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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (June 30, 1923)
Womanhood Has Earned Rights. President Says World War Emancipated Sex, Harding Asserts in Speech at Helena, Mont. Following Is the text of President Harding's address on "Social Jus tice. Women and Labor" delivered at Helena, Mont,, Friday: My Countrymen: One of the great cat lessons which the world war taught to society wds a realization of its stupendous producing capacity un der modern organization. When the war started many of Us. probably moat of us. believed it could not last very long because we could not con ceive that It could be economically and industrially supported for a long time. We had been taught to believe that as a whole the community an nually consumed pretty neatly all that it produced, and that in order to maintain this ratio it was neces sary to keep all the producers steadily at work. We were convinced that when the moat efficient producers were taken by millions away from the fields, the shops, the mines, and the offices, and set at the business of armed destruc tion, they would very presently pull down i upon themselves the whole fabric of our complex industrial sys tem. and* that the war would be smothered in the ruins. This view was the bas.s vf what became almost an obsession with many people, in deed with most of the best Informed people, during ,the early stages of the war. It was commonly and freely' said that economic exhaustion would compel an end to the struggle before a year, and a much more popular limitation was six months. Little Understood. The event showed how very little we understood either the tremendous producing capacity of the community rs a whole or the strength and solidity of our industrial structure. When the first year o? the war had passed, the world was just beginning to realize that in all probability the struggle was only in its larger be ginning. Millions of men had been called from the fields, and yet still other men were being trained for it. At the end of two years the war was greater than ever, and after three years It had still further ex panded until it actuafly Involved, whether as combatants or as the sources of supply for the combatants, the whole world. The industrial, the agricultural, the financial, the social, and spiritual forces of the world were mobilized at last for the great final test of strength. In the end that test was both mili tary and economic. Victory rested upon the banners which were borne by the side that represented the greatest number of soldiers, of ships, of guns; which represented the great est capacity to bring together, con trol, and fabricate the necessaries of war and to maintain great civil popu lations behind the lines. It became very early a war of con scription. Governments conscripted men for service in the field; patriot ism and public, opinion conscripted everybody else for work at home. A new system of division and dilution of labor was introduced through which men and women, boys and girls, old Vnen and okl women—mil lions of people who, under the old order of peace days, had been re jected from the realm of skilled pro duction, were quickly trained to the most intricate and technical tasks. So. in the midst of the most destruc tive storm that mankind had ever in voked upon itself, there was present ed the marvelous phenomena of a world producing at a greater rate than it had ever done before. Unheard-of Wages I’aid. ITow was the gigantic industrial phenomonon wrought? By putting everybody at work. By inducing everybody to work to the limit of strength and capacity. By paying the workers at rates which enlisted their utmost eagerness to produce to the limit. Yes, if you please, by letting labor and capital and management all engage more or less in profiteering at the expense of society as a whole. Unheard-of wages were paid to people who in other times would have been considered quite Incapable of earn ing them, but who, under the stimu lus of the emergency, became effec Found The Shackles Were Hard to Break Mrs. Fox Declares She Could Not Escape Sick . ness Until She Took \ Tanlac—It Ended Indi gestion Entirely, She States. / "I now realize I should have taken I Tanlac treatment sooner, for this wonderful medicine has given, nie abundant health, and I am so grate ful I will always praise it," declared Mrs. Esther Fox, 1617 Chicago St., Omaha, Neb. "I suffered so badly with stomach ’ rouble that even the best dishes lidn't appeal to my played out appe tite, and If I did force down a little "ood the sourness and heartburn kept me In misery for hours. Almost con stant headache, biliousness, fearful dizzy spells and sleeplessness were ail ments that bound mo like shackles that I couldn't shake off. "But my improvement since I be gan taking Tanlac has been so re markable my friends often remark about it. I now enjoy my meals like a hungry child, never have an ache or pain, and take pleasure In my work. 1 am still taking Tanlac for I want to make sure of keeping my splendid health and I am convinced this medicine has no equal.” Tanlac is for sale by all good drug gists. Accept no substitute. Over 37 million bottles sold. Tanlac Vegetable Pills are Nature’s own remedy for constipation. For sale everywhere.