davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1896-10-31
WILL SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT
BECOME A LAW?

This question is agitating the minds Of
woman suffragists, not only in this but
in other states. The eyes of the progress
i've east are turned anxiously to the
doubtful west. l believe we have every
thing to hope for, but should never re.
lax our vigilance. My faith in the out
come of the election of 1896 is based
on observations Of the growth of the
suffrage sentiment during my residence
in California since 1862 Public opinion
was something to fear when the ad-
vance guard of progressive men and
women spoke and wrote in advocacy of
woman suffrage. Today it requires
courage to announce ones self as oppos-
ed to it. When Laura de Force Gordon,
in 1858, called the first meeting ever held
in the state for the purpose of awaken
ing the public mind to the Importance
of placing the ballot in the hands of wo-
men, 1t was brave assemblage who
listened to her stirring, eloquent words.
Moral towards were not there
When Mrs. Emily Pitts-Stevens threw
her suffrage banner to the breeze in the
bright Pioneer, the paper was looked
upon as literary curiosity and it's edi-
tor as wild dreamer
When Mrs. Elizabeth T. Schencke, un-
mindful of ridicule, organized the first
suffrage society in California the ques-
tion was Who will be daring enough
or foolish enough to become members"
When Hon. A. A. Sargent, on the eve
of an important political campaign,
candidate for reelection to congress in
1871, delivered mastery address in San
francisco in favor of woman suffrage,
then indeed did his political friends hold
their breath, fearing that only disaster
to his party could come of such a bold
stand on such an unpopular subject.
Like good angel by his side stood his
loyal wife, Ellen Clark Sargent, true to
her convictions. and true to the memory
of our fearless pathfinder she now
stands at the head of the state suffrage
organization.
These pioneers, with others whose
memory is still dear to US, laid the foun-
cation for a healthy public sentiment
in this state that has grown stronger
each year through the last quarter Of a
century.
This preliminary work was not lost.
Political equality, the last right with
held from California women. will soon
be ours. Suffra &c, societies composed of
good, earnest men and women have been
organized all over the state. There Is
no adverse organization and little ap-
parent adverse sentiment Governor
Budd has declared himself in favor of
political equality. which will have weight
with the party he represents, while both
the other parties adopted a platform
favoring the ballot for women. We lack
nothing but earnest persevering effort
until election day, when, unless all signs
fail, victory will crown our labors. Bet
ter will be dinner of herbs" on
Thanksgiving day. 1896, with the ballot
in the hands of California's daughters
than the fattest turkey and still political
slaves. FLORA M. KIMBALL.
President of the San Diego Woman
Suffrage Club.
The herald., 1896-10-31
CHIVHLRY
BY ELIZABETH cADY STANTON

Our opponents say that "if women
were the political equals of men they
would lose all the chivalric attentions
now so freely accorded them
First, let us see in what way this chiv-
airy that should be so highly priced has
manifested itself.
When intelligent women first turned
their attention to the old common law
that prevailed in this country, as we'll
as in England, they found the position of
the femme sole" bad enough and that
of femme convert no better than the
slave on the southern plantation. They
plead and petitioned with the legisla-
ture twenty years before they secured
the married woman's property bill in
1S48, and the right to make a will
contract, to do business in their own
name, to sue and be sued, to have any
right to their children, their wages or to
invest their own accumulations and in
heritances, and to secure an equal place
in the trades and professions and col
leges.
We have battled fifty years for our
political rights, secured now in only
four states in the union. During this
half century of continued struggle with
public sentiment, congress and state
legislatures, what have all these chiv-
The herald., 1896-10-31
MRS. ANNIE B: ANDREWS SPEECH
An Able Discussion of the Suffrage
Question by a Leader.


