A Plea for Woman Suffrage.

*THE WORKER*

Brisbane July 7, 1894

A Plea for Woman Suffrage.

Upon the roughest coalfield,

There doing roughest work;

Within the closest factories,

Where vilest poisons lurk;

Out in the boiling sunshine

Weeding fields of corn;

Stopp'd only commence again

Ere morning light be born.

Behind the counter standing

From early morn till night;

In a dreary garrett stitching

Beside some fading light;

In a printing office working,

Behind a clerk's desk, too,

With men in a workroom toiling,

All this may woman do.

But when new laws are wanted

To defend her failing health,

To keep her a step above the serfs

Of the ancient men of wealth.

And when disputes are existing

As to who will frame these laws,

To say which man is the fittest

To bring in this wanted clause.

Just to name on a piece of paper

The one whom she thinks best

To have – when the same work she's doing

The same right as the rest.

To say what she knows is best for her sex,

For justice good and true;

To have a word where herself is concerned,

This, woman may not do.

And why may woman not do this,

If at hard work she's toiling?

Why must she always work and save,

Starvation to keep foiling?

Why? - if as some have of times said

That woman is too weak

To do the same as man can do

Why must she work but yet not speak?

It cannot be weak intellect

Which keeps her still behind,

For 'mongst lawyers and professions all

Her name we can easily find.

And it cannot be her courage

Which has not strength enough

To bear her through political wars

After facing others more rough.

So it cannot be through any just cause

That woman must have no say

In the laws which man may make for her,

And which she must only obey.

But if they are wrong she must not complain

Or dare to ask it anew;

For to make a law for herself is a thing

Which woman may not do.

                                                                              A. L.