Judge, 1917-05-05 · page 23 of 30
Judge — May 5, 1917 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Judge* article by Ida Husted Harper uses anecdotes to mock anti-suffrage arguments. Harper highlights the hypocrisy and absurdity of male legislators opposing women's voting rights. **Key satirical points:** - A New Mexico Speaker accidentally votes *for* suffrage while intending to vote against it—suggesting the cause's inevitability - A New York Senator claims suffrage reduces birth rates, then votes for it anyway—exposing hollow reasoning - Delaware rejects suffrage because "women's shoes cost too much" for politics—mocking trivializing arguments - Male officials invoke "moral obligations" while voting no—showing bad faith - Men demand women serve in war but deny them ballots—highlighting logical contradiction - Jeannette Rankin's Congressional arrival receives standing ovations, contradicting claims women lose male respect by voting The satire argues that anti-suffrage rhetoric crumbles against reality. This was written during active 1910s-1920s suffrage debates, before the 19th Amendment (1920).
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Suffrage Snapshots By IDA HUSTED HARPER HE first act of the new constitutional government in Russia was to declare for universal suffrage and the whole world was amazed to learn that this included women. It never had been interpreted that + According to newspaper reports, when the woman suff bill was before the Legislature of New Mexico “the uproar was so great that the Speaker became ‘rattled’ and voted aye when he intended * Well, it is a great advance Jators fight over it in public instead of knifing it in secret according tothe old method. way before. “This here woman suffrage amendment means a decreased birth rate,” declared a Senator in the New York Legislature—and then he voted for it! 2 Both Houses of the Delaware Legislature voted down the suffrage bill by two to one. Women’s shoes cost too much nowadays for themtogetintothe mire of Delaware politics, + When President Wilson telegraphed to the Tennessee Senators that the Demo- cratic party was under “moral obligations” to vote for the woman suffrage bill they mean moral obliga- and voted it down. £ While the Government is talking about conscripting men for military servi million women have oft s any way that they can be utili: And yet when every man is twenty-one the Govern- ment puts a ballot in his hand but it never gives one to women because they cannot serve their country in time of war! — ry tions? } Take away from the “antis” their early- Victorian argument that women will lose the respect of men when they vote and hold office and the loss will be irreparable, but no new member ever received such anovation as Miss Jeannette Rankin when she took her seat in Congress. When an anti-suffrage theory runs up against a | Lz fact it never knows what struck it. 2 The Judge who proudly delivered a terrific speech against the woman suf- frge bill in the North Carolina Legisla- ture didn’t feel so sure of himself when he teceived a letter from the suffragists ask- ing if they might make a leaflet out of it to circulate with the rest of their literature! * Only one masculine reporter had_ the temerity to describe Miss Rankin’s dress then she took her in Congress. He dothed her very becomingly in black Geor- gette crepe. She wore a black satin gown Five dtund shots eelk® Hundred Suftraze hots In paper F covers, 25 Address Ida Husted Harver, care Judge. (Adv. Meeting the Universal Need Vast telephone extensions are pro- gressing simultaneously in the waste places as well as in the thickly popu- lated communities. These betterments are ceaseless and they are voluntary, requiring the ex- In the high passes of the moun- tains, accessible only to the daring pioneer and the sure-footed burro, there are telephone linemen string- ing wires. Across bays or rivers a flat-bot- tomed boat is used to unreel the message-bearing cables and lay them beneath the water. . Over the sand-blown, treeless desert a truck train plows its way with tele- phone material and supplies. Through dense forests linemen are felling trees and cutting a swath for lines of wire-laden poles. penditure of almost superhuman imagination, energy and large capital. In the Bell organization, besides the army of manual toilers, there is an army of experts, including almost the entire gamut of human labors. These men, scientific and practical, are con- stantly inventing means for supplying the numberless new demands of the telephone using public. AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES One Policy One System Universal Service ‘OR the best photograph appearing on its pages each month, Leslie’s will offer a prize of $25.00; for the second best $15.00; and for third $10.00. The prize pic- tures and all others accepted by the editors will be paid for at the regu jar rates, Photographs will be judged by Leslie’s editors on News Interest Reproduction Qualities Promptness in Sending Size of Print Anyone may send pictures and there are no conditions except that the print must not be submitted else- where at the same time. Remember, if the picture is accepted, whether it wins a prize or not, it will be used and paid for at the usual rates. "If copyrighted, written copyright release must accompany photo. Leslie’s wants news pictures and wants them quickly Address EDITOR LESLIE’S, 225 Fifth Avenue, New York City comicbooks.com