At the woman's meeting at the wig
wan yesterday afternoon Mrs. Annie
b. Andrews said:
l never in all my life felt such re-
sponsibility as I do at this time. AL
though woman, not voter or citizen
as a resident 1 will make a last appeal
to our fathers, husbands, brothers and
sons to vote honestly in your convictions,
for liberty, right and justice on Tuesday
next
In our great Democratic daily, The
Herald, in the issue of today, in the
most prominent column of this most ex
cellent journal, an address is issued to
the Democrats, yea to all the silver
forces of our city, county and state, in
which every patriot is urged to do his
duty, stating the preliminary battle is
won. All that is necessary now is an
honest ballot and fair count.
Gentlemen, If ever there was mo-
mentous question facing you, the voters
of these United States, it is the question
of finance at this time, the solution of
which means this and nothing less:
Shall we perpetuate our democratic
form of government or establish an
aristocracy?
We are now in the closing hours of the
most remarkable presidential campaign
The herald., 1896-10-31

planes of life, (which govern and eradi-
cate the lower animal nature, then we
must ask whether they will not seek to
rise to higher levels, in the spheres of
intellectual and spiritual growth. then
we must determine whether nature Will
continue with the same sequence to
carry out that which she has shown
throughout.
Can woman set the line In human af-
fairs over which man cannot pass? Can
she mark out course in the realm OF
knowledge that denies to him It's broad
expansion? Can he define SPIRITUAL
life that holds her bounds, bidding her
obey in silence, that "it is a shame" for
her, gifted of speech, to stand in his
presence, and the flow of words checked
in utterance? when she feels In some
other planet world she will rise to high
er spiritual life. Can he by dual powers
or intellect, take her place in the arena
of politics or fill the home want and
home sphere in government? Can he
enter the inner life and know its long
ings, its aspirations?
Natures forces move undertaking, the
spheres revolves now as in ages past, the
tides will ebb and flow; the sun rise in
splendor and glory over the eastern
hills, dip the blended colorings Of his
wondrous beams In the western waters,
the moon sheds her pale beauty over
the world, the flowers burst forth by
the kiss of spring, no jarring, no disar
rangement in the immutable laws of ma
ture, when woman takes her place in
lifes broad domain.
VIII she cease to reproduce her kind
because of broader fields of action of
mental growth and progress? AS science
reaches to grasp the unsolved mys-
teries of nature has man forgotten the
old command, multiply and replenisli
the earth?
If "the child we must have" shall not
The herald., 1896-10-31
!; KEEP YOUR BALLOTS PURE
sAAAAAAAAA4AAAs&&AA&&AAA
BY MRS. ANNA T. YOcUM

The time has come when labor has
marshaled it's forces to vanquish the
power which menaces the perpetu1ty
of American liberty. 1t goes forth to
battle, armed with ballots, and each bal
lot is stamped with justice; and in the
balance are silver and gold GIG to u.
It's battlecry is, six days shalt thou
labor" re-echoed from the divine COM
mand. and from every breast rises the
earnest plea, "Gives us this day our
daily bread"
Was there ever an army like this!
You can hear it's weary tramp, tramp, in
the street, it's dusty march on the road,
it's hungry cry for bread, and its desc
late wall on the deserted hearth-stone,
for the executioner's hammer has been
there. Its home lies waste, and its en-
trance is choked by foul greed's canker-
ing touch. A pestilence more fatal nev-
er blighted young manhood's awakening
dream of liberty and home and happi-
ness than the simeon from the hot
breath of avarice. How it blisters, and
scorches, and burns all the lfeblood to
the very bone and saps the marrow, that
it may fatten the golden octopus, whose
capacious nav devours the last of life's
sustenance and still grasps for more!
Insatiate monster, how long will ye
thus feed? And how long will the gaunt
form of wasted industry yield its last
jewel to greed's avaricious clutch? Is
justice blind and mercy deaf that We so
revel? Did our fathers forget, when
placing the watch-light upon the brow of
American liberty, that the power of
wealth was co-equal with tyranny, and
kings. when shorn of golden locks. were
tottering dynasties? They crowned la
Dor king. but failed to guard the fruits
of labor from the inroads of monopolies,
which have entered the palace and
wrested the scepter from his grasp. To.
day he stands, robbed of wealth, but
still of royal birth. Ordained and COM
manded to rule, he has arisen and will
conquer The sovereign power of the
nation still lives in the voice of the peo-
pie expressed in the ballot box. Labor
created all of wealth. Not marble stone
has been placed in line. but labor put
it there. Every Golfer of gold was pro-
duced by manhood's honest toll, yet
how came it in the grasp of the monster
who holds It? The answer solves the
problem: The ballot has not been sa-
credly guarded in its mission of justice
to all the people.
The primaries and the caucus have
been invaded and before the honest
voter reached the convention his opin-
ions have been contorted until he could
not recognize them as his own Too
lightly have the masses guarded TIE
sanctity of the ballot. They have for
gotten that the prerogative of power has
come laundering down through all the
The herald., 1896-10-31
cannot read the constitution in some
language or other. Yours truly,
IJENpX

