Votes for Women!
Women’s Suffrage Party of New York City – leaflet outlining arguments for voting rights
Excerpts
Because women must obey the laws just as men do, they should vote equally with men.
Because women pay taxes just as men do, thus supporting the government, they should vote equally with men.
Because women suffer from bad government just as men do, they should vote equally with men.
Because mothers want to make their children’s surroundings better, they should vote equally with men.
Because over 5,000,000 women in the United States are wage workers and their health and that of our future citizens are often endangered by evil working conditions that can only be remedied by legislation, they should vote equally with men.
Because women of leisure who attempt to serve the public welfare should be able to support their advice by their votes, they should vote equally with men.
Because busy housemothers and professional women cannot give such public service, and can only serve the state by the same means used by the busy man–namely, by casting a ballot, they should vote equally with men.
Because women need to be trained to a higher sense of social and civic responsibility, and such sense developes by use, they should vote equally with men.
Because women are consumers, and consumers need fuller representation in politics, they should vote equally with men.
Because women are citizens of a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and women are people, they should vote equally with men.
EQUAL SUFFRAGE FOR MEN AND WOMEN.
WOMEN Need It.
MEN Need It.
THE STATE Needs It.
WHY?
BECAUSE Women Ought to GIVE Their Help. Men Ought to HAVE Their Help. The State Ought to USE Their Help.
Questions:
What arguments does the Women’s Suffrage Party provide in favor of women’s voting rights?
Who do you think was the audience for this leaflet? Where might it have been handed out?
What rhetorical strategies was the author using?
To which groups of people might these arguments be persuasive? Who might not be persuaded by these arguments? Why?