Page:Women and the State.djvu/18

16 marriage is a problem for the State every divorce affects its weal; every invalid, every accident, every death concerns it vitally, since no member of the State lives to himself or dies to himself, and none can be lost, none can be without affecting for worse a circle of relations or friends. The State is anxious that every ideal shall be kept that the purity of family life shall be maintained, that the individual shall get the very most and best possible life, not, as the poor unfortunate extremists say, because the State wishes us to produce more and be more efficient, that there will be more wealth for the Capitalist because the only real security there is for any State founded upon the happiness of the people as a whole. It was said of Galahad that his strength was as the strength of ten because his heart was pure ; and so it is with the nation. That nation alone is truly great whose sons are inspired to the loftiest aims, whose women are noblest and purest, whose homes are happiest, and whose prosperity is. "Wage slavery" takes no part in the ideals of State slavery of any kind, save slavery to base passions of the ideals, exists in our wonderful land to-day. It is women's duty, as the guardian of the home, to keep Australia and she can do this most effectively through the medium of the ballot box.

ANNIE OSBORN 49 The Avenue,

&emsp;Parkville. McCarron, Bird A Co., Printers. 479 Collins Street, Melbourne.