The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-04

VI tue SUI committee oil u new city Cnlr-
ter Mt its meeting lust night, In the prcs-
enee OF q committee OF three prominent
ladies' who presented n plea for woman'a
right OF suffrage In municipal affairs
under the proposed new charter.
The full membership was present and
the meeting was presided over by Col. j..
a. Miller, The committee OF ladies' con-
sisted OF DR.. Hattie Jones. Mrs. George
X. Wheat and Mrs. G. L. Boyd, who
presented their petition.
Mrs, G. r. Boyd, chairman OF the
ladies' committee, stated the object of
their visit In an address which was lis
tened TO Throughout with II great deal OF
interest Il attention. She spoke US
follows:
A Plsn for the Women.
Mr.. Chairman aud conference.-the
4 come before you Tonight representing
the Political Equality club. NJ Wheel
Ing. 10 ask OF your committee the In
sertlon of q clause In the new oharter,
giving the right OF suffrage TO the wo-
men OF the city In all municipal cleo
lions. We ask It In the maine OF Jus
tlce." n In the same spirit rs our fore
fathers and mothers displayed when
they rebellcd against England's unjust
W. " ANINN
ton. The women OF this city who to.
day pay an enormous part OF the taxes
OF the city, have been taxed since it's
Incorporation without being able by the
ballot. to say what the amount OF that
tax shall be. how raised and how spent
when raised: when the most callow
youths. the colOred mnn. the man who
cannot even read OF write his own name,
the city bum, ALMOST idiotic from drink.
hNn 4. n On ~ 10 "nNNN. 4 % .t 49, ,,l. L..
even more. the good government OF the
city. which Is us vital TO the we'll being
OF u women as OF our men. since wo-
men are emphatlcally home-keepcrs and
closely concerned with those municipal
questions which affects the Interest OF
the family and the home.
The women NJ our city are already In
b front rank In all movements cduca-
tional, reformatory and charitable, and
1t is only just 10 afford them the means
OF, expressing their opinions and ex-
pressing their Influence by the ballot. ,
"a large increase will be given to the
city treasury by the pOll-taN OF the
women II you grant our request. In
asking, we ask no new or unhenrd OF
thing. over nifty ycars ago, In 1876. our
n"eighhortnS Stnte, southern Kentucky.
gave widows the school suffrage, as
Ohio, just across the river from us. did
q year or so age to all her women.
"At the present time In twcnty-eiGht
stntes OF this country women hive some
form OF suffrage, principally school SUI
fraga. In Colorado and Wyoming and
Utah. three states OF the union. women
have municipal suffrage through the
whole state. In Delaware women vote
in several municipalities. In Montana
they vote on oil local taxation. In New
York state in many places they vote on
local Improvements such as gas and
electric street lighting. paving, sewer
age. municipal, bond, etc. Leaving this
country %(supposed TO be the freeSt on
earth. and Its men the best, most gem
erous and chivalrouS towards women),
we find that In England since 1869 wo-
men have had municipal suffrage, and
vote for all elective Offices except mnn-
bers Of parliament. In Scotland, II Is
about the same. In Ireland. the city
OF Belfast has municipal Suffrage for
women, and through Ireland In differ
ent patts women exercise various forms
Of suffrage. In Canada. Its provinces
of Quebec, Ontario and New Bruns-
wick give women municipal suffrage.
In India. all women exercise the right
of municipal suffrage. In France We
men teachers elect wonen members OF
the board OF education. In Sweden and
Norway women vote the same as men,
though there Is a property qualification
for both. here in n Kingdom not n free
republic. taxation without representa-
lion is unknown.
I'm imperial Russia all women head
of households vote. In Austria, Hun
gary. and Bohemia, women vote by
proxy for all elective aitices. In Gotta
and Dalmatis in NIL local elections. In
Italy. widows vote for members Of par
lament. In Finland for all elective
Offices.
In Cape Colony. held by Great Brit
ain, III most southern part OF Africa,
women have municipal suffrage. In
Iceland the Pitcairn Islands, Australia.
and New Zealand. have full
suffrage.
1--WE ask that you gentlemen mem
bers of this committee. do for the w0-
men OF your city what has been lone
by the men OF so many foreign coun-
tries for their countrywomen. And not
have us feel that the men OF our state
will be the last. II they have not been
the first In our country. by cOnferrine
on the women of West Virginia In this
city what our fOrefathers gave to the
nation-the right of self-govcrnmcnt."
At the conclusion OF Mrs. Boyd's adj
dress Mrs. George X. Wheat and Or.
Hattie Jones addressed the commit
y OIl llI| HhSilV sAiOJEGGf M lllalAlt
forcible pleas for the cause the
committee represented. Mrs. Boyd
argued that the charter should be mr.
ranged so "a 10 give the women the
right OF suffrage which they deserved.
She cited instances where the United
States supreme court has decided thH.
women are citizens and that the action
OF various western states giving them
the right TO vote IL constitutional. IN
this respect as in Others" said Mrs.
Boyd, THE Constitution of West Vir-
glnIa, II 1t prohibits you from granting
to the ladies' OF Wheeling the right of
suffrage. Is unconstitutional" and the
gentlemen present calamity agreed with
her.
The ladies' then retired. asking that
their petition be given due consideration.
i Nothing was done In connection with 1t
at last nights meeting, but the matter
was laid on the table pending an ~investI-
CATION OF the law on the question by At
torney Erskinc.
The committees first business was 10
hear the report OF Mr.. Erskinc on the
business ofsthe~previous meeting. and
after considerable time waB consumed.
and several unimportant changes made
IN the wording Of various clauses. DIR.
y HaZlctt moved that the construction 0f
bridges over the creek In the future he
looked inter 80 that no Obstructing piers
can be placed In or neal the centre Of the
stream; also to prohibit the dumping az
dirt and rubbish along the banks OF the
creek. The motion was carried and the
ella us will be embodied In the charter.
The committee then decided that busl-
ness houses having private switches put
into their places OF business or running
along the clty's streets or alleys. shall
pay a tax.