cannot read the constitution in some
language or other. Yours truly,
HENRY G. HAY,
President Stock Growers National
bank, Cheyenne, Wyo.
In reply to your letter of the 18th inst.
l am glad of the opportunity to say to
you that there is no doubt in the minds
of the people of Wyoming that womans s
suffrage is strong agency in the puri-
fication of politics, and certainly any
thing that tends to lessen the corruption
in political channels ought to be well
large. r...-
The writer can see no reason why an
intelligent woman should be denied the
right to express her opinions at the
polls, when that privilege is freely given
to every worthless citizen of the oppo-
site sex. There is simply no fairness or
justice in it, and it will be but matter
of time when every enlightened state
in the union will give to woman what
has always rightly belonged to her.
Wishing you the utmost success in the
spread of the religion of justice and
chivalry, l am, very truly yours,
t. SAMUEL C. PARKS, JR.,
Cashier National bank of Leander
Wyoming.
l take pleasure in answering your
several inquiries in regard to the ques-
ton of woman suffrage, as far as it re-
lates to this state. L was a member of
the constitutional convention of this
state and cast my vote giving women
the same rights as men, in fact there was
scarcely a dissenting voice in the con-
The herald., 1896-10-31

ages, baptized in blood at every step,
ere it was placed within their grasp.
We can track it at Valley Forge and
Across the Delaware" And again in a
hundred fought battles, where a million
of our brothers fell, that liberty again
might reign. Then they were lulled to
repose, for 'all men were free and
equal before the law" All rights were
secure, and vested in the Constitution.
They might toss this ballot for a cigar
or quaff it in a glass of beer. Our rep
resentatives might barter their votes
and the nation still live. If we dared to
doubt they quoted the glory of past
achievements to convince us of our
present safety. This has been our chief
mistake. We have followed this will o.
the wisp into quagmires until we are
well nigh powerless to eXtricate our
selves; and the awful monster still
beckons us on. Just ahead confidence"
reigns and "all is WELL" cries the man on
the watch tower. Rally again to the
breach and close the shattered ranks"
No "veiled prophet ever rallied his fol-
lowers to more certain destruction
than this man at the helm of the gold
power today, who vaunts his false BAN
ner and by his golden veil' of false
doctrines changes his front to greet his
deluded followers. In one breath he
even hundreds of thousands of good old
fashioned Democrats which we all know
are good Grover Cleveland Democrats
In the next he says: "All this talk
about coercion comes from a source
which four years ago deceived you."
and yet he endorses the dishonor of
that administration which will go down
in history so base that humanity will
blush to read the record Again, in his
lon 1aIn LOFT Of fa In
makes a statement calculated to de-
ceive the casual reader He says:
"Chiefy by means of legislation during
and since 1878 there has been put in cir
culation more than 624 000,000 of silver
or it's representative" Prior to that
time there had been less than 100000
of silver dollars coined in the entire his
tory of the United States, period of SO
years. Notice carefully how he uses sill
yer in the first instance and silver dol
lars in the last statement. How adroit-
ly he omits the true amount of $96,0OO,-
900 of silver coined in half dollars, quar-
ter dollars, dimes and five cent pieces,
to say nothing of the foreign silver coin
adopted by the United States as legal
tender to the amount of 100, 900, 600 prior
to 1873, making total of (9,00O,000X
96, 600, ,00OX100 900, ,000) 205,000,000 against
800. 900 silver dollars. Mark you, the
latter statement only reaches to 1873.
while McKinley's letter covers to 1878
q have no reliable data at hand to
cover the intervening period of five
years.) Mckinley is but the front and
the offending" Of that power which can
best find expression in such man. 1t
matters but little to the money power
which party rules. but 1t is of the ut
most Importance to find men corrupt and
capable enough to fasten this despot-
ism Of wealth upon the American peo-
The herald., 1896-10-31
SUFFRAGE IN COLORADO

