The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-06
WOMEN AT THE POLLS.
They Proffer Ballots and Expostulate, but Il
Cruea Tyrant Declines to Yield.

l
| They Proffer Ballots and Expostulate, but the
Cruea Tyrant Declines to Yield.
New York Special
| brisk little lady, dressed from head to foot
| IN black velvet, stepped into a harness store at
No. 974 Sixth avenue, shortly after noon to-day,
and pushed bunch of tickets toward the in
spectors who stood guard over the ballot
| boxes.
Il wish to VOTE" she said. Hester Hermann,
No. % West Fifty-sxth street"
we can't take your VOTE" said Chairman
| William FL. Sanderson.
SAY that you demand the right to vote" said
E, W. Chamberlain lawyer awho accompanied
| Mrs. Hermann. Turning to the chairman he con-
| tinued: This lady is registered here and she is
| ready to vote"
81 demand the right to vote" said Mrs. Her.
| mann profferng her bunch of tickets again.
Cant take EN-, tell you" repeated the chair
man.
"Why not? She is registered" inquired Lii
| lie Devereaux Blake. with rising indignation,
| making her cheeks as red as the bright feather
| in her bonnet
Been ordered not to-, replied the imperturba
| BILE chairman. Stand aside and let this gentle
| man vote"
| A portly man made his way to the ballot box,
| dropped in ticket for Davenport and went
| away looking very we'll satisfied with himself.
The proprietor of the harness-shop began TO fear
that the noses pressed close against the window
might necessitate the services of glazier, so
side Then the woman who wanted to vote, the
| woman who wanted to see her vote the
lawyer, the policeman, and the election
| inspectors all began to talk at once.
hope Of accomplishing anything Until r. Fl. L.
Waters, dentist, and one of the inspectors, said
that personally he was in favor of letting Mrs.
| Hermann vote, just as he had let her register.
in fact" he said, 81 might say that the entire
| board is Ill favor of letting her vote"
''Then what is the matter2" asked Mr.. Cham
berlan.
Order" said the monosyllabic chairman
"Order from whom!"
"Police headquarters
"On whose authorityp
"John J. OBrien's."
''We'll fix Mr. OBrien if that's So" said Mrs.
| Mrs Blake, soto voice.
| "Mr OBrlen had no right to give you any
| such orders" persisted Mr.. Chamberlain"
Cant help it; he did"
| But, having been allowed to register, this
| lady is entitled to vote"
''Sue the board if you amt satisfied"
Don't advise US as to our future course OF
| action. Wen take of that. The question
is, are you going to allow this lady to vote9"
| mo, said" was the answer.
The male voters crowded around the boxes,
| and the ladies went away
| ''They would not let me register" said Mrs.
| Blake, $50 could not vote But women are
voting in the State to-day in places where there
| is registration. Their votes won't be chal
| leng6O. Inc women vote IOr canOlUdJeS VINO
are favorable to woman suffrage" said Mrs.
| Blake, as she went down to consult with DIR.
| Clemence S. Losler, who had also been refused
| the right to register. In the same shop
Mrs. Harriet Putnam Howell, great
| granddaughter of Gen. Israel Putnam,
| was refused the right to drop her ballot into the
| boxes She was on the registry list as living at
No. 81 West Fifty seventh street, and insisted
| on exercising her rights as citizen. The chair
man was obdurate and she went away. George
| m adj ahOuE no
a citizen" he said You, and you alone as
| board, have the right to decide upon this ady's
| right to register and to vote. Having allowed
her to register, you have no right to refuse her
vote This man O'I3rien's order amounts to
nothing. The only order of the kind you had
any right to obey was a mandamus from some
| Judge or competent jurisdiction"
| "Do you want US to take her vote and get pun
| ished for t?" asked member of the board.
| "Aint you afraid of getting punished if you
| don't take her vote"
"Oh we'll risk that"
| Mrs. Addie Deb. Mitchell, the wife of phys-
| clan, had similar experience in voting place
| near Third avenue and Seventy seventh street
| She had been allowed to register, and big
crowd waited in the polling place to see her vote.
| Mrs. Mitchell came in with her husband and
| offered her ballot. The chairman refused to
take her vote, claiming that he had put ques-
| tion-mark opposite her name when he allowed
her to register and had since inquired about it.
| This chairman however, did not load his re-
| fusal on Mr.. O'Briens shoulders, but assumed
the responsibility himself 1t is said by parties
| interested that the various women's suffrage
associations will take test cases to the courts.