The Washington times., 1923-04-30
TRIVIAL I ASKS
CURTA|L LIFE
Of WOMEN
Club Leader So Declares, As
serting Even Ballot Suffers
From Jelly Making.
by international News Service.


ATLANTA, Ca, April 30.-Is jelly
making serious menace to woman
citizenship?
Austin, Tex, chairman of the depart.
ment of American citizenship in the
General Federation of Women's
Clubs, believes it is. Not in itself,
of course, but because 1t permits one
more petty excuse on woman's part
for lodging the solemn responsibility
and glorious privilege of the ballot.
The three things that women of
America most need to do to become
better citizens and more intelligent
voters, in Mrs. Pennybacker' .
opinion, are to read, to talk and to
think. Yes. sir! To talk!
Women do not talk enough Mrs.
declares. by that
mean they do not discuss important
questions of the day. The casting
of q ballot is the expression of an
opinion. One cannot have an intellf-
gent opinion unless he or she knows
the facts. Women waste time upon
petty things that should be spent OH
tanning facts.
ITO build a real opinion, three
steps are necessary: First, reading
We read to obtain facts, and we
have no right to read only one side
of a question.
The second step toward becoming
informed is to talk with many men
and women of many minds in many
walks of life. However, we may read
and talk eternally without having
done our whole duty.
Thinking Needed. Too.
THE third step necessary to good
citizenship is to think. Have you
noticed how few people are willing
to go off alone and dig clear down
into the fundamentals of their own
consciousness. to make their own
opinions pass in review, to challenge
each one before the bar of reason
and conscience? Yet we must think
things out for ourselves and then
make our opinions articulate, for
even silent thought does not fill the
service America asks of U.S."
Mrs. Pennybacker, who, on May 8.
will address club women of America
in council assembled here, will put
before them some of the dangers
facing the country today and which.
she declares, demand the newly en-
franchised no longer dodge. Mrs.
Pennybacker will remind the club
women that Mrs. Youmans, a dis
tinguished woman of Wisconsin. was
defeated in her State in the Republi-
can State primaries because the
women didn't vote. They said it was
too hot. They were making jelly. :"
All of which resulted in Mrs. YOU
mans getting SIS votes in a village
where she had been promised $50.
Mrs Pennybacker deplores the
attempt to destroy the primaries
which, she holds. are real step
toward pure democracy, even though
imperfect
But, a1as.'' she admits. as
practiced today, the primary sys-
tenn is indeed open to criticism
when bosses of both parties fight
a system, thinking freemen will
generally find good in that sys-
tenn. Let our task be. then, to
help improve, not destroy. the pri
mary"
Wrong campaign tactics of today
are. in Mrs. Pennybacker's opinion.
one reason for young peoples
lack of reverence for those in au
thority. IF youth lacks respect, !"
she says. "age is to blame.
children are Listening" she
warns. ain our talk about public
affairs how often we indulge in
personalities against public Off
Gals. y From the President down
to the constable, no one escapes.
What idea are your children re.
ceiving of respect due those in
authority"
Respect for authority, respect for
law. and respect for enforcement
of the law are necessary in the
development of good citizenship.
Mrs. Pennybacker points out. de-
ploring the modern tendency of
the public, the press and the screen
10 sympathize with the law-breaker,
especially the violator of the Eight
eenth amendment to the Federal
Constitution.
Our attitude inculcates In others
and in a. subtle fashion inculcates
In ourselves contempt not alone
for this law but for law in gen
eral." she declares.
THE law is the judgment of the
community as to what is necessary,
and when it ceases to accord with
public needs the law itself pre-
scribes how it may be changed.
Whenever a citizen in public or
private life breaks the law, how