carried on the ideas of their fore
fathers. But there have been many
changes in politics since those days-and
not for the better. 1 do not feel that
either party is above criticism. They
are not doing the things the American
people had hoped would be done.
SAYS WOMEN FIND
JOB DIFFICULT.
Women went into politics to elevate 10,
but they have found It q difficult JoDa
There is too much trickery, too little ap-
probation shown for the work we have
done We need not expect the men will
ever do anything for us" Mrs. Johnson
declared that she was not alone In her
disappointment over the conditions which
women have found to exist in this new
field. A prominent woman worker in the
Republican party, she said, declared her.
self heart broken over the diseouraging
situation and declared if women were
to accomplish anything they would have
to have their own party. 1T Is my hope,
however, that the next few years will see
a new party of able men and women or
ganized who will uphold the true Ameri-
can spirit Of our forefathers." Her plea
to the women of the club was that they
sacrifice parties for principles, inform
themselves along political lines and keep
In touch with the activities of our city
government.
Other numbers on the afternoon pro-
gram were a paper on women in Lit
erature." by Mrs. Fred w. Shidler, in
which she reviewed the contributions
which women writer's have made to lit
erature since the eighteenth century;
vocal solos by Mrs. Ned Clay, accompa
MED by Mrs John B. Rees on the piano,
and a clever demonstration of the right
and wrong ways to use the telephone,
including views of the switchboard oper-
atoms and motion pictures of the ex-
change were shown through the cour-
tesy of the Indiana Bell Telephone Com
pany.