The Seventh Ward's Radical Candidate
A candidate for the Everett city council challenges the traditional view of 'women's sphere' in a bold campaign card.
Mrs. Russel, candidate for the council from the Seventh ward, has a card out that presents a whole sermon in one short paragraph: 'You will talk about a woman's sphere as though it had a limit; there's not a place on earth or heaven; there's not a task to mankind given; there's not a blessing or a woe; there's not a whispered yes or no; there's not a life or death or birth that has a feather's weight of worth without a woman in it.' The card also bears the following significant inscription: 'Woman's political point of view is not mere money and power, but her home, her family.'
“There's not a life or death or birth that has a feather's weight of worth without a woman in it.”
In 1911, the fight for women's political representation in Everett was an uphill battle against restricted spheres. Today, women hold the majority of seats on the Everett City Council, though the debate over how municipal power impacts family life and public safety remains as urgent as ever.
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