—Advertisement. live and absolutely necessary factor* In the industrial organization. Particularly was this true of the women, young and old, who took up tasks in the shop, the field, the transportation systems, and behind the lines of' combatants, such as had never before been assigned to them. And the women made good so emphatically, so impressively, that as today we look over the whole field of the world mobilization and the world conflict we realize that something very much like a revolu tion was effected In the varied rela tionships of the industrial community. Viewed in the retrospect we see more clearly than ever the sordid side of war. I have said before, and I cftooae to repeat It very deliberate ly now, that If war must come again —God grant that It shall not!—then we must draft all of the nation in carrying on. It is not enough to draft the young manhood. It is not enough to accept the voluntary r.or vice of both women and men whose patriotic devotion impels their en listment. • It will lie righteous and just. It will be rrjore-effective in war and' marked by less regret in the after math. It we draft all of capital, all of Industry, all of agriculture, nil of commerce, all of talent and eaoacity and energy of every description to make the supreme and united and unselfish fight for (he national triumph. When wo do that there will be less of war. When we do that the contest will be aglow with unsullied patriotism, untouched by profiteering in any service. Striving to Avoid War. Of course, we are striving to make conditions of foreign relations and so fashion our policies that we may nev er be involved in war again. If we are committed to universal service—that is, tire universal commitment of every American resource and activity— without compensation except the con sciousness of service and the exalta tions in victory, we will be slower to make war and more swift in bringing It to a triumphant close. X^et us never again make a draft on our manhood without exacting a draft on all possess in the making of the Indus trial. financial, commercial and spirit ual life of the republic. If we had been In a state of mind to philosophize about it all, I think we might have recognized that women have be<ji for a long time ‘ pre paring themselves for this tremen dous incursion into the field of indus trial production. For a long time be fore the war began there had been evidence of a reaction among the wo men against the old ideals of the Vic torian period. For three or four dec ades. the more venturesome women had been timidly breaking away from the old-fashioned home and its old fashioned ideals. Kven those who viewed the new woman movement with greatest misgiving and least ap proval had already been compelled to recognize that a new and revolution ary idea was taking possession of them. We might iterate and reiterate, and theorize and dogmatize, upon the old thesis that the place for woman was in the home: but we will have to ad mit despite ail our preachments, all our urging*, all our misgivings, woman wasn't staying there. She was teaching tire schools, she wa* account ing for perhaps a majority of the graduates from the high schools, and a big and increasing minority of the student community In the colleges and universities. She was practicing law and medicine, preaching sermons, working in the shops, the offices, the factories: she was, in short, becoming a competitor with her brother In al most all the departments of produc tive effort and activity. ham Full Partnership. Then t ame the war, and all at once even the most dubious among us real ized that the women, everywhere, constituted the first line of Industrial reserves upon which society must fall hack In its great crisis. They volun teered for every aervice in which they could be useful, and at once estab lished their right to a new and more important industrial status, They, builttships, they operated munition factories, they learned to perform the heaviest and most difficult tasks; they tilled the fields, filled the offices, largely conducted the hospitals and even served as most useful auxiliaries to forces on the battlefield. Not a* a boon, but as a duty, full partnership in the conduct of political affairs was conferred upon them. All this has inevitably worked a profound change in the relation of women to the social and political or ganization. We may approve it or disapprove it. we may view It with satisfaction or with misgiving, but the fact is liefore us that woman has taken a new place in the community. And just as her participation in the industrial sphere expands, so her re lations to the home and its interests is necessarily