The Detroit times. [volume], June 03, 1912, AFTERNOON EDITION, Image 12

About The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
I wwW rthf have the good will and aid of a now*,
paper with a circulation of 90,000 that la taken home and
road la the family, than to have that of one with a circu
lation of a million that la only looked at and throwa mto
the gutter^—MAYOß GAYNOR. OF NEW YORK.
TO THE MEN OF MICHIGAN
It it claimed that there are always two tide* to every queition. We
Ite?e triad in thia paper to ahow you the reaaona why women ahould have
the ballot. How what are the reasons they ahould not have it ?
The main reason seems to be that you consider your women too fine
and pure to be mixed up in any way with “dirty politics.
In the first place, why are politics “dirty?”
Because you good men are so busy getting money to run our homes
and to make us happy that you haven't time to get into the political game.
a»h i game it has surely become—a game played for high stake* between
professional politicians and the unsuspecting public, and naturally the
politicians win out and our interests and laws are made subservient to the
IMimied men back of the politician.
GENTLEMEN. BUSINESS AND POLITICS WON'T MIX.
WHY NOT LET THE WOMEN TRY “HUMANITY AND POLITICS.”
Now what of the woman who has no husband or father to support her ?
You can never tell when your refined protected women will be forced
out into the world, together with the 6,000.000 other women who are now
laboring to make a living for themselves and their children.
Do you want your wife, your sister, your mother to earn her liveli
hood under the laws or rather lack of laws now governing our women
workers ?
AFTER YOU ARE GONE, are you sure that she can hold her own
against the hundreds of schemes that are hatched to deprive a woman of
her money?
Can you be sure that your own children will never be forced by some
calamity to cast their lot with the thousands of little children who are
oompelled to labor through the long hours of the day and night for a mere
pittance?
There are thousands of women and children working this very day
Who have lived the same quiet protected lives that your own loved ones
are leading.
Should it not be your greatest desire, as well as your duty, to help
the good women of this state who want to better the working conditions of
women and children?
MRS. A. 0. DUNK.
PROTECTION OF OUR GIRLS!
A girl of 16 is not considered competent in this state to manage
Btoney or property. Her wages at that age belong to the common purse
of the family, or are controlled entirely by the father who. in many states.
entire control over the children's earnings. Usually girls’ wages are,
Imwever. expended under the direction of parents and guardians and
whatever property she may have is wholly under their control. This is
m good law and is a recognition of the fact that girls or boys of 16 have not
Ae discretion to enable them to wisely protect their interests against
unscrupulous persons. So under the law we hold them incompetent to
contract for money.
But at the same time we hold by our laws that girls of 16 and over
are competent to sell or give away that which is more valuable to them
tfraw any worldly property and of more vital interest to society than
material wealth.
IF WE PROTECT THE PROPERTY OF GIRLS UNDER 16 FROM
THE MACHINATIONS OF UNSCRUPULOUS PERSONS, WHY SHOULD
WE NOT ALSO PROTECT THOSE MORE VALUABLE THINGS—THE
MORALS, THE SOULS. OF THESE GIRLS? •
If a girl has not sufficient wisdom to sell a farm wisely at 16. by
what miracle has she sufficient wisdom to know the proper price of her
body and soul? Is this law JUST?
Is it in any way desirable?
In the notorious case of Ethel Williams and Dr. Joslen of California,
thii child was just four months over 16 when her acquaintance with this
fiend began, but he was a middle-aged man. This man who kept this
child a prisoner for one year, making her an unwilling mother, who was
found in rags and half starved, was given the extreme penalty of one year
in the penitentiary for his unspeakable crime.
In this case the judge made this astounding speech: “As long as men
are men and women are women, women must pay the penalty for man's
betrayal. The only woman wronged in a case of this kind is the wife of
the man, and when she in the divinity of her womanly nature forgives her
husband, that is all there is to the matter.”
What is the state of society where such a standard of morality and
justice can be openly upheld and how far are, women of protected homes
and lives responsible for such a condition ?
WOMEN DO NOT WANT VOTE
The favorite argument, and one which you hear “sotto voce,” from
all classes of men opposed to giving woman the ballot is. “the women do
BOt want it,” where the majority of women want the cote, of course they
will get it” The rabid anti*suffragist delivers this sage reply with stern
emphasis. The matter is settled. The diplomatic gentleman says it with
a suave smile, he wishes you to understand he is very willing himself to
give the ladies the ballot but he is sure his reply is unanswearable, for, sad
to say, many “women do not want it”
It will require a few years more of education before women can
emerge from the thick cloud of prejudice which obstructs their viewpoint
in life, before they will be willing to accept thei mew responsibility and
understand that “Responsibility lies hand in hand with progress” for
women as well as men.
