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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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Part:         Session:         Page of 915

There was one subject in the platform that was of intense interest among the women, created great divisions and great feeling. That was the question with regard to the National Woman's party amendment to the Constitution. It has now become a kind of doctrinaire subject, although the Woman's Party still goes on screaming about it. Having some money at their disposal they have to keep alive and have to keep doing something. They dreamed up the idea that by amending the Constitution to say that all laws shall be identical for men and women they could create a situation by which women's right and women's opportunities would be forwarded. A number of us were very much against that. That's an ancient fight. It's a very bad scheme of doing things, because there's no reason why all laws should be identical for men and women. Many of the protective laws for women are necessary for women because they're women, or because of the habits and customs of the country. Overall they would lose by this amendment. I know that to be the fact, but there is one whole group of women who is always greatly excited about the word “equality”. You make them equal and that suits them spendidly. The fact that some women are in situations where they need protection doesn't appeal at all to them, because they





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