Hon. A. B. McGaffey, secretary of
state in Colorado, writes: AS a general
proposition, 1 think it is the universal
verdict that woman suffrage in Colora-
do has been an unqualified success.
The constitutional amendment confer
ring the right Of universal suffrage in
this state was adopted at the fall elec-
tion in 1898, by vote of 35,796 for and
29,451 against, making a total vote of
65249. At the general election in the
fall of 1892 the total vote of the state was
93,761, showing that large number of
the electors of the state failed to vote
upon the constitutional amendment in
1888. No special opposition was made
to the adoption of woman suffrage, ana
the campaign, both for and against, was
remarkable, if anything, for it's apa-
thetic nature. Their actions at the polls
and in political deliberations, since CIV
en- the right of suffrage, has been char
acterized by moderation and reasonably
good judgment, especially when consid-
ering their inexperience in political af-
The herald., 1896-10-31

alrous gentlemen done for us?
We can count the men on our fingers
who have lent us any essential aid.
Chivalry, forsooth. Talk of losing it;
why we never had it! Our fathers, hus-
bands, brothers and sons have blocked
our progress at every step with law,
argument, ridicule and sophistry The
church has shown no more chivalry
than the state. The canon law for CEN
turies has been worse than the civil
law. in fact grating on the old English
common law it's worst features Women
have always been the main support of
the churches, working and begging for
its support. making surplices and Slip
pers for the bishops and getting up do
nation parties and fairs from generation
to generation, yet they have no voice in
the councils. Even the divine softening
influence of the Christian religion has
thus far failed to develop the virtue of
chivalry in the hearts of the clergy. The
magnates in church and state can give
a touch of pathos and beauty to their
well-rOunded periods in praise Of the
ideal woman at dinners, commence
ments, during church revivals and DO
litical campaigns. but they will not let
the real woman occupy a seat as dele
gate to a conference or synod or as a
representative in congress or state leg
isiature. When, alas! can we find this
The herald., 1896-10-31
CHANGE OF SENTIMENT,

The Colorado Springs Gazette, man
aged and edited by man who had OPP
posed woman suffrage before its adop-
ton, said in an editorial November 7,
1894, the day after the election: TOO
much cannot be said about the way the
women have taken up politics. All that
they have done has been well done, and
the result is all that could have been
wished. The woman in politics is a
notable success. To say that they were
interested and did their full share is
inadequate. They polled 60 per cent of
the total vote registered" The people
were so elated that the next day the
following lines from Shakespeare ap-
peared as headings to the political news
in several Colorado papers
TITS beauty that doth make the women
proud,
'Tis virtue that doth make them most
admired.
'Tis government that doth make them
seem divine"
The herald., 1896-10-31
THE LEADER.
Miss Susan B. Anthony and Her Life
Work.