Every student of woman's progress knows that improvements in
woman's condition so far has been secured, not by a general demand fiom
the majority of women, but by the arguments and entreaties of a persis
tent few. Women who first tried to get the property laws changed, so
that a woman oould own and dispose of her own property were ridiculed
and persecuted by women and doors were slammed in their faces by in
dignant and outraged wives, who, slaves in heart, were content to do as
their masters bade them. “Women did not want to control their prop
erty**—it was not womanly. To be able to dispose of one’s property was
a purely masculine prerogative and utterly lowering the the female mind.”
The women did not want it,” but today the women “who and onot want the
irote” are reaping the benefit of what 'hese heroic women won for them.
When the first school was opened for girls in 1820. women objected.
' “They did not want it.” They did net believe that girls needed an edu
cation, but today women are taking advantage of every educational facility
the aaintry affords. And a woman. Mary Lyon, biased the way in spite of
tha fact that there were women so stupid, so contented with their condi
tion •t ignorance and irresponsibility that they “did not want it.”
In every case where women of noble aspirations endeavored to open
a mtw avenue of life for women, the majority of women “did not want it.”
When Biaabeth Blaokwell studied medicine, the women held their skirts
Mtde for fear of contamination, and refused her admittance to boarding
hdmMm Wemen so modest that they considered a woman untexed who
•tadied medicine, but who were not too modest to employ a male physician.
Theee women martyrs had to contend not only with the conservatism of
almost unbelievable then as it is now, in the campaign for votes for
| woman* With the. indifference and often the active opppytion of womeq.
Editorial Page of The Detroit Times
WOMAN SUFFRAGE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
BY MRS. CLARA B. ARTHUR.
Eighty years ago women could not vote anywhere except in a very limited wa> in a few p ai»s n ie
old world.
Women could nos make a will, could not sue or be sued. If married, were “dead in law. They were den
higher education, were forbidden by custom to labor ou side the home, had no voice in church oi state, and
were ridiculously restricted socially.
In the woman's parade In New York, May sth, we J e more than I'.OOO women, showing Hlleglam e and
gratitude to the suffrage movement which has emancipated woman, educationally, legally, industrially, socially,
and in part, politically.
These women repreaented many countries, and most of the present day trades and professions. In that
dignified and inspiring column were carried banner* which stated that nearly a million and a half of women in
the United States now' have full suffrage, and that in other countries. al»o. women have attained to citizenship
and sit in parliaments.
We may easily recount the gains of these SO years while the “Woman Question’ made its fight for recogni
tion. Inch by tn«h. woman aided here and there by a few men. pressed back custom, prejudice, ignorance,
superstition and misunderstanding and took her place as human being and citizen.
It was a slow but steady accumulation of accomplishment, and today we who watch with gratitude and
Joy the rise of woman’s status bear testimony to our thankfulness for it and our confidence In It.
It was more than a decade before another government found courage to follow this example and then
Ontario, in 18">0, granted school suffrage to women married and single, and 14 years later, 1875, New Zealand
conceded the right of women to vote on the election of school officials, and to serve on school hoards.
It Is noteworthy that during the years mentioned the vote on educational measures was extended to women
only In English speaking countries. The Provinces of Canada and those of Australia and New Zealand gave
school suffrage to women between 1850 and 1887. Ontario was the first country to bestow the right on till
women. ! *
Municipal suffrage, chiefly conferred on unmarried women, followed slowdy in the wake of school franchises.
Finland in 1863 gave women municipal suffrage and was followed in 1867 by New South Wales. In 1860
England granted municipal suffrage to single women and widows.
Rapidly now' other countries conferred municipal suffrage on their women, sometimes restricting it to single
women, but always its bestowal denoted the rising tide of public approval of woman’s claim to citizenship.
West and South Australia. Scotland, Kansas. Nova Sootlp and Manitoba fell into lire as progressive com
munities by giving municipal votes to women, and In 1881 full suffrage was obtained by the women of the
Isle of Man.
A new* note for Justice was sounded in 1887 when Montana gave tax-paving women the vote on all
questions submitted to tax payers. In the following year England and Scotland admitted women to county
suffrage, and another advance in public sentiment was shown in 1894 w’hen the women of England, married
and single, w r ere given parish and district franchises, and the women of Towa bond suffrage. Then in 1895-6
full suffrage was conferred on all women in South Australia Utah and Idaho.
