| Show WOMENS RIGHTS Leading Society Ladies of Chicago Petition the Illinois Legislature Not to Grant the Elective Franchise to Women in Municipal Elections Their Reasons SPRINGFIELD I March 3An interesting interest-ing petition has reached the members of the Illinois general assembly I is I signed by some of the best known of Chi cagos society ladies and is a protest against the bill extending municipal suffrage suf-frage to women and denouncing as false and pernicious all attempts to secure legislation legis-lation in that direction Among the signers are Mr J J P Odell wife of the wellknown banker Mrs Caroline Corbin wife ttf Lieutenant Colonel Corbin United States army Mrs Elizabeth Gray wife of Judge Gray Mrs E F Briggs Mrs Cornelie McAvoy Mrs George W Smith and others Frances Higgins Isabella A Gait The following extracts are taken from the petition 4usy in the cares of their homes women have neither time strength nor inclination to enter the public arena and defEnd themselves against doings which they earnestly believe to be pernicious per-nicious and destructive of the true power and influence of women In theirhomes The French revolution is reviewed and authorities cited to prove that woman suf frace would result in degradation of the sex Instances of communistic societies et are instanced with the implied destruction des-truction of the family relation and the petition pe-tition adds When women share with menthe men-the burden of labor nnd government communism com-munism with all that it implies is already begun We regard the question of the property rights of comparatively few women wo-men as one of minor importance compared with the vastly greater right of women in general to maintenance and protection in the home while they are engaged in absorbing ab-sorbing offices and duties of womanhood And this paramount right of women is threatened with entire destruction by the socialistic doctrines above cited We exhort you so remember that above all human laws stand those great natural laws inherent in the universe which no man nor body of men can contravene and that these laws have forever estabhshed a difference between the powers and prlvil edges of the sexes to disregard which is to invoke the penalties by which they are relentlessly re-lentlessly enforced We beg you to consider con-sider that the revolution of France could not override these laws but fell crushed under the burden that in so far as any political body in this country has attempted to do so it has suffered defeat and We believe no greater I misfortune can attend the forming labor party of this conntry in its attempt to secure se-cure legislation in the interest of the farmer artisan and laborer than that it should espouse the false and pernicious doctrine of the political rights of women We pray therefore that no matter what arguments to the contrary may be urged upon you as legislators for the commonwealth common-wealth you will stand fast by that ancient bulwark of liberty the home remembering remember-ing that the same power which says to all men Behold God is you father and all ye are brethern has joined also the husband hus-band and wife as one flesh for the orderly bearing and rearing of children and maintenance main-tenance of society and has given to each their own distinctive and equally honorable honor-able share in the labors and rewards of life lifeThe ladies in conclusion say they have held court with many women in different parts of the state and feel assured the petition peti-tion represents the wishes of the overwhelming over-whelming majority of the women of Illinois |
