Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/738

 722 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE thousands. Many thousands carry work home where they can take care of their children, do the housework and be earning money. They have the same opportunities in the professions as men, are successful physicians and lawyers and members of the Bar Asso- ciation. Laws made for them have combined the best of Spanish and American precedents. They are guardians of their own chil- dren; married women may hold property; of that which accrues to a married couple, the wife is half administrator. These are vested rights and cannot be taken away. A short time ago the question of woman suffrage was introduced into the Legislature, not by the initiative of American women but urged by Madame Apacibile, wife of one of the government secre- taries. A petition signed by 18,000 women asking for a joint legis- lative hearing was sent to the law makers who granted it. Three Filipina women spoke, one the widow of the eminent Concepcion Calderon, a successful business woman, owning a fish farm and an embroidery enterprise. Others were Mrs. Feodore Kalon, Miss Almeda and Miss Pazlegaspi, the last two practicing lawyers. Only one man appeared in the negative. The president of the Senate, the Hon. Manuel L. Quezon, is in favor of woman suffrage. Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison recommended to the Legislature to give the suffrage to women, as it has the power to do. A bill was introduced and passed the Senate almost unanimously Dec. 7, 1919, but it was not acted upon by the House. As the Constitution of the United States is not in force in the Philippines the women were not enfranchised by the Federal Suffrage Amendment in 1920 but must await the action of their own Legislature. PORTO RICO. After Porto Rico came under the control of the United States as a result of the Spanish- American war in 1898 its political status was undetermined for a long time. Shortly before that war Spain had granted universal suffrage to all its men over 21. Con- gress confirmed this privilege as to the affairs of the island but they had no voting rights in those of the United States. After a few years the more progressive of the people began asking for the status of a Territory with their own Legislature. This agitation was continued for sixteen years before Congress took action and agreed on a bill which would admit the islanders to citizenship. As usual the chief difficulty was over the suffrage. There was a desire to have a slight educational and a small property qualifica-