contracted. Whether we account it, wise or otherwise, we must recognize that the tendency Is to take the modern mother more and more away from the control, the training, the intellectual guidance and spiritual direction of her chil dren. ^The day nursery, and after that the kindergarten begins to cars for her children In the earliest years; after that come the 'public school, the high school, the college and the university, taking from her more and more of the responsibility and In fluence over the children. We may entertain the old-fashioned prejudices against this devlopment; but we are compelld to recognize that under modern conditions a large and increasing proportion of women are bound to be at the same time moth ers in the home and industrial pro ducer or professional workers out side the home, or else they must be denied the service and responsibili ty of motherhood. Favors Old-Fashioned Home. Frankly, I am one of those old fashioned people who would be glad if the way could be found to main tain the traditional relations of father, mother, children, and home. But very plainly these relations are in process of a great modification. The most we can do, to llie utmost pos sible extent, Is to rcadapt our condi tions of Industry and of living so as to enable the mothers to make the utmost of their lessened opportunity for shaping the lives and minds of their children. We must hope, and we must make It possible, that moth ers will not assume, when their babes of yesterday become the schoolboys and schoolgirls of today, that the re sponsibility of the mother is ended, and that the teacher, the school au thorities. the college, the state, will henceforth assume It. * Rather, we must recognize that no other influence can possibly be substituted for that of motherhood; and we must make it possible for the mothers to co-operate with these so cial institutions of the new order, to give the children so far as possible, the privileges of a home atmosphere which will supplement the advantages of mere education and training. It must be made possible for the moth ers to familiarize themselves with the problems of the people, the school I .■ . Everything for L the Tot r in the Kiddie Shop -_—Store of Individual Shops”-— Kiddies’ Rompers $1.49 * 16th and Farnam Streets Phone ATlantic 1702 1 'i1*- Store Closes at 5 P. M. Daily—Saturday at 6 P. M. _ — _ I Unusual Values Saturday These Prices for the Better Class of Apparel * aA Are Striking Reductions for One Day Only 1 Dresses for the Wee Tot Saturday Only Beautiful assortment of charming little frocks and i PANTY DRESSES for girls, ages 2 to 6. Among these • dresses are smart little styles in voiles, silks, Swisges, organdies and pongees and many imported materials. Dainty trimmings of hand embroidery in colored yarns, laces, ruffles, hemstitching set off these dresses in nobby appearance. These dresses are of the better class and up till today 1 many were positively priced and sold at $5.95, $6.95 and some at $7.50 and $8.00. $098 (Positively No Exchanges, Refund* or Credit*) 1 For the Little Infant ’ A beautiful group of infant*’ all-white dre**e* of nainsook. Charming embroidered yoke* make these I dre**ea delightful little garment*. In three length*. 18, 20 and 22 inches, And at three very special prices for Saturday. 89c $1.25 $1.75 Summer Sweaters Specially Priced for Saturday Selling A new shipment just received embracing the newest style ideas in these popular garments. Side-Tie Effect* With or With out Sleeve* Sleeveless Vest Effects Golf Coats Swaffer Coats I Color* ii Jockey Red Tangerine Jade, Buff 1 Silver Harding White, Orchid ( Peach, Black Navy I Many new pattern ideas in plain and combination color*. These arc quality garment* possessing individuality for which you i would expect to psy more. Specially Priced for Saturday Only Wool and silk and wool styles, $2.95, $3.95, $4.95 and $5.95. Fiber .silk styles at $3.95, $4.95, $5.95 and $6.95. i O-O Knife Pleated Skirts With Camisole Attached ' These beautiful tailored effect skirts are of heavy Canton crepe anil are delightfully cool and comfortable, duo to camisole of same material being attached. I Always priced much higher, hut for Saturday only the price i* ununsual at. « superintendents, the college authori ties, the health and sanitation offi cials. In shon, the mothers must be placed in a position that despite their obligations outside of the home they shall not have to surrender their do mestic responsibility. Rather, means must be found to enable them, through ihe varied instrumentalities which society affords, to equip them selves for the better discharge of iheir responsibility toward the chil dren of ihe land. Through such effort.as this there will be opportunity for a great ser vice. Those mothers who have the advantage of the best material and intellectual opportunltlea will, if they make the most of these advantages, help greatly to improve the conditions of children that come from