Addams expresses why the time is now that women should be able to vote, with in regards to the social power women have which can be used for political power.
Addams connects woman suffrage with social work, arguing that women's voices are necessary for the improvement of social and labor conditions and that all -- social workers and housewives -- have a stake in making laws, which protect women, children, and families. Addams likely gave this speech on multiple occasions. This speech was also published in the Chicago Tribune on February 4, 1912.
Addams explores the economic plight of young women that often drives them to prostitution and white slavery. This is the second in a five-part series, which would ultimately be published as A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil in 1912.
Addams' lectures at the founding meeting of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education on November 16, 1906, at Cooper Union, commenting on the need for practical education that works in the modern world. The speech was published in January 1907.
Addams discusses how child labor laws in Illinois have impacted children's access to education and the dangers of weakening it. This is a reprint of a speech given on December 16, 1905 at the Annual Meeting of the National Child Labor Committee
Addams describes child labor and education in Chicago, especially among immigrants. This is a slightly modified version of "Child Labor and Pauperism," which had earlier appeared in the proceedings of the National Conference of Charities and Correction. It is also the full version of the "Child and Pauperism" fragment.
Addams discusses the condition of domestic servants with regard to introducing new industries in the home, the move for shorter hours, and collective housekeeping.