The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-08
WHY NEED THEY TELL?
Shall Women Give Their Age When
They Register?
THE NATTER is TALKED OYER

Ten women met at the parlor of the |
Throop hotel yesterday afternoon, to see
what they were going to do about their
part in the city election. It was not +
very satisfactory meeting.
Mrs. Case was there and pres ided I
Mrs. Wardall was the secretary Mrs.
Monteith, Mrs. Whitmore, Mrs. Goodwin. t
Mrs. Fitch, Mrs. Hayes and DR.. Green /
were also present Miss Anna Pooler /
was made a member before the adjourn
ment.
There was slight discussion regard !
ing the time Of meeting, which it was
decided should be on the first Thursday
in each month. This was a meeting of
the Equal Suffrage association and was
expected to be a sort of reorganization
of the forces for the campaign now on
as well as the fall campaign.
Mesdames Goodwin, Wardall and Fitch
were appointed a committee on pro-
gramme for the next meeting.
Ali the little details attended to and
out of the way, Mrs. Wardall said: ave
are on the eve of municipal election,
and should like to know what part we
women are to take in it. l want to hear
a general discussion now in regard to
what we snail do toward helping the
men elect good officers"
There was a murmur of approval at
this and Mrs. Goodwin said: 81 should
like to hear Mrs Case read her paper on
the subject first"
''Yes, do" said the women, and Mrs.
Case produced three imposing looking
law books with marks in them and made
ready.
81 shall first review and read the diff
| ferent enactments on the subjects of reg
| istration and woman suffrage" she said,
and she was as good as her word.
This took some little time, and the wo-
men listened attentively.
There is one thing in particular
want to speak to you about" said Mrs.
| Case, as she closed her books. 81 was
asked to do it by the registration clerk.
You must remember that in registering
you must give your ages. It is the way
| the law reads, SO do not embarrass the
poor young man by compelling him to
| ask you to do it."
There was rather significant silence
at this, and the women began thinking
hard while Mrs Case continued, all un-
conscious of the havoc she had wrought.
This is most important election for
| us. 1t is important in more ways than
one. We are as much interested in good
government as the men are, of course,
| but there is another consideration that
must not be overlooked and in this con-
nection l want to say that it is important
| that you register even if you do not vote.
We now have municipal suffrage. We
want more suffrage and to that end we
must use the suffrage we already have
| and use it we'll There is an old scrip
tural quotation that think fits this case
very aptly. 1t is He that is faithful over
little shall be ruler over much
"Why do we want the BALLOT l be-
live God made me as an individual and
He wants me to be efficient as one. The
| ballot is powerful We have walked
these streets and pleaded with the voters;
we have circulated petition after petit
ton and distributed circulars. but we
cannot do as one man can with his own
ballot and bottle c. whisky perhaps to
get those of other men.
"Why should not women be in public
positions? We have women in our pub
lie institutions and it is much easier for
the women inmates because of the
women officials there. Why could we
not have women on the school board
this year,"
sand on the council" suggested Mrs.
WardalL
THE registration of women is not so
lively as it should be-" continued Mrs.
Case. "They are not registering rapidly"
s'Perhaps the women don't feel like it
after the knocking down they received
last fall" interposed DR.. Green
"We must never be knocked down, y
exclaimed Mrs Case
81 shall never vote for a man who is
not suffragist and who has not lead a
reasonably clean life," said DR.. Green,
sand yet what assurance have we that a
man comes up to that Standard"
"Ask your husbands and your gentle
men friends" answered Mrs. Case.
There are noble, honorable men who
will tell you"
DR.. Green finally decided that she
would rather vote for a good anti-suf-
fragist than for bad suffragist, any
way.
The matter of ages was not done rank
ling yet and Mrs Monteith felt sure lots
of women would not register if they had
to tell their ages and several of the wo-
men agreed with her.
"Why can't we say we are over TWEEN
ty-one and let it go at that as Col Holli-
day did," asked one.
''Why not let the clerk guess at it's
said another
"He might get US too old" exclaimed
a third
There is little danger of that" said
Mrs. Case soothingly, 81 tried that once
and he registered me eleven years too
young"
"Oh," said the women, and there was
q sigh of genuine relief.
The matter of holding parlor meetings
till election was talked for moment
and then dropped. No steps were taken
toward encouraging women or urging
them to register or vote.
Very little. in fact, was done that was
decisive in regard to the subject under
discussion, and as the next meeting will
not be until after the city election the
women will be caught mapping unless
they arouse themselves.
Kansas Patents.
Patents granted to citizens of Kansas
for the week ending March A, 1895,
reported through the flee of J. F. Beale
solicitor of patents, SOC F street, N. w.
| Washington. D. c.: Erasmus Rannatt