Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-06
WOMEN TRY TO VOTE.
tered Them Decline to Go Amy Fur
ther.

tered Them Decline to Go Amy Fur
Their.
From The Neao York San.
Shortly after - O'Clock Tuesday, while
the inspectors in the Sixteenth Election
district of the TwentY-frst Assembly dis
trIct, the sadder's shop at 974 Sixth ave-
nue., where Secretary Whitney voted,
were congratulating themselves that the
votes were nearly all in and that every
thing was going on quietly, the door
opened and in stepped a sprightly, gray
haired woman dressed IN black satin.
She was followed by a gentleman, and
then by a crowd, which jammed into the
little space so that the woman and her at
tendant were pushed close up 10 the bal
lOt-bOxes. Chairman SandersOn bowed
gracefully to the woman, who had bunch
Of tickets in her hand.
"Mrs. Esther Hermann, 90 West Fifty
sixth street." she said.
81 can't receive your vote" said the
Chairman.
"You registered me-" she replied.
The Chairman explained that when she
came to be registered the board, being in
doubt. had agreed to register her name.
Since then he had been instructed that the
law did not permit him TO receive her
vote.
Mrs. Hermann looked at her attendant,
who at once Strengthened up and dis
PLAYED other symptoms of being lawyer.
He was Mr.. j.. w. Chamberlain. He said
that the law regarding voting specified
certain persons, such as eX-cOnvicts, who
were disqualified from voting. Women
were not included in this disqualified list
Mrs. Lille Devereaux Blake. who had
come in, intimated that she didn't think
Chief John J. U Brien was very good au-
thOrity when Attorney General OBrien
himself was In doubt.
Inspector Medanich at once constituted
himself the counsel for the board.
what is your seXW be asked Of Mrs.
Hermann.
Mrs. Hermann replied that she was a
female.
Mr.. Medanlch told her that the law con-
ferred the privilege Of voting on "all male
persons over II years OF age"
Mrs. Hermann filed protest A little
while afterward Mrs. Harriet p. Novel;,
Of 81 West Filty.seYenth street entered,
and the scene and arguments were re-
peated. Both Mrs. Hermann and Mrs.
Novel; belong TO the WOman's Suffrage
Association, and we're the only women
who succeeded in getting registered In this
city.
Mrs. Hermann said last night that she
simply went 20 the polls 10 make trial.
She would not say what ticket she intend
ed 20 vote. Mrs. Blake said that the in
spectors looked 80 worried, and treated
the matter so seriously, that she thought
they would have yielded had IL not been
for Chief O'Brien.
Two women made an unsuccessful at
tempt 10 vote in the Tenth district in the
Twentieth ward In Brooklyn yesterday.
They were Margaret A. Slocum and Mar
tina X. Morris, OF All Adelphi street.
When they presented themselves fer regis
tratlon on the last day. they gave their
ages as 90 and 70 respectively. Both
women asked for Republican tickets
at the poll, and then, going aside,
scratched them and plastered them
with pastors for several min
utes. They then advanced arm in
arm 70 the polling place. The elder first
laid her ballots before the inspectors, one
OF whom politely informed her that be
could not receive them under the law.
The younger also handed him her ballots
and received a similar response. The
women said they guessed the inspector
hadn't read the law, and that they would
test the matter further.
Mrs. Cary and Mrs. Lacy, OF Amity
street, who had registered in the Third
district Of the Sixth ward, did not appear
at the polling place.