to control
the conditions surrounding their business or trades? Why train
women to be better mothers and better housekeepers and refuse
them the right to say what laws shall be passed to protect their
children and homes? Why train women to be teachers, lawyers,
doctors and scientists and say to them: "Now you have assumed new
responsibilities, go out into the world and compete with men,"
and then handicap them by depriving them of political expression?
Women now have the opportunity for equal mental development with
men. Is it right or is it politically expedient that we should
not avail ourselves of their special knowledge concerning those
matters which vitally affect the human race?...

Mrs. Ella S. Stewart, president of the Illinois Suffrage Association
and member of the national board, contrasted the old academic plea for
the ballot with the modern demand for it to meet the present
intensely utilitarian age and continued: "Today we know that the
ballot is just a machine. In fact it impresses us as being something
like the long-distance telephone which we in this scientific age have
grown accustomed to use. We go into the polling booth and call up
central (the Government) and when we get the connection we deliver our
message with accuracy and speed and then we go about our business.
Women have been encouraged during the past to have opinions about
governmental matters and there is no denying that we do have opinions.
If we could submit to you today the list of bills which the
Federations of Women's Clubs of the various States have endorsed and
for which they are working you would know that women have a large
civic conscience and an intelligent appreciation of the measures which
affect both women and the homes. They have been encouraged to have
these opinions but to try to influence legislation only in indirect
ways. Today, being practical and scientific, we are asking ourselves
all the time why should we be limited to expressing our opinion on
governmental affairs in our women's clubs? Why should we breathe them
only in the prayer meeting or in the parlors of our friends? Why not
directly into the governmental ear--the ballot box? Why do we not go
into that long-distance telephone booth, get connection with central,
and then know that our message has been delivered in the only place
where it is recorded. The Government makes no record whatever of the
opinions wh