Nellie McClung, ms., personal papers. I like
outspoken people, unpleasant though they may be. One of them
came to me, and told me I was going to be defeated and why.
This is a man's town, she said. We don't want women
messing around in public affairs. I have no confidence in
women, won't even trust a woman to make my clothes, if I can
get a man to do it.
I threw modesty to the winds, and asked her, if she could
point to any man who had done any better than I had in
public life. She said no—but then it wasn't natural. She
said if I had stayed at home and conducted a salon and
gathered around me the chosen spirits of the city, I could
have done much more for my country.
I asked her, what she thought women had been created for,
and she had the answer ready.
To bear children she said, and make homes. She said a
woman should help her menfolk, instead of branching out into
activities for herself.
Ladies Aids, I ventured and she agreed. Just that, she
said, home-keeping hearts are happiest.
It has become increasingly apparent that the loyalty that
existed among women when we were working for the vote has
gone. Then, women could not be induced to slander each
other. Now they can, easily—and the reason is not hard to
see. In the struggle for the vote, all women stood to
gain—and all therefore had an equal stake in the effort.
Reprinted by permission of
Women's
Press. |