Enfranchisement of Women
Edited by Miss Ada Fanz and Mrs. Emma
Fanz Price.
JANE ADDAMS ON
CHICAGO'S CHANGE
Shows immediate Results of Vote
in Garbage and Police-Women Reforms
Jane Addams was one of the speakers at a luncheon recently given in
Washington by the National College
Equal Suffrage league. She said that
the women of Illinois had found their
influence much increased since they
got the ballot. Illustrating this, Miss
Addams continued:
"Miss Mary McDowell had been
greatly interested in the garbage ques-
tion for many years, because the big-
gest garbage dump in Chicago is in
her ward, and the garbage has simply
been put there and allowed to decay.
She has interviewed all manner of
committees and officials, without re-
sult. Within two weeks after the wo-
man suffrage law went into effect,
Miss McDowell was appointed a
member of a garbage committee, made
up mostly of aldermen, with one or two physicians—a committee with
$10,000 to spend. In all likelihood this
would not have happened but for wo-
man suffrage.
"We had been trying for a long
time, without success, to secure the
appointment of police-women. We
wanted them especially to look after
girls at dance halls and in other
places of public recreation. After wo-
man suffrage was granted ten police-
women were appointed very quickly
with full police powers.
"Judge Owens, who makes the ar-
rangements for the city elections, has
issued an order asking for 1,400 women
volunteers to serve as judges
and clerks of election in every pre-
cinct. The pay is $5 per day, and the
work will cover about 20 days In the
course of a year, including the va-
rious elections, and the time needed
for counting the ballots. Judge Owens
is establishing so many precedents
that I think the opponents of equal
rights will never be able to get the
women out.
"Our experience in Illinois has
thoroughly exploded the idea that wo-
men have more respect and influence
without a vote. Every woman who
has been to the city hall or has had
anything to do with city officials has
observed a very striking change in
their demeanor since the woman suf-
frage bill passed. They are much more respectful and gallant.
'Miss Harriet Vittum, president of
Women's City club, has been try-
ing to get an ordinance for the better
ventilation of the five-cent theatres,
and so she has had to go to the city
hall a great deal, and to see various
committees. She says that "before woman suffrage they were polite (of
course, they are too good politicians
to be otherwise), but that since then
they have been cordial, and are ab-
solutely tumbling over themselves to
meet the wishes of the women."
SOUTHERN WOMAN
EXONERATES PAUL
Asks Why Literal Application
Teachings is Confined to Single
Point
In the Atlanta Constitution Mrs. J.
K. Ottley reviews with much force
the anti-suffrage argument lately put
forth by a Savannah judge, who based it largely on Paul. Mrs. Ottley asks
why we should insist upon a literal
application to our day of Paul's rules
for the Corinthians on this one question, when we have ceased to do it on
so many others. Thus Paul devotes
thirteen verses to the impropriety of
a woman's "praying unto God with
uncovered head," yet in a crowded,
modern church women are often ask-
ed to remove their picture hats for
the greatest good of the greatest number. Mrs. Ottley gives other instances
and says:
"It seems to me a little hard on
Paul, who gave us some of our most
wonderful messages of great abiding
spiritual truth, that he should be so
constantly brought forward and quoted, not for his great essential inspiration, but in the light of some detailed
instructions which he gave to the
near-Pagan Corinthians 2,000 years
ago. We do not observe these Corinthian rules, as indeed why should we?"
WANTED A VOTE.
A prize was lately won by the following limerick, written by Mrs.
John B. Parker, a member of the
Era club of New Orleans:
There once was a woman of note
Who very much wanted to vote;
Her neighbors said "Here,
You stay in your sphere;
Go home and have babies to tote!"
She then formed a club literary,
Which studied child-life, civics and
dairy;
They found out their right
To make the world bright,
and decent, and home-like and cheery.
They studied of home and the nation,
And learned to each the relation,
"We'll have better laws,"
Said these women, "because
We'll work for our country's salvation."
And now in ten states women vote
On questions both near and remote;
"Our banner's unfurled
And our sphere is the word,"
Says this wonderful woman of note.
