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The Good, the Bad, the Otherwise, and a Few Laconics By L. A. L.
What the Suffragettes Might Do.
W‘™ jE Mr. Wilson side-stepped the suf
frage question with as much grace as a
professor side-steps admiring phrases for
a squalling baby, he is nevertheless “in bad”
with the suffragettes who are making such
strenuous efforts to force the matter of suf
frage as a national issue.
Perhaps, in no better way, can the ignorance
of the average woman be better illustrated,
than in this; they have either lost sight of the
fact, or they never thought of it, that each
State has the right to adopt or reject, what
ever legislation it sees fit to adopt or reject,
and that it is unconstitutional for any meas
ure to be forced on a State, from the National
law-making body, unless the greater number
of the States have already adopted it. Even
then, the question of each individual State
taking the measure as a law, would be open.
While Mr. Wilson has made a great many
blunders, he did not in this case, and his reply
to the committee of women was the only one
he could have given. There have been far
weightier matters than that of suffrage which
it would have been well for him to have taken
so decided a stand on.
Statistics of the results, where suffrage has
been granted, continue to be made known, and
in a recent census of Denver it was shown
that, since Colorado granted suffrage,.the per
centage of divorces had increased enormously.
In Denver alone, it has been shown that the
number of divorces is just one-half the num
ber of marriages.
Argument to offset this is offered, but it is
not altering the fact as it stands, that, with
more liberty, recognizing women as less able
to accept the new order as philosophically as
men would, the standard has been lowered,
and the results do not justify the claim that
was made, of a bettering of conditions, when
suffrage was granted.
If those women who are working so hard
for nothing, would turn their time, thought,
and effort toward the things that are crying
for attention, and work as hard for them as
they have for the empty honor of suffrage,
they might relieve distress, ease aching hearts,
and make a standard which would lift every
State in which it was made, a thousand per
cent.
One of the most crying needs of the hour
is to provide for the widow-mother, who is
not able to leave the little ones of her-family
to the care of others, and who cannot bring
herself to part with them, for the homes and
asylums which are all the State has to offer.
In several of the States, pensions are
already given the poor widow, who is thus
able to keep her little brood under her wing,
and make the home for them which will count
so much in the shaping of their lives. ’
The State could go even further; it could
make of these pensioned widow-mothers, the
foster mothers of other homeless, parentless
little ones, and add further to their income,
by paying for the keep and the care of those,
whose ultimate home will be an institution of
public or private charity.
If the club women, and the women who are
working so hard for suffrage, would take hold
of this question; if they would look to the
mill-districts, where the little workers, pa
tient, faithful and often illy-nourished, are
glad to work even at the back-breaking tasks
they have to do, because of the fact that they
can “be home with the folks,” the facts which
they would gather, even on a short visit, would
make them realize that there was a work,
ready to hand, against which no dissenting
voice could be raised, and whose immediate
results would mean more than ten thousand
Women walking to a ballot box, and casting
THE JEFFERSONIAN
ten thousand ballots, many of which would
be cast out “on a point of order” (or whatever
it is they throw a ballot out for.)
Then, when those women w 7 ould get the
real, true focus on the question of w 7 hat it
meant to have a home, and to keep a little,
family together, they would be the better able
to see the results of the un-sexed woman who
wants to be regarded as a man, but who is
unable or unfit to lake on her shoulders the
burdens or the responsibilities of even* the
most ordinary man.
If there is any way to stimulate the interest
of the women of your section in this matter
of the pension for the widow-mother, try to
interest them. Then see how quickly the per
centage of pauperism will low T er; what a
difference it will make in the future citizenry
of your section, and how much easier it will
be to demonstrate the fact that, in women’s
power as a home-maker, lies her strength to
. the people of the community and of the
Nation.
It’s worth trying, anyway, and while it may
mean the reduction of some well-fed office
holders, that item should not cause anguish
to any but the office holder, and as a rule
they are husky enough to hustle up another
job, if they had to.
Wheat goes up, and then goes down, but
the speculator in this necessity goes on for
ever.
