The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-16
FOR BETTER MORALS
Washington Women Send a
Petition to Congress,
Asking 1t to Consider Breckin-
ridges Fitness
TO SIT In THAT BODY.
Don't Believe Masculinity an
Excuse for UncIeanness.

WASHINGTON, April 16.-Hardly had
the verdict in the Breckinridge-Po Pol
lard case been rendered when a meet
ing of prominent Washington women
was called to take action regarding
the case of Colonel Brecl1inridge-
Representative of several female
organizations met at Wizards hotel
Saturday night and after an interest
ing confe renee adopted resolutions
calling upon congress to consider the
qualifications of Representative Brock
inridge for membership in that
body. Some of the organizations
whose representatives took part in
the meeting were the Woman's Suf-
frage association, the Woman's Christ
ian Temperance union and the Pro-
Ba- Nata- Mrs Sarah La Fetra, the
president of the local w. c. L. u, and
Mrs Ellen s. Murphy, the widow of
the late General Murphy, who is
practicing lawyer and is prominent in
the moveme Mt for the advancement of
women, were among the leading
spirits of the meeting. The reSolu-
tions adopted were:
no the House OF Representatives:
We. representatives OF the women of Wash
ington, aiming toward theges tablishment of =
higher code Of morals. and against the afro,
SO long,
Declare
TO be q license Tor uncleanness. but. that hold
ing the same hi h standard for women which
CURED OF manhood therefore
Resolved That we must have chastity for
Tisidy IL It, spPsation upon one sex Is Upon
s 1 onsiae t5s esse az ~ q ~ Byec
inridge Of Kentucky. re-arding his conduct as
mothers Of the commonwealth express our
10 be found in coneress: therefore. we ask in
full confidence that the house OF represe nta-
sented by u, and take some definite action to
insure the ngh eRaEaGI Ter q our 1oentryS al,
councils 70 present a clean and unchallenged
body OF legislators
This meeting was the last of q
series which prominent women of
Washington have been holding since
Good Friday, and which crystalized
in to the formation of an organization
called the Women's Protective league.
The object of the league will be to
combat enforcement of that text
uttered on the witness stand by
Colonel Breckenridge that social
sins injure man and destroy
woman. The league will endeavor to
secure equal rights for both sexes and
to aid women who have been wronged.
1t is, of course, an outgrOwth of the
Pollard trial. The ladies
have invited Judge Jere Wilson to be-
come the general counsel of the
league, but the attorney has not yet
responded TO the invitation.
These meetings have been carried
on very quietly, as the ladies were
anxious to keep their organization a
secret until their plans were per-
fected. Thirty ladies attended the
first meeting and one OF their first
acts was to send Mrs Governor Black
burn communication expressing
their appreciation of the stand taken
by her in the trial, to which Mrs
Black burn responded suitably The
delegation which called on Judge
Bradley early in the trial
asking that all women be
admitted as well as men was from
this organization, and it was as a re-
suit of their visit that the Judge re-
quested the newspaper men to omit,
as far as possible, the improper de-
tails from their reports.
The resolutions given out have been
sent to the house committee on
judiciary for action The women say
that il is not right that Colonel Brock
inridge should retain his seat in con-
gress, while Miss Pollard is ostraeised,
as she win be undoubtedly, from
eOcietV.