The nonpartisan leader. [volume], March 08, 1920, Image 7

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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VViae-r\WaKe
Some Facts About Recent Chicago Conven
tion Overlooked by Daily Press
The writer of this letter, an author and editor of in
ternational reputation, was one of the earliest workers
in the suffrage movement. She is also one of the warm
eat friends of the movement of organized farmers and
their wives. Miss Blackwell was chairman of the resolu
tions committee at the recent Chicago meeting of which
•he whites. Most of the facta which she cites were not
even given a passing mention, in the daily papers of the
Northwests
DITOR Nonpartisan Leader: I do not
know how full an account the daily
papers carried of the doings at the an
nual convention of the newly formed
National League of Women Voters,
successor to the old National Aineri-
made up of a member from each state, chosen by
the delegation from that state. After running the
gauntlet of this committee the resolutions came
before the convention for consideration. As finally
passed they undoubtedly represented the majority
^opinion of the convention.
The following was adopted unanimously:
"That we declare ourselves emphatically in favor
of the principle of free speech, free press and free
representation, not only as the best means to pro
mote the orderly progress of enlightenment, but as
the best safeguard to^ror American institutions. We
recognize that efforts to bring about the overthrow
of our government by violence must not be permit
ted, but in ill-considered attempts to meet this dif
ficulty there is danger of overthrowing that real
liberty which has always been one of the corner
stones of our republic."
FOR FRIENDLY ATTITUDE
TOWARD SISTER REPUBLIC
Another resolution passed unanimously favored
"a policy of constructive and friendly co-operation"
between the United States and Mexico and deplor
ed the constant circulation in the press of sensa
tional and inflammatory rumors.
A resolution against compulsory military train
ing was carried, 182 to 77.
No speeches in advocacy of^any po
litical party were allowed, but opin
ions cropped out nevertheless. Miss
Mary Garrett Hay announced herself
as a Republican and Mrs. George Bass
as a Democrat, while the writer de
clared herself a warm believer in the
Nonpartisan league. Mrs. Charlotte Per
kins Gilman, who spent a short time at
the convention, told a friend that she
looked upon the Nonpartisan.league as
the hope of the country. One delegate.
so opposed to it that she objected?
•even to the word "nonpartisan" in the"
constitution of the League of Women
Voters.
An amusing feature of the convention^.
was the struggle of the big meat packers
to stave off the acceptance of the report^
of the women's committee on food sup
ply and demand. Mrs. Mabel Costigan
is chairman. Armour invited the dele
gates to a concert and tea where they
were told about the innocence of the
packers and the unfairness of their ac
cusers. A representative of Swift & Co.
asked"for a hearing before the committee
on'food supply. He was given five min-J.
^utes. Complaining that this was not:
enough he was afterwards given 10 min-
utes to address the convention, but he*
could make no impression on the indig-:fl|
nant housewives. The report of-the foodKJ'«
committee, adverse to the packers, was rj
adopted overwhelmingly and Mrs. Costi- '..
gan was continued as chairman of the|s|l
committee.
Xr After the concert, to which Armour in—
"1* vited the women, when they had listened
to a speech in defense of the packers and
jn "'4 had been given no chance to hear the
"other side, thosepresent were asked to
pass. a resolution rebuking the federal
1
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can Woman Suffrage association, at its first meet
ing in Chicago. The committee on resolutions was leaguesvas first organized and am slacker enough
THE FARM WOMAN'S PAGE OF NEWS AND OPINION
commissi°n
Coderre, Sask., Canada.
fr* S•T-V
for its alleged refusal to give
the packers a.hearing, and it was passed. But this
was wholly unofficial. The vote of the convention
went against the packers overwhelmingly.
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL.
Boston, Mass. ,,
Cheer From Canada
Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Yes, by all means,
I would like to see the woman's page discuss how
to get the apple to make the pie. Then if we dont
already know how to make the pie the apple will
be good just raw. But no amount of recipes will
solve the problem for the wife who can't afford
a variety of foods.
lived in North Dakota when the Nonpartisan
now to wish that we might own-a home there, but,
I'm over here pioneering in Saskatchewan. I was
born down in Kansas and I never forget that our
father taught us to take a stand in politics even
when we were small and could only march in the
parade the first year Bryan ran for president. We
carried our torches and called, "Hurrah for Bryan
and free speech! Hurrah for free silver and gov
ernment ownership of railroads!"
