BLACKWELL FAMILY ALICE STONE BLACKWELL SUBJECT FILE MEETINGS BOSTON EQUAL SUFFRAGE ASSOC. Peace Com of Three Men - Very much in favor of trying anything for peace - attitude of Am papers has been splendid, showing of wretched side of war - the stupidity & futility of it - Women have seen scary side of war & have had none of the intoxication of it - [Some effort] Women arestirring everywhere against war - most fitting that they should - I think women feel the outrage of it - Greeks were long afraid of falling back into human sacrifices - all sorts of taboos - & many women feel same - It outrages their religious sentiments& their human sentiments - Society has moved to a place where war is hateful & impossible to a large group , more women > men, but many men too - [Wom] Race has become self-conscious & feels as if it were killing itself- Ought to be many demonstrations by many groups - war is making such tremendous demonstrations -Heard noted psychologists say that if war is going on anywhere makes impression on tender tissue of children's minds & is a factor toward next war - should minimise glory & emphasize horrors - W S will be factor toward peace - everything in woman's history show they are for peace against war Difficult to make peace as attractive to school childrenchildren attracted by war as war - soldiers growing younger & younger - Mrs [Schwimmer?] [Vandervelde?] & others - women in all directions are making se heard - whoever is moved to talk - is not a time for anyone to self silence - get up all the anti-war sentiment youcan, & focus it. [(?reads] arrive 23) Women have not had a vote in any of countries now at war - will lessen wars as women gain more control - more moral & literary expression from outside of govt is valuable but not enough - - May come out of true war thatno one can profit by arms[*Lillian Moulton*] Blackwell Alice Stone Notes on meeting of Boston Equal Suffrage Assn. for Good Government Sept. 17, 1914Boston E S A Sept 17, 1914 Mrs Roscoe Thayer This = movt for justice not expediency whim desire of certain discontented persons defer? that - goes as deep as justice. Until settled as justice demands will not down. If visitor fr Mars shd come & ask why? Privilege at 1st determined by brute force - not only for women but for weaker men. "Have been today to marriage [TTS?] - makes meboil to think she has not right to clothes she has on [?"housewivism"] ΒΆ Miss Florence Allen Lost by [?] to 11 after 3 mos of campaigning - 1912 Progressive -liquor - which men come out & put down $25000 to fight [?] as Jim [Pilyot?] did in Toledo - had to have for 44 cos & got all 88 Only 4 got less< 5% 13 less > 10% 71 over 10% For 86 out of 88 they got Cost $312 only $800 for Melting Pot Ohio = Battle of TrentonPark [?] is built up on belief not on distrust - no one can be suf who doesn't believe in democracy. in women, in men, & in power of men & women to work together. A timid young lady said how Shall I deal in this terrible [cou?] I will sit on the stile But a friend said no You will not this the foe [W?] a branch fr this true I'll equip you & me And this can Arm her duty will know Miss Lotta Crabtree $100. " J Addams (she knows) any other woman in country, & knows it soberly Tribute to women voter - Always pleasure to me to speak on [?] & [speak] of Think it will help all the other things I want, but since Chicago has certain validity Autis - you have some here we have none in Ills - "If women vote will be less [?] in domesticity" can be easily answered by Australia in highest birthrate - Will neglect children - lowest infant death rate - When women vote so & so has nothappened - break up familes Wy, lowest divorce rate [?] but pleasanter out of own experience [*paragraph*] In ills have always put in 2 measures for whole loaf & half loaf. Chicago = largest city wh women vote & we have opportunity of trying out the adv & disadv Several gratify[y?] things happened when vote was given - made enormous dif - had long sought police women - 86000 young people go to dances on dance evenings (small parks & many dance halls) wanted policewomen for chaperones - A Journal had happy time - for 2 yrs mak[?] [fu?] - got vote July 1 & July 15 mayor appt'd 10 & before Sept 1 had 40 & are promised 100 - we had done nothing, but mayor was coming up for re-election - not necessary to vote but to be able to vote - garbage - haul it out to poor quarter wh are already uncomfortable & overcrowded -McDowell made grt fuss about it - went to Europe, got striking set of got a chance to show unto to city fathers lectured on all occasions - she tried for 75 yrs, & I was garbage inspector -nothing done- then mayor decided we had abominable system &Chicago's grit garbage, is hurt was hot on it - she was just some kind as before - had been very hard trying in for boy's courtboys of 17 and 21 between juvenile and men -- large part of crime committed under 25 -- if we could take care of till 25 could then turn 'em loose had dinners at Hull House and elsewhere -- officials sometimes came and sometimes didn't now the officials gave the lunches and we now have splendid boys' court -- psycho- pathic clinic forthese boys -- all sorts of things are being done which groups of women had long urged after vote have aldermen called gray wolves. Have been there long enough to be gray and came for same purpose as wolves. Two worst were from 1st Ward -- where there are few voters and mostly such thugs as congregateGave favors Everybody said was very bad, but hard to get anybody to stand - people hate to be beat β€” women are willing to go in & fail β€” admirable woman said she was willing to make race β€” men objected, said things went on there that [your?] [young?] people ought to know, and stir up trouble, (& etc?) She went in Against Bathhouse John -- of course she was defeated, she never expected to win, but situation was cleared up -- processes which went on there were held up to light & to scorn those [which?] had [?] ignoble methods had spread to other wards -- will never happenagain -- women not seeking office but seeking to do a public service -- Can't have a ward of which whole city is ashamed sans affecting all the other wards that happened in several wards -- one set of men said women should shrink from holding office -- anotherset said women would seek and grab but women stood for office where couldn't get em but where things needed to clear up -- our hospitals poorhouses etc. are under co [county] not city -- has been decided for present women may votepoorhouse houses hundreds of people and was long run very stupidly -- old couple who had lived 50 years in honorable wedlock and had nothing but their mutual affection and bundle of memories were parted and only allowed to see each other once a week? through grating unless guardwas kind and opened grating and let em sit on bench in pub [public?] hall -- "poor house built that way -- so human nature must be [watched?} now have a lot of cottages -- have big hospital very badly managed -- have lived [for 25?} years with foreign women and I assure you are just like American women -- bright and [studied?] and all kinds but school[ed?] all interested in things to benefit city -- was judge of elections almost all foreign voter -- Irish womean very bright couldn't read. (I had no idea of it, she had got along so well). [? Women voters?] League and City Club had issued informationwas allowed to go into booth in her [?] -- 1st bonds to vote on were about hospital --"Is same bunch to spend it?" Next about subway "Now if they would clear off trucks etc won't go under ground till I have to" -- contagious hospitalonly time she differed was on bathing beath -- great satisfaction -- John Morley said "elector is not expected to be expert but to express mind of common people, who knows most about social misery and needs by which it [needs] can be mitigated [Just./} told her [?] where gave me [?] [to] cast it"It galls the men some to see us voting doesn't it?" Italian woman came in who knew much more about our city than their husbands who were away digging RRs 9 mos. of year. Italian women came to Hill House to ask for municipal washhouses "Kitchen no place to wash." Russian women for pub[lic] markets said even in ghettos of Russian not so allowed to be exposed to dust & dirt -- class to be naturalized mostly men -- wd [would] be better that women should have to qualify in same way -- Questions was told in Canada reason of strike trouble was we had a "woman elected Gov" wish all the feeble Govs could be explained in this way --is an industrial and hardly [yet] a polit. situation -- Are you disapptd [disappointed]at small vote? Was bigger? Expected not [8000?] but [42000?] object to parties [?] especially in County offices -- will be much larger in real election -- temperance people won our in almost every county "to do it intelligently = a sine qua non of successful [living?] -- any woman whogives her best mind to it can vote intelligently on such questions as are submitted are simple ? In China, 1st question was sale of little girls, 2nd foot binding -- does liquor interest oppose [?] -- yrs everywhere -- Don't thinkwomen lose power when join party don't think it works out that way -- man belongs to pary to church but acts as citizen & Xtian [Christian] Mrs. Stouly McCormick "so glad you have not lost your influence" (legislator)How would it benefit Mass? Same ways as Illinois & other States -- would be much more democratic govt. Humanitarian measures now to the fore everywhere -- are being taken and State -- & women are more "out of it" than any class since Greek slaves --Ohio needs help > [more than] other States = 3rd largest State -- more men voted for it > ever before -- need speakers & literature in various literatures I found so many nationalities [?]Youngstown so far east it would be a tremendous help -- as in Ills is being called on for Western States we feel Eastern States ought to help Ohio -- overflow open air meeting has been waiting all this time [8?] 653