4 4 4
Anyway, the Mexicans let Villa sit in the
presidential chair long enough to get photo
graphed.
4 4 4
New 7 lork Sun has nice article on “Meaning
of Culebra.” Just now it means more money
to clear out “slides.”
In spite of the overworked German censors,
an item or two occasionally gets by that takes
a lot of explaining, afteiwvard.
4 4 4
It may be cold in Dixie, but the brand of
politics they are having in Alabama ought to
heat something besides the speakers.
4 4 4
General Gutierrez says “peace is in sight,”
in Mexico; but think what a little piece of
the population there is left to enjoy it.
It's queer what a hunch Kaiser Bill seems
to have, every time there is a bomb dropped
anywhere near where he was —just before the
bomb landed.
An “experience meeting" for suffragettes is
not half so interesting to ns as what an ex
perience meeting of the husbands of those
suffragettes w’ould be.
4- 4- 4
Alabama is going to “probe’’ the convict
lease scandal of that State, and then maybe
it will abolish the system altogether, as Geor
gia did, after its probing.
4 4 4
Texas had a general political housecleaning,
and a new governor, a new 7 legislature and a
new speaker of the House w ill begin
tions, “all to wunst.”
Here's the opportunity of Colonel Roose
velt to make good the old saw of distance
lending enchantment to the view 7 ; China has
asked him to get over there and deliver a
series of lectures, and it looks as though the
*going would be good, about now 7 for him.
4 4 4
While it is true the new styles in women’s
wear show a tendency to develop cotton fab
rics, some of those fabrics rival the cob-web
for thinness, and it doesn’t look, from the pic
. tures, that petticoats were to aid iu the con
sumption of the cotton.
Just from here it looks as though there
would be another change in the presidency of
Mexico “right soon,” and without the anxiety
of an election by ballot.
4 4 4
That deep, dark gob of gloom on the face
of William Makehay Bryan is due to the fact
that his enemy, Wilson has decided to put his
hat in the ring of the 1916 Presidential circus.
The death of John Reese, of Rome, and
connected for so long a time with prominent
papers of the State of Georgia, takes from
newspaper life one of the cleanest, best-liked
men in the profession. His sort is scarce.
4 4 4
Carl Vinson, the new Representative from
Georgia, voiced the sentiments of a lot of
people in his speech on the prohibition ques
tion, in the House, on December twenty-sec
ond.
The fact that a dinner costing SB.OO in New
York, can be had for $3 in Berlin, isn’t ex
pected to make any great change in the de
mand for out going steamers to Berlin, just
now.
-4 4-4
The average New Yorker is trying to make
up his mind whether he will get to his work
on the surface cars, all in one piece, or take
his chances at being charred, or smothered
before he arrives there, in the subway.
4 4 4
President Wilson is quoted as saying the
Reublicans know how to do nothing but sit
on the lid. Mebbe; but the Democrats have
shown they know a trick or two in sitting
down hard on nominations Wilson has made
lately, also.
These hard times, ducks is ducks, and it is
as dangerous for any American poachers to
shoot on Canadian soil, as it was before the
treaty had been signed. So, while the Cana
dian Government will pay bounty to the
family of the American poacher who was
killed, it w 7 ont lie wise for any more Ameri
cans to endeavor to provide for their families
in just that way.
4 4 4
What between bringing hundreds of Bel
gian families to this country, to lie given free
farms, and the ship-loads* of food that are
also to be sent to the Belgians at home, it be
gins to look as though this country felt it was
her lone duty to look after a people whose ill
fortune was not in any way to be traced to
us. We're a queer lot, w 7 hen we get started on
any of our fool fads.
Life and Speeches of Thos. E. Watson will
encourage every ambitious young man who
has to struggle for success. Price 50c. The
Jeffersonian Publishing Company, Thomson,
Ga.
Hard Times?
Yes, everywhere in the United States.
Hgw much is the Tariff to
blame for it?
Read
“4 TARIFF PRIMER 99
By TH OS. E. WATSON
and learn.
Price 25 Cents, Postpaid.
THE JEFFERSONIAN PUBLISHING CO.
Thomson, Ga.
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