Life — November 10, 1910 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Priscilla Drops Into Verse HAVE just done something which I think will be a great help to our sacred cause. We have never had a song all our own to sing at our meet- ings and on our parades. Nothing stirs the blood and rouses the enthusiasm like a ringing song. This is the first time I've ever written any poetry, and on account of the necessity of making the words rhyme at the ends of the lines I have sometimes had to change the sentences so that they don’t express exactly the meaning I intended. But I have had one of the sisters sing it for me and it goes perfectly with the tune, so perhaps the meaning doesn’t matter so much after all. We all know what “La Marseillaise'’ did for the cause of liberty in France. If my song shall do as much in freeing down-trodden woman from the shackles of tyrant man in America, I shall be satisfied. Perhaps before long it will find a place in popular esteem alongside of "The Star Spangled Banner "’ and “ The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’’ Here it is, dear sisters, dedicated to ] you and our cause: i SUPFRAGETTE MARCHING SONG Aiz.—The “When I Behold" duet from “La Mascotte.” When I behold a Suffragette, Her strange appearance agitates me; Her strident voice, I hear it yet And Lown up it irritates me. | And when she mounts a dry-goods box To tell about her awful troubles, Or joins parades about the streets, The touching sight my anguish doubles. Cutoxus.—It's difficult for her to walk, ! Hobble, hobble, hobble, bla! It's easier for her to talk, Gabble, gabble, gabble, bla! Hobble, hobble, hobble, blat Gabble, gabble, gabble, bla! And when we've downed the tyrant man, In other words, have got his goat; Some other fad we'll quickly plan, We really do not care to vote, q We Suffragettes are banderlo We never stick to one thing long; We do our thinking in a fog, | So come, dear sisters, join the song: Cuorus.—It's diffcult for us to walk, Hobble, hobble, hobble, blat It’s easier for us to talk, i Gabble, gable, gable, bla! Hobble, hobble, hobble, blat Gabble, gabble, gable, bla! Here is a letter from a man which shows how little his sex is able to appreciate the relative importance of things. I am sure he quarrels with his wife and denies her a woman's privilege of running up dressmakers’ and milliners’ bills. He may be even brute enough to keep her from joining a Suffragette club. ; First Ato to Mararizp Mex’s Ctus, New York, Thursday. Dear Miss Jawnoxes.—I have been reading your impassioned arguments in behalf of Votes for Women LIVE with much interest. You seem to be an unusually intellectual woman and I take the liberty of asking your opinion concerning a point on which I am not entirely clear. You have much to say about the tyrant man and how he retards the development of your sex. Is there not, in fact, another tyrant who is really far more to blame for woman's mental and physical inferiority and against whose foolish and despotic rule woman, neither collectively nor singly, seems able to raise a particle of effective opposition? By this time a clever woman like you has already guessed that I mean Fashion and Fashion's absurd decrees Here is the real tyrant. From time immemorial woman has been the willing slave of Fashion and its caprices. Not only has she taxed her own and her family’s resources to follow these in the matter of apparel and adornment, but she has given over her body to torture and disfigurement at’ Fashion's be- est When I saw fashionable women, fashionably at- tired, growing excited over the wrongs of working- girls’ in some recent labor troubles, I wondered whether they were doing more good by their inter- ference or more harm by setting before these poor girls examples of silly costuming, later on to be used by the girls in flimsy imitations which, cheap as they might be, would be extravagances and a killing bur- den on their slender incomes. When I sce fashionable women agitating for the ballot and attending meetings of working-girls, I wonder whether they might not better be using their speech, energies and example to spread a doctrine of plain and tasteful dressing. Do you really think that your sex is entitled to or is capable of exercising the right to govern exempli- fied in the ballot when it has not the will or the or- ganizing power to govern its own members in their wilfully absurd and wasteful habits of dress? Should woman not show that she can rid herself of a real and crucl tyranny before she seeks to escape from the milder wrongs inflicted by the tyrant man? A Marrixp axp IMpovertsiten TyRaxt. When men put off the tyranny of tobacco, drink and gambling it will be time for them to ask women to economize in the money, time and thought they devote to their clothes This man and all others should be thankful that women devote their time to clothes and personal adornment. Women have to have some occupation for their spare time and it might often be devoted -to something worse than dress Matiner Girts’ Brancu, Tue Surrrace Leacue, Nov. 6 Dear Miss Priscitta.—You know the lovely cholera-bands women e wearing on their hair. Would it not be a pretty idea if all of us Suffragettes wore ribbons embroidered with the words “ Votes for Women ''? Those of .us who can afford it might have the letters in diamonds or pearls, which would give a stunning effect in the theatre. What do you think? Yours for the cause, Tortie Littepratns. A very charming idea, my dear. I hope the sisters will make a note of it and, if they will adopt it, there is no doubt it will have a very uplifting effect. Priscrita Jawsoxts. STEALING A RIDE comicbooks.com