families and homes less fortunately situated. They will be able to help In lifting up the poorer, less fortunate children to a higher level. The mother who tirelessly seeks l ightly to train her own children, to instill into them that in definable essence which we know as good breeding, will lie performing this service not slone for her chil dren, but ip only less measure for Ihe children who come from homes less blessed with the finer things of life. Herein is the supreme advantage of the public school system. I have never been able to find much satis faction in the good fortune of families who, when they are able to do it. pre fer to take their children out of the public schools and give them the doubtful advantage of more exclusive educational methods. I think we should cling to the democracy of the public schools. Co-Operation Necessary. The teacher, and the authorities back of her. must be equally ready to co-operate with the home and the mother. In the homo must still bo performed the duty of instilling into the child those fundamental concepts of religion and of faith which are es sential to rightly shaping the charac ter of citizens, and therefore of the nation. It would be an irreparable mistake if in surrendering to society a larger responsibility for the child's intellectual and physical well being, we should forget the necessity for proper religious training. That duty must be performed in the home; It will always be peculiarly the duty of a mother. Mankind never has stood more In need than It does now of the consola tions and reassurances which derive from a firm religious faith. We are living In a time of many uncertain ties, of weakened faith in the effi ciency of Institutions, of industrial systems, of economic hypotheses. If dictum and dogma In whatever sphere, Tet we all know that there are cer tain fundamental truths of life and duty and destiny which will stand eternal, through the evolution and the revolution of systems and socie ties founded by mankind. There must be no mistake whereby we shall con fuse things which are of eternity with those which are of time. We must not tet our engrossment with the things of matter and of mind distract us from the proper concern of those which are of the spirit and the soul. It must be kept ever In mind that the higher and finer attributes of humanity will rarely be developed from a human seedling planted in a soil adapted chiefly to the production of that which is selfish and sordid. In which it will be forced by special circumstances tQ struggle unduly for the bar* continuance of existence We will not grow strong minds in un sound bodies, nor may w# hope that Illuminated souls will often seek habl 1 htion in human frames Weakened and tortured by iliscas*- and malnu itrltion. To an aatoundlne and alarm I hie certainty It has Itecu demon itratwl that a larg# proportion of 'Turn to l'«if Hvg, (Jolumn On#.> Saturday— Your Choice from 250 Coats - Capes That Sold up to $49.50 A closeout which involves styles of the moment. Beauti ful Wraps and Suits which bespeak qualtiy in every line. To resist such values is in deed a task. A Complete Disposal Must Be Effected— Monday our first floor will be taken over by the New Silk Store and all second floor stocks will undergo re arranging. We need the room, thus this unheard of sacrifice. Another 2-Hour Sale of Silk or Wool Dresses 9 to 11 A. M. Saturday Values to $25.00 ^ If you have the slightest need £or a new dress, be here early Saturday. Beautiful Silk and Tricotine Dresses in all colors, styles and sizes.. - , - Business Life Depends Upon Transportation 4 » I The Transportation Act of 1920 was constructive legislation. It placed the railroads under practical management. It recognized the fact that efficient service rests upon individual and of ficial effort, supported by private capital, thriving on competition. The railroads should not be or be come footballs for radical elements. They serve the public, and we are all directly interested in their operation. Our criticism of them should be CON STRUCTIVE. and not DESTRUCTIVE The stockholders and bondholders of the railroads constitute an army of investors—many of them men and women of moderate means. Their in terests should not be adversely affected by unwise legislation. . In recent years, few railroad exten sions have been made, and most of the roads have been operating with insuf ficient equipment. Conditions are now improving. Additional equipment is being provided, and the standard of efficiency is being raised. Railroad officals should be ENCOURAGED, and not DISCOURAGED. The public should get behind them. Intelligent co-operation on the part of the public is essential to efficient railroad management. With such co operation, our railroads will go far in solving our industrial and commercial problems. * The United States National Bank of Omaha o ——-—-o “The Bank of Personal Service** o — --o \ Capital, Surplus and Undivided Profits * - Two Million Dollars
