The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-13


ton clause providing that at the first
general election or at any election there
after Tho question of suffrage might be
submitted to vote Of the people uDon
The passage Of a bill to that effect 10y the
state Legislature. The general assembly
passed SUCH Il law ait its first session i'm
1877. and The ensuing campaign was a
notable one. The struggle was i'm yain
however. for tie suffragists were over
wheimed by vote Of 10000 against
their measure to 10000 ia it's favor.
NothinS d sheartened- they made an eff
fort in 1854 20 secure municipal suffrage
for women, bat even that small favor
was refused them. and the effort came
to naught. In the spring Of 1890 Mrs.
Louise ~. Tyler. who had done active
work Sd the cause of woman suffrage in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, went
to Denver ana stirred the friends Of the
movement UP once more. Through her
efforts ain organization was formed which
in the winter Of 1891 again pehhoned the
legislature t8 extend to women tine right
to vote. They made the mistake Of not
getting their bill introduced within the
required time, however, ana it bad to be
tackled om as q rider to a bIL preventing
foreigners FROM voting on their first nat
uralzatiQn papers. The bill was lost
and the rider with if.
But that s.a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump received fresh verihcation
az the next meeting Of the legislature,
for in the Ninth as7f m bly,, which met ia
january, 1898. not less than four suffrage
bills were introduced, one off which got
through the house by q small majority
and narrowly escaped sutfocation in the
senate. 1T was one Of the last bills passed
bv that body
enlisted tine services of Airs. Carrie Lane
Chapman and vent to work as they had
never worked before Headquarters were
opened in Denver where Miss Helen NI
Reynolds. correspo secretary Of the
association. engineered a campaign that
was worthy Of a veteran politician.
Nothing was neglected THAT might pro-
mote success. and every thing was avoided
that might stimulate opposition Some
Of the leading news papers were enlisted
in support Of the movement, and the
campaign was conducted entirely on an
educational and nonpartisan basis.
Mrs. Chapman made a tour of the
state. travelling every day speaking ev-
ery night and organizing d league where
ever she spoke Men made UP the great
er portion cf her Audiences. and even in
the mountain towns and mining camps
SHE received the lncst courteous and
chivalrlc treatment. Her tact was equal
TO her eleouence and under her influ-
ence some of the Best men iii the state
enrolled themselves i'm the local leagues,
sometimes hliug IT'D the offices and do
ing all the routine work There was no
organized opposition. and the Populist
party was united ia support Of the move
menr.
HE most sangulIe suffragists hardly
expected to carry Denver. Ina fact. de
feat there WAS looked FOR as practically
certain, and when THE returns from Arslp-
ahoe county showed 3 majority of gI5
Ia favor Of equal Suffrage the friends Of
tile movement were among those most
surprised. The official count showed
tile totai majority lib The state to be &. SAT.
and Ia accordance with the VIII of the
people thus expressed the governor ON
Dec 2 issued q proclamation comforting
the right 81 suffrage on the women eiti-
zens Of the state.
The women accepted the decision
quietly. There was no public jOlliHca-
tion, but many of them fastened to show
their appreciation of the franchise by
registering as voters Ii remains to be
demonatrased whether the exercise of
their new privilege VIII have the bene-
fetal effects predicted for it,