Eighteen hundred and nintv-elght. saw women In Ireland given the right to vote on all elective ofllcers
except members of parliament, and In that year France, the first country save Finland not English-speaking, to
concede a point to Ihe great feminist movement gave women engaged in commerce the right to vote for Judges
r>f tribunals of commerce. In this year Louisiana granted tax-paying women a vote, while West Australia gave
all her women fvftl suffrage.
The decade of 1901-1911 is memorable for suffrage gains: Full national suffrage was given all the women
of federated Australia. 1902: and of Tasmania. 1903: Queensland gave women full state suffrage 1905: Fin
land enfranchised its women and made them eligible to all public offices from members of Parliament down. 1906;
Norway gave full parliamentary suffrage to the 300,000 women who already had municipal suffrage: Denmark
extended to women the right to vote for members of boards of public charities, and to serve on these boards:
and England made women eligible as mayors, aldermen and town and county councillors. 1907. Michigan gave
tax-paying women the right to vote on questions of local taxation and granting of franchises, and Denmark
gave tax-payfng women, or wives of tax payers the vote for all officers except members of parliament. 1908.
In 1909 Belgium granted the right to vote for members of the Coneeils des Prudhommes, and made them
eligible; unmarried women were given a tax-payfng vote in an Austrian-Tyrol province.
In 1910 in portions of Europe, the political condition was considerably advanced, as for Instance, the grant
ing of suffrage to women of the city of Laibach in an Austrian province, and the Kingdom of Wurtemburg
granting women engaged in agriculture a vote for members of the Chamber of Agriculture.
_ln Iceland parliament last year voted to give full suffrage to all women over 25 years of age.
Less than half of 1912 haa passed and we cßronicle the suffrage miracle, the political emancipation of the
women of China, by the national parliament In session at Nankin, subject only to the same restrictions applied
to men. that Is, they must be able to read and write, must be property owners, and 20 years of age.
The women of Ireland have just been made eligible as borough and district councillors, and Norway has
recently made women eligible to almost all state offices.
All this progressive change for women from Inferiority of opportunity—from repression and perpetual tutelage,
to a condition approaching equality with man in pursuit of life and happiness, all this uplift, enlargement and dig
nity of voice In government is the achievement of organiz and womanhood.
In every country where women have obtained full or fragmentary franchise women have agitated, appealed,
insisted, and triumphed. All over the world today women are organized, and all countries are feeling the
force and invincible strength of the political woman question.
Great organized bodies of women In 26 countries of the w’orld are engaged In furthering votes for women.
Within the year membership in these has tripled am! quadrupled, thousands upon thousands of meetings have
been held, and millions of leaflets distributed. Many suffrage newspapers are published, and find readv sale. It
Is said that for years women In China have been editing magazines advocating political and soeinl emancipation
of the women of that nation, and to this fact together with the recent action of California and Washington
and th£ desire of the young Chinese party to adopt progressive American methods is due the decision of the
national parliament to give Chinese women a voice In government.
Seven countries of the world boast men’s leagues for woman suffrage, the membership In these including (he
names of some of the ableet and most distinguished of living men who fearlessly champion this reform. In the
vast army of women who are pressing claim to citizenship are those of every grade of society led by women
trained In college and by world-experience, orators, authors, women of rronounced executive ability, inter
nationally famous
The powers of opposition armed only with threadbare prejudices, and the blind fear of change can resist
evolution only so long as Ignorance and wilful Injustice avert action, and must surely surrender.
The women who fall to have a rl» r <* In this great movement have no conception of the Incentive, the sus
taining faith the exultation that come with having before one the vision of a free womanhood and all that
It signifies to humanity now and to the generations yet to be.
Women who are reaping the benefits directly of the struggles and sacrifices
of these forgotten martyrs.
Again we are told that women would not use the vote if they had it.
Suoh an objection is both illogical and untrue.. Apart from this, however,
would the man who is interested in casting his ballot consider that he
should be disposed of his privilege because a large percentage of men were
not interested enough to do so—not at riot would most assuredly
ensue were any such course pursued. But at the recent presidential
primaries the vote cast was something like 40"* of the total number of
voters.
At the time of the vote on the street car question in Detroit when ex
citement ran high—so much so that life-long friends becam eestTanged and
bitter enemies—about 40% of the male vote was cast. But we did not
hear of disfranchising men on that account.
That “women do not vote” in the states and countries where they
are enfranchised is moreover, not true. They do vote and in some places in
a larger percentage than men.
