The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 2, 1920, Page 7

- T B o b 4 o8 ra S sl by e .- < % . press. An Appeal to Women Equal Suffrage Means Equal Duties as JVell as Equal Rights ‘BITOR Nonpartisan Leader: of the suffrage states; realize their duty to their country and the re- sponsibility the franchise places upon them? There is unrest the world over. Much of this is the result of oppression and in- equality and lack of repiesentation by the masses. The United States is on the verge of a great crisis. It is a race between monopoly and majority. The present unrest can not-go on for leng. It will be suppressed or remedied.” Which shall it be? We tried to reconcile ourselves two years ago with prices and conditions. It was war time then. But who will come forth now and explain these peace-time prices? We believe it necessary and proper to deport or in some way dispose of anarchists who would over- throw the government by force, but are there any who could object to reform or constructive improve- ment of the present government by the ballot? Would it not be better, instead of resorting to suppression, to provide a remedy for the prevailing discontent under the provrsrons of our present Constitution ? No other country has a more democratic form of government. The reform movement that is sweep- ing the country just now is mnot advocacy of an- archy or revolution. The people of this nation are capable of self-government and there is absolutely no necessity of revolution if we can secure honest representation by the ballot free from monopolistic domination. The next election brmgs us to the crossroads. Much depends upon who is at the head in the com- ing administration. I predict the unrest will be suppressed or remedied within the next four years. Which shall it be, monopoly or majority, autocracy or democracy" Where is there a wife or mother who would sac- ~ rifice husband or son in battle when democracy can be redeemed by the ballot? But we must act, each and every one of us, by influence and votes. In North Dakota the men fought hard and en- dured much to restore the “government to the peo- ple, but the enemies of democracy have not sur- rendered and their wives are coming with-rein- forcements. Will we stand silently by and permit victory to end in defeat? Or will we make the most of our opportunity? We can not afford to be indifferent at this crit- ical time. The future of our countiry depends upon the verdict next November. What will be the effect of woman’s power in public affairs? We owe this duty to our homes, our children and our country and to the men who granted us these, our rights. Shall we respond? We shall. We must. Let every woman feel her responsibility. Let us stand united for peace, right, justice and clean government. : The men stuck and won. Let us stick, too. Clyde, N. D. MRS. J. R. LEONARD. Again‘st. Old Parties Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I am glad you are giving a page to the women and I hope many will avail themselves of the opportunity to express their opinions and to ask questions. The Nonpar- tisan league affords the only possible solution I can see for the reconstruction of democracy. The two old parties are so nearly alike! they. are having trouble to find an issue upon which to fight their campaign. They surely can not use the peace treaty as such. - What/has become of the points ad- vocated by Wilson? The peace conference was a great farce and instead of “open covenants of peace openly arrived at” we find schemes concocted behind closed doors and the peace that was prom- ised us a mockery. The people want a league— not necessarily Wilson’s league. The whole world has its eyes on North Dakota. The opposxtlon continues to prevaricate about the laws enacted in that state, but people are not quite so easily fooled by statements found in the daily I read with interest the article by Miss Ward in a late issue of the Leader and realize there is much.to be done for the betterment of women and children. I don’t quite understand the necessn:y for a Do the. - women of the nation, and especially’ woman’s auxiliary to the League. We-are volers, why not belong to the League exactly as men? Mitchell, S. D. MYRA PEPPER WALKER. Wives of League members belong to the League, exactly as their husbands do, and it is their \duty to take part in League pmcinct meetings, conven- tions, etc., as the men do. The Federation of League Women’s Clubs.will afford the women op- portunity to give additional help and to study prob- lems relating especially to women-and children, such as were brought up in MISS Ward’s artxcle. —THE. EDITOR. : ] Come Out of the Kitchen to Vote! l " Woman after woman, writing letters for this page, repeats the same message. Equal suffrage means equal responsibilities as well as equal rights. The farm- woman must come out of the kitchen long enough to take an interest in public affairs and cast her vote. Will she do it? Just watch her! Women Demand Reforms New Voters Ask Important Planks in Re- publican