I like Mrs." C.'s suggestions and will try to use
them advantageously. Our young folks in the
country used to have a fixed date for a "lecture"
and the subject would be named so all would have
a chance. There could not be anything better, it
seems to me, than to organize a literary society
and then serve-a lunch and the young folks could
dance a bit before going home.
I feel it is so healthy and interesting to be able
to get out in the open and discuss freely our work.
If the men are willing to help us discuss the real
work of life we can just bunch the hours we spent
in talking styles, slip on a neat shirtwaist and plain
skirt and ride out in the little old Ford onto the
road of life where we will all learn that "to the
producer belong the spoils" and we may be able to
find a pretty bouquet while we are on the way.
HARD TO SEE THEM
MRS. B.
l)ftKOTPv
—Drawn expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris.
Governor Frazier of North Dakpta is not a candidate for president, but
in spite of. that fact progressive men and women in North Dakota
-—and other states—have a hard time "seeing" any one else*.
PAGE SEVEN
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$4—
Help Save Baby Lives
Nation-Wide Campaign Is on to Help Pass
Sheppard Bill
URING the year 1918, the last for
which statistics are available, 125,000
babies under six weeks old and 23,000
mothers died in the United States for
lack of proper care during confine
ment and childbirth, according to data
gathered by the federal children's bureau.
To remedy this situation the bureau has prepared
a bill, introduced in the United States senate by Sen
ator Sheppard of Texas as senate bill 3259, "for the
proper protection of maternity and infancy and
providing a method of co-operation between the
government of the United States and the several
states." The bill provides that $10,000 government
aid shall be given, as a start, to each state willing
to spend a like amount to see that women receive
proper care during confinement and childbirth, with
provisions that the aid may be increased later.
This bill, mentioned previously in the Leader, has
now been indorsed by the National Council of
Women, and 20 governors have stated their states
can be counted upon to co-operate with the federal
government and to make state appropriations as
soon as the federal appropriation is available.
A nation-wide campaign is now under way to
urge congress to pass this bill. It is impossible in
this issue of the Leader to devote any further space
to the question. Men and women who favor the
purpose^ of this bill should write their senators
and representatives in congress, urging speedy ac
tion. Copies of the bill may be secured by address
ing' your own congressman or by writing Senator
Sheppard.
A Great Sisterhood.
Editor Nonpartisan Leader: In the Leader of
February 9 I found in the communication by May
Schmeitzer the real sentiments of a kindred spirit.
I have felt, ever since the Leader dedicated a page
to its women folks, just as the lady from Colorado
expresses herself.
I, too, am tired of apple pie recipes and sugges
tions for removing grease spots. Those
suggestions are all right and vastly im
portant—just once. But repeated at in
tervals of once a week, 52 weeks in suc
cession, as they are in every paper we
pick up, strikes me as nibbing it in a
little too frequent. It gets about as mo
notonous as washing dishes.
When farm women get leisure to read
we want to broaden our viewpoint and
get away from the narrow rut that stat
isticians say causes us to go crazy.
I am in favor of all the things Mrs.
Colorado suggests. Personally I have
always rebelled against those same, in
evitable three meals a day when I so
much preferred to make things grow. I
know a number of women who hate the
sight of a cookbook, but make first-class^
landscape gardeners. And a lot of good
cooks whose dish towels are a horrible
nighmare. And, too, I know one woman
skilled in a dozen different varieties of
fancy work who had never heard of John
D. Rockefeller.
These things ought not to be. To know
one's job is right and proper, but to
know nothing else is to degenerate into
a clod.
Let us not introduce housekeeping or
home-making, as applied to the physical
being, into the pages of our Leader, but
rather those things that are intellectual
and spiritual. Let it represent a sister
hood that rises above the ordinary that:
reaches out to benefit all mankind.
Montana. MRS. B. E. E.
IN SOUTH SEAS
New Zealand women have formed a big
union in order to ideal with living costs,
housing shortage, state medical servicej
education and universal ifiiljtpry training.
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