At first when women were given the balot, the' vote was naturally
small, as they had to be educated to their responsibility in the matter, but
in Colorado, by a practically unanimous vote of both houses, the legislature
declared that each year “the women have exercised the ballot as generally
as men.” Eighty per cent of women registering and 70% voting. In
Wyoming 90% of the women vote. In Idaho the chief justice and the
justices of the state supreme court published a statement that “the large
vote cast by the women established the fact tha hey take a lively interest.”
In Australia, in the recent elections, the women’s vote exceeded that of the
mn. In New Zealand each year the percentage of women voters has stead
ily increased until it is on a par with that of the men. In the face of
these incontrovertible facts the continuation of such ridiculous assertions
as an argument that women do not want the vote—“and would not use it"
—are not worthy of any consideration.
Who Aie Opponents
Os Woman Suffrage
BY MRS. W. ,E. ROBINSON.
The women who strongly oppose
equal suffrage may be put imo two
classes. The first are those who, hav
ing everything that they need and
tailing to look beyond the couflnes o(
Ihelr own lives, cannot realise J:at the
ballot would be not only a great ben
efit to a large number of women, but
Is an economic necessity at this stage
of the world's game that men and
women the world over. In high places
and low places, may live and lei live.
The others are those women who are
looking to marriage, as they should, but
.ftfo under ina f
admire only the “clinging vine’* type
of woman, and will not jeopardize
their cliancea by openly declaring for
equal suffrage. Can't they sec that
men must still admire when women
are still “sturdy oaks?”
Men who oppose suffrage rot women
may be put In two classes alsq. first,
those whose business interests would
he seriously affected by the enfran
chisement of women. Second, that
large number of men who art ro
naiupered by inherited ideas und
training that they cannot overcome
their prejudices against equal suf
frage. even when they are willing to
admit there is no logical argument
against It.
There Is a large number of small.
Insignificant men who must not be for
gotten. They really belong to the
sixteenth cqptury, but by some trans
pojiuo^at*>9
late and cannot bear to see tae ex
clusive right to the ballot snatched
from their grasp—the last remaining
visible evidence of their superiority
over women.
Compare these men with those
broad-minded. Just men, whose intel
lectual grasp on this great consuming
question is such that they not only
favor it but work for It!
Why bother to argue the opponents
of equal suffrage out of their rooted
prejudices? Let all the other mon
and women Join forces at once and
demand universal suffrage. It must
come.
What The W. C. T. U,
Hopes to Accomplish
By MRS. FREDERICK B. PERKINS,
Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Woman's Christian Temperance
union is known as organized mother
love, and while primarily, we are
seeking by education and legislation,
to bring about total abstinence from
intoxicants by the individual, and
prohibition of the liquor traffic by the
state and nation, yet all matters
w’hich have to do with the welfare
of the home, city and state are of
great interest to us. We have 46 de
partments of work. In every one of
these departments, the ballot will be
an added help and power. Every de
tail of our home life, is largely gov
erned by existing laws. We shall use
the ballot, to secure better laws rela
tive to the food we eat. the clothes
wc wear, health conditions, beautiful
parks, clean streets, the public
schools. We shall use the ballot to
help the millions of working women,
and the little children who today are
toiling.
We shall probably do some avid
housecleaning Men have never en
joyed housecleaning. We shall use
the ballot to abolish every form of
evil and vice; to build up all that is
beautiful and good. Will we be able
to accomplish All that we desire?
You remember the story of the man
who was taken to the hospital, sick
with delirium tremens. He asked the
doctor: "Can you cure me, can you
cure me?” The doctor replied: "We
may not be able to cure you, but we
can reduce the size of the snake:’.”
So we of the Woman** Christian Tem
perance union, know that the bailot
given to women, will result in better
borne lives, better civic a
better America.
Job Printing Dose IU«kl. Ilati ,
THE CALL OF THE CHILDREN
Probably no phase of the Equal Suffrage problem make* »o vital ap
appeal to both believers and unbelievers as that problem's relation to
children.
If all women were truly convinced that Equal Suffrage would benefit
children, there wouldn’t be a day to wait for universal suffrage— for then
all women would want to vote.
And the whole body of American women will be granted Equal Suf*
frage the very hour they all truly desire it.
The Children's Bureau, newly created by the United States govern
ment. has for its general purpose the conservation of child life.
The appointment of Miss Julia Lathrop, of Chicago, as head of th's
national bureau has recently been oonflrmed by the United States senatl.
When the work of the bureau is well under way, we shall be able
to know to a certainty how many children go to work from 4 to 14 years
of age.
How many work for more than eight hours a day;
How many work underground;
How many never have enough to eat;
How many die from overwork and underfeeding in this land of plenty,
in this country of the free.