Platform Republican women from 14 states, at a recent Republican conference in Chicago, submitted a list of planks which they demanded should be inciuded in the Repubhcan natlonal platform. These planks were: 4 Direct citizenship for women, not dependent upon the status of her husband. National and state legislation for the regulatron and abolition of child labor. National and state legislation providing the exght-hour day, 44-hour week, and one day’s rest in seven for all women workers. Permanent establishment of a woman’s bureau in connection with the federal department of labor. A national employment service in which women will be given equal rights with men, and equality of opportunities in civil service tests. A new pollcy by the federal board of vocational " education to insure for women equal opportunities with men 4n trade and technical education.” Appointment of women mediators on all federal . labor boards to deal with industries employing women. Compulsory education in all states for chlldren between six and sixtecn years of age, with provi- sion for thorough education in citizenship in all: our youth. LETTERS FOR THIS PAGE Letters intended for:' publication on this page must be signed and bear the address of the writer. If for any reason the writer does not desire her name printed it will not be used. Keep letters short—200 words or less, if possible —and give everybody a chance. PAGE SEVEN Plans for Farm Buildings Mary O’Neilt* Gives Valuable List of Bul- letins on Subject DITOR Nonpartisan Leader: The fol- lowing bulletins on farm houses would give helpful suggestions to Mrs. Jes- sup, who in her letter mentions that she was planning on building a new house. - These bulletins may be ob- tained free, on request. British Columbia department of lands, Victoria, B. C. Farm houses. Farm building series bulletin No. 10, 1916; 70 pages. This bulletin gives six complete house plans, with detailed instruction, including a bill of ma- terial for a septic tank and an interesting sketch showing suggested arrangement of buildings for d half section of land. The other farm building series bulletins of the British Columbia, departmenu of lands are also worth ‘listing: 1. Combination or .general purpose barns for prairie farms. 2. Dairy barns, milk and icehouses for prairie farms. , 3. Beef cattle barns for prairie farms. 4. Horse barns for prairie farms. 5. Sheep_barns for prairie farms. ! 6. Piggeries and smokehouses for prairie farms. " 7. Poultry houses for prairie farms. ‘8. Implement sheds and granaries for prairie farms. 10. Farm houses for prairie farms. Minnesota Farmers’® institute annual. home number. tension division, University of anesmta, Univers| sity Farm, St. Paul, Minn._ This bulletin is well worth getting. It gives pictures and plans of 11 modern Minnesota farm houses. Home comforts and surroundings, house heating, lighting and water supply are discussed. There. are chapters on the kitchen, on the fruit and vegetable garden, on farm sanitation and on many similar subjects. It includes plans for build- ing a farm icehouse, poultry houses and all the buildings of the farmstead. If Mrs. Jessup is interested in other documents of similar nature I shall be glad to look them up for her. Very truly yours, Madison, Wis. MARY O’NEILL;; Farm WHO WERE THE DISTURBERS? Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Who were the “five young men wearing American Legion buttons” who tried to interfere with the meeting of the Commit- tee of 48 in St. Louis? Since they were big enough to go to the department of justice barking defiance it- should not be hard to establish their identity. The American Legion has disowned them but for its own sake it should make clear who does own them. MRS. CATHERINE ARNOLD Rlchland Mont. Miss Allen Did Right Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I think Miss Allen did right in resigning from the woman’s national Democratic committee as a protest against the compulsory military training bill. We were told during the war that Germany was all that stood between the world and peace and that the defeat of the kaiser would end militarism. And now! Miss Allen’s only mistake is that she didn’t quit the Democratic party altogether. It seems she is beginning to glimpse the golden dawn when “The pen shall supersede the sword, ‘When right, not might, shall rule mankind.” Let us hope and pray that Miss Allen will be endowed with greater vision and depart from all that is tainted with the navy leagues, the war trusts and international capitalism. While we must not dispense with politics on the woman’s page homely hints are also needful, labor- saving ideas especially. These save our time and strength for more important work, as writers, or- ganizers and speakers, a little of which, here and there, most of us can do. . ‘MRS. MARGARET BAUMGARTEN. Dunkerton, Iowa. - Mrs. Baumgarten refers to the action of Miss Florenece Allen ‘of Ohio, reported on the woman's . page of the issue of January 12. No. 27, 1914; 320 pages. Ex- .