Political Power

timated that women earned only one-fourth that of men's wages on the same jobs. Women were not only inexperienced and working in isolation from each other, but they were not supported by the men in the trades, since the men felt women would compete with them for jobs. Women struck against poor wages and speed-ups, but leadership and spirit didn't last long enough to sustain a victory. The opposition was too well organized.

THE BARTER AND SALE

THAT GOESION UNDERTHE NAME OF LOVE IS HIGHLY OBNOXIOUS

IZABER

CURLEYFOMAIN

Labor women found a leader in Sarah Bagley of the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association. The Association channeled the workers' energies from fruitless strikes to pledges refusing to work until workers' demands were met.

A program was needed to organize the national movement of discontent that raged. The Seneca Falls Convention occured in the summer of 1848 from which the beginning of the Women's Rights movement in the United States is dated. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton became new leaders here, and formed the women's movement into a constantly growing force.

A year later another convention took place, which was significant because it banned men from any vocal participation whatever. For the first time in the worlds history men learned how it felt to sit in silence when questions in which they were interested were under discussion.

Along with political activity at these conventions, women became more involved with social questions like "women's place" in the home and slavery. Not trusting Lincoln's compromise with the slave states, women pushed for the Fourteenth Amendment. They were amazed and 'dismayed, however, with the word "male" in the amendment. Again women were cheated out of citizenship after fighting for a cause. Voting, divorce laws and property laws were relegated to states' rights.

The first victory for women's suffrage happened in the territory of Wyoming under the leadership of Esther Morris. A suffrage bill was passed and signed and women voted for the first time in United States history in the elections of 1870-71. Once enrolled as voters, women's names were now among jurors. This right was included with control over their own property and protection against discrimination as teachers. Mrs. Morris was the first to serve as Justice of the Peace in South Pass City, and not one of her 40 decisions was reversed by a higher court.

In the 1880's and 1890's the Suffrage Movement became conservative, and opted for suffrage rights only, ignoring the other struggles for equality. American society was becoming polarized into classes. The middle class viewed labor as anarchists, fearing socialism and workers' rights. There were fewer housewives and pioneers and more professionals and women of substantial means who were out of touch with the working-class struggles.

To combat this conservative movement, the now aging Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the National Woman Suffrage Association. In conflict with them was the Equal Rights Association, headed and controlled by men, who betrayed women's interests in favor of suffrage alone. It was thought that the vote would bring more changes later on. These women found the bottom falling out from under them after the vote was won.

It was Elizabeth Stanton's daughter, Harriot Stanton Blatch, who came from England and

Justice, Simple

Justice

is What the

World Needs'

organized parades and speeches to spark now life into the American Suffrage movement. She planned tours cross-country and stormed for suffrage.

To overcome a states' rights plan to block suffrage, feminists drafted a Constitutional Amendment. The final vote in the House on August 26, 1920 marked a decided victory for all women. It was, however, a small stepping stone when so few women have achieved political status. Much work is needed to change the attitudes of men and women alike into believing that women really are equal to and on a par with any citizen of this country.

Women's development, her freedom, her independence, must come from and through herself. First, by asserting herself as a personality, and not as a sex commodity. Second, by refusing to bear children, unless she wants them; by refusing to be a servant to God, the State, society, the husband, the family, etc., by making her life simpler, but deeper and richer. That is, by trying to learn the meaning and substance of life in all its complexities, by freeing herself from the fear of public opinion and condemnation,

Emma Goldman (1869-1940)

Parallels can be drawn from this struggle to our modern Women's Liberation Movement. After the civil rights struggles of the 60's people rea. lized that attitudes had to change about social traditions. It is still difficult today to include women's issues on an equal par with revolution. ary ideas. We learned that one court decision does not end a struggle for abortion rights, and the ERA will not be the magic wand of job equality,

Women need confidence enough to vote for themselves and seize the power behind the vote. Only then will women's suffrage be an asset to our nation.

Lucy Stone

paqs/nai Sno 1.5

476