When Miss Lathrop and her co-workers have brought to light in every
state of the Union facts about children at which every decent man
woman will be outraged, we are going to want to do something about it.
Something 1 * too, besides investigate, accept reports, and shelve recom
mendations.
We are going to want some new and drastic legislation in behalf of
the children.
We are going to want it in a hurry, and most of all, WE ARE GOING
TO WANT THE NEW LAWS ENFORCED.
Nearly 70 years have passed since Mrs. Browning wrote her wonderful
lines:
Do you hear the children weeping, 0, my brothers, (
Ere the sorrow comes with years?
They are leaning their young heads against their mothers,
And THAT cannot stop their tears.
But we could safely promise the poet, if she were to write those lines to
day, that not 70, nor yet even seven years would pass before the haunting
cries and sometimes curses of the children would rid the statute books of
laws that make possible the exploitation of child life in factory, mill and
mine. Give the National Children's Bureau time to rport facts.
Give the women one chance at reconstructing child labor laws and at
enforcing them; and then will the children all sing in the sunshine, and
no longer can the poet truly say:
But the young, young children, 0. my brother,
They are weeping bitterly.
They are weeping in the playtime of the others
In the country of the free.
REFORMS WOMEN'S WORK
Mrs. Julia Gates writes her nephew
and niece in Detroit of suffrage in
California.
Though past three score years, she
is alert and Interested in all up»to*
date movements, even attending Ice
land Stanford university regularly
each week. She says:
“I am so glad to see your photo
in the paper, and know you arc en
gaged in such an excellent cause. I
was manager of 15 parlor meetings
and assisted in four street meetings,
before we gained the suffrage last
October.
"We really feel very sorry for the
women of Michigan. The ‘lnterests'
and rich business men did not give
us the suffrage. It was the honest
hearted farmer in the country, who
did it. Not much, but they cannot
take it from us now. We are grow
ing.
"They asked me to Berve on the
school election board, and we cast
voles for and against a woman for
school trustee. She defeated her
male opponent by 43.
"The attitude of the men toward us
is much different. The women who
opposed their sex are the first to takt*
advantage of the voting privilege. I
admire the martyrs in England. It Is
to be desired at all costs.
"How simple and true It seems to
vote with our husbands and brothers.
Cigarettes will not be sold at Palo
Alto after Christmas. One thing at a
time our women will take up and
clean-out. Move Heaven and earth
for the ballot.
"The magic votes for women are
expressing themselves for civic rtgV
eousness in California. Just see
what wonders we shall execute when
we stand fully on our feet.
"We are learning quietly, surely
and women who were most opposed
are now the strongest In support of
women having the ballot.”
THE YOUNGEST SUFFRAGIST
The above is a likeness of the famous English actress and Suffractat
leader. Beatrice Foi bes- Robert son—Mrs. Swinburne Hale and vtinnJ
daughter of New York city. The first suffrage play ever given | n
country was prodiu ed by Mrs. Hale at the Maxine Eliot theater. New y or u
city, a few years ago. Forbes-Robertson made a speech between aits
Maxine Eliot, herself, read one of Charlotte Perkins Gilmore s poem* V*
r . _ _ ‘ a
Monday, June 3,
1912
WHY?
A member of the legislature, who
was strongly opposed to equal suf
frage. said: "There is one thing I
do believe in, though. 1 think theri
ought to be women on every board of
all state or local institutions wlieie
women and girls are confined, and ou
health boards, loo.”
For some years there have been
women on the board of the Girl’s In
dnstrial school at Adrian, but we know
of none on the insane asylum boar.lr,
or other state institution boards or
any health boards.
Is there a law against it? Or have
women Just been apathetic in this
matter?
Surely the work of the food com
mission of the state health board, the
charities, and corrections hoard aad
many others concerns women quite as
vitally as it does men.
Two Eyes Are Needed
For Perfect Vision
BV Kt'GF.XK ROHWW SHIPPK V
As two eyes viewing things from
different angles are needed for per
fect vision, eo in' the state masculin4
and feminine viewpoints are essen
tial. True perspective can be ob
tained only as men and women to
gether look at the problems of so
ciety. The man's angle of vision is
not the only Woman's Inani
tion. sympathy and moral conservatism
are needed today aa never before, f.»r
our social-industrial issues require for
their solution not only technical
knowledge, but qualities which wom
en notably if not exclusively possess.
Rnalneaa-lllir Printing. No fnaa
no feather*. The plain, neat kind tliat
look* right. ’lime* Printing Cos., 1 $
John R.-*t. Ph. Main 141»« or City 33«5