Judge, 1915-01-30 · page 16 of 24
Judge — January 30, 1915 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge magazine page satirizes opposition to women's suffrage through rural, working-class female characters who ironically argue *for* voting rights. **"Aunt Betsy on Suffrage"** presents Miss Butts, an anti-suffrage woman, who dismisses female voters as inferior and claims women belong at the "back door of civilization" while men occupy the front. The narrator (Oreola Haskell) responds cleverly: women's domestic perspective—managing households, children, tenements—actually qualifies them to vote on practical matters. She argues that adding women's viewpoint to men's would strengthen democracy, not divide it. **"Sayings of a Country Suffragist"** uses a metaphor: suffrage is a shortcut through fields rather than a dusty road—why should women take the harder path? The satire mocks anti-suffragists by showing their arguments backfiring. The page also notes that 63 women police officers now work in American cities, suggesting women's capability for public responsibility. The tone is colloquial and humorous, using dialect to make suffrage arguments accessible and appealing to ordinary readers while undercutting the opposition as narrow-minded.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Curbside Comments Py OREOLA W. HASKELL Policewoman WENTY-THREE cities in the United States have departments for public safety for women and children, and sixty- three women policemen are holding down jobs as guardians of public peace. Some of the cities that flaunt this innovation—such as Portland, Ore.; Wash., and Oakland, Cal.—are in States where women are enfranchised citizens. While the antis ought not to miss this chance to say that more cops are needed where women are ad- mitted to the wild arena of politics, the city authorities seem to feel chesty over what they call progress and the supplying to women and children of guardians who thor- oughly understand them and their needs. Aunt Betsy on Suffrage The Back Door ISS BUTTS, with her cooking cap over one eye and a flour smudge on her jaw, run in this a. m. to borrow some bak- ing powder. She's one of them grim-faced kind that boss their husbands and elevate men by running women down. Whilst I was measuring out the powder, she says, “*It's all over Corncob Center how you're shouting suffrage. It beats me how you kin boost woman, the inferiur. Ain't she allus been and ain't she now poking at the back door of civilization, whilst man’s at the front?"’ “IT dunno,” says I, **but what some of her's sneaked round to the side door these days. But, Veeny Butts, unbeknownst to yourself and begrudging it, you've give me an idee. Mebbe, figgeratively speaking, man is where you say. After his chores are did, he kin go and smoke his pipe peaceful in front of the house, and he gits the front view, the posies in the garden, the long road winding to the village, the fields acrosst, the house 'n’ yard of his neighbor, and beyant the river and the green hills. Kinder a wide view and a nice one. And mebbe that’s why in pollertics he looks most continual at the big things, like trust bust- ing, tariff tampering, States rightsing and nation running. But woman’s allus got the pesky dishes to wash whilst he’s smoking, so she naterally gits more of the back view, a humly one, the kitchen garden, the chicken runs, the barns full of lowing and neighing dumb beasts, the ice house, the barnyard, and even the pig sty. And I calkerlate that’s why she’s more interested in plain, common things, like children working and females canning and tenement houses and old fol tranded and mothers’ pensionings and men out of work and sich, But what's the matter of adding the back-door view to the front in pollertics? If men and wim- men looked out on the same things the same way, one vote 'ud do for two; but, thank goodness, their minds ain’t twins! So, after all, Veeny Butts, you’ve helped me give a good reason for inviting females to the ballot box." “Aunt Betsey,’’ says Miss Butts, plumb disgusted, ‘‘you're a twister and a turner! How kin I an’ anty give you any help?”’ sy,"" says I. **Jest like the other antys, the dear critters! Ain't they allus helping us most powerful?" Sayings of a Country Suffragist UFFRAGE is a short cut through the lots. Of course you kin go round by the road and git there, but it’s dusty and takes more time 'n’ energy. And, lands hou RoceRs “*IT’S A LONG, LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY "* sakes! why should wimmen do things the most wearing way? The minister says men and wimmen needs things to unite ‘em, not divide ‘em. Amen, says I. At the church sociables all the fe- males gits to one side and talks babies ‘n’ pies 'n’ things cut on the bias, whilst the men slide off and jabber crops. Of course the sexes has got love, religion and learning in common; but love is private, religion had orter be lived, not spouted, and learn- ing sends some folks bolting for the woods. But politics, meaning schools and streets and giving people jobs, as a topic ‘ud bring the hull caboodle of folks together and keep *em jawing together easy and sociable. Oncet Deacon Elder says to me it ‘ud be terrible for wimmen to throw down their thoughts from their high elevation to sully them the pool of politics. But, some- how, I feel as though my thoughts falling from dishwashing and scrubbing and chick- ens and butter making and quilt piecing and hog feeding wouldn't make such a terrible splash in no pool. And, anyway, when I git the chancet, I reckon I'll put something besides thoughts in that there puddle we hear so much about. To git things "thout the vote, a woman has got to be either a bosser or a clinger to make the men stand round. I'd ruther be a getter ‘thout the fuss and feathers of haranguing and harassing the already ha- rangued and harassed male sex. Chippewas First (The big council of the Chippe recently declared for w oO" MAIDENS of the Chippewas, we greet you! And at the ballot box some day we'll meet you; For you will let no paleface maidens beat you, If progress call. Though Pawnees, Sioux and other tribes may still be Behind the times, your name shall ere a thrill be! Not Chippewas, or is, but Chippewillbe; We hail you all!—Grace McKinstry. Cat! Miss Well Dressed—What a sweet new gown you have on! Miss Very Littl—Yes; but hasn't your last year’s suit worn well?—kthet R. Peyser. in Wisconsin uifrage.—JU Daughter—What does old-fashioned mean? Mother—Anything that I think is right and you don’t, dear.