The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-25
MISS ANTHONY'S PLEA
Fer the EniranchIsement Of Women
In the Empire State.
Home Vote Would BE Doubled and
the Moral Influence Would BE Far
Reaching.

ALBANY, May 25--Because of Miss
kussn b. Anthony's inability 20 remain
Ia Albany later than yesterday the COM
convention gave hearing 10 her yester-
day afternoon. The scene presented was
curious one. for more than two-thirds
Of the audience were composed Of noted
lawyers of the state, while the other third
were women anxious 10 have the word
''male" stricken from the constitution.
Mrs. Greenleaf Of Rochester was the first
speaker, and she briefly outlined the con-
dition of women at the time the present
constitution was adopted aud at the
present time. She said that the voice of
the governed should be heard In the gov
ernment Laws had been made for
women, and women were now governed
almost the same as men.
She then introduced Miss Anthony,
who was received with loud applause.
She went 10 the root Of the question at
once. She detailed the workings of
woman suffrage in other states and coun-
tries la England, spinsters and widows
could vote If they were property holders
In Kansas women were given the right to
vote on all school questions, and the re-
suits had been very good. Women were
now doing the same work as men, ia the
same manner but for half the pay.
wnl Help Poor Women.
Enfranchise the women and the results
will be different The work for equal
suffrage was not being done to help the
wife OF the millionaire, but 10 help the
poor working woman, and put them on
the same plane as the man of equal
ability. Kansas had also granted women
suffrage on municipal matters, and these,
too, had brought good results. The gov
erEments were better, and that, too was
the case in the state Of Wyoming, where
women had been granted the right Of
suffrage for z5 years. The governors of
that state were all in favor of retaining
that feature. and the people there were
hearty ia their praise of il.
She said that Colorado was the first
State in the Union where a majority of
the men had gone to the polls and had
there voted 10 give the women equal
suffrage. AS To the question of the re-
moval Of property qualifications of
women i'm this state, she said IL was the
vote of the poor man that removed it
years ago III the women were allowed to
vote now they would remove the word
'.male"
Another reason why they should strike
II out was that of moral influence.
Women were the controlling influences in
the school, in the church and the charita-
BILE institutions. Men controlled the sa-
Icons, the gambling houses, the race
tracks. Put these in the balance OPP
posite each other" said she, raising her
hand, "and you Will see thar the material
interest of the world will kick the beam.
That's our size. That's why we should
vote"
The question has been raised about the
ignorant vote. There are fewer unedu-
Gated women than there are men. The
prisons of the United States contain 55 600
men and 5000 women. There are fewer
women without homes than men, and the
floating vote would not be doubled by
granting suffrage, but the home vote
would be doubled and the floating vote
minimized.
Not New Hand
"Does anybody want TO ask me any |
questionss You need not be afraid. I |
have been on the stump for 40 years. II
we could vote, you would not be afraid to
argue"
Turning to the venerable Thomas AL
word, who sat on the committee, Miss
Anthony said: "Mr. Alvord was an enemy
OF ours 27 years ago. Does he want to
give reason for it nowf"
Amid laughter and applause. Mr.. Al
word rose and said; II would say to Miss
Anthony that sit here as Judge The
jury surrounds us, and when all is
finished they will give to the women
their rights"
In closing, Miss Anthony called atten.
tion to the fact that only unpardoned
criminals, idots, lunatics, Cinnamon and
women were forbidden the right of fran
chise, thus chasing women with q de-
graded class.