Miss Anthony needs no description.
Any one meeting her in the street would
know her at first glance, so familiar are
her pictures and so numerous are the
descriptions of the many scribes who
have We'd with one another to do her
justice. Like many distinguished men,
the famous suffragist has the ease of
manner and the intuitive knowledge of
the necessities of any given case which
mark long familiarity with all sorts
and conditions of men, and talked freely
Of her purposes and her work.
Miss Anthony, in answer to a question
as to her impressions of the California
women and the local field for suffrage
work said that undoubtedly a great ar
comradeship existed between men and
women here than in the east. Women
shared more in the amusement of the
brothers, fathers and husbands and the
1000 mile gulf which existed in the east
between the sexes did not prevail to the
same extent on the Pacific coast. This
freedom of Intercourse, of course, made
suffrage work the easier, but on the
The herald., 1896-10-31

the child in every walk of life be well
born? Shall we not have mothers that
in their higher life broader knowledge,
purer aspirations, deeper understand
ing of life, clearer visions of all that
makes freedom, justice and equality
possible, that give to the world Off
springs that the world may bless?
The world in it's progress, in its evo-
lutions, demands grander things. Man,
in the multiplicity of inventions evolved
from minds almost god-like, reaching
out to the hour when all spheres will be
kin, when the singing of the spheres
will be converse with our sister world.
Shall woman still be chained to the dark
ages of the past? Still sit sphinx-like
at the feet of her master, bound and
dumb?
Nay, progress by her magic wand has
touched the brow of woman and bids
her onward and upward to the greater
heights, to broader fields and grander
life. MAY ELMORE BENSEN.
The herald., 1896-10-31

other hand the average California wom-
en- of the better class was only too likely
to think that her present condition was
the best possible, that California men
were so chivalrous and the laws were so
much better here than elsewhere that
they did not need the ballot.
1t was novelty continued Miss An
thony, when suffrage work was begun.
The Sacramento legislators, in order to
be rid Of the women, submitted the
amendment to the people. Since that
time the actual work accomplished here
has been wonderful. To begin with, the
material was good. Where, save in Cali
fornia, could you find ladies present IN
numbers at ordinary political gather
ings, where so interested in all public
questions? The average of intelligence
was much higher among women than
among men. The colleges alone are turn
ing out 10000 educated girls each year,
and at the high schools four girls are
now graduated to each pair of boys.
1t was for the promotion of self respect
in women for one thing that she wished
them to have the ballot.
Miss Anthony, when asked as to her
own politics, replied that the suffragists
at present had no politics If they were
allowed the ballot they would very soon
express them. She added that this was
her second trip to the coast. Twenty
five years ago she visited California with
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the first of the
suffrage orators
The herald., 1896-10-31
RECEPTION TO MISS ANTHONY.

One of the largest and most enthusi-
astic gatherings held in Los Angeles
lately was the reception given to Miss
Anthony and Mrs. Gait by the women
Of the city, regardless Of clubs or or
ganizations. Every woman in Los An
geles honors and reveres the work of
this pioneer in the woman suffrage
cause. There is already movement
on foot to celebrate the seventy-seventh
birthday of this devoted veteran in this
city next March. which will surpass
any such demonstration ever held in
this city.
MAY she live to see women
voting in every state in the union" Is
the prayer of her thousands of friends
The herald., 1896-10-31
WOMEN VOTERS IN NEW zEA-
LAND.

The Countess Watchmeister, in an
article on the women of New Zealand.
says: "They are the most conscientious
in making inquiries as to the characters
Of candidates, and IL there are flaws of
character they resolutely refuse to vote
for them. They everywhere vote for
good government, and this influence =
felt throughout the land"
The herald., 1896-10-31

L
first president of the Los Angeles
County Campaign committee. Re-
signed to take the field as cam
paign speaker.
vention. This was over twenty years
after they had been given the right by
our territorial government; whereas, if
it had been failure our new state would
not have granted it, Yours respect
fully, EDWARD j. MORRIS,
Mercantile county, Green river, Wyo.
In conclusion, let me urge my fellow
men, who love their country and who
love justice, to vote for the eleventh
amendment. l have lived in California
longer than she has been a state. / have
rejoiced in all her marvellous develop
ments. Next year she will celebrate
her semi-centennial. Let us add to her
glory this last and grandest achieve
ment of modern civilization-equal civil
and political rights for both men and
women. Then our women will join in
the celebration and make it day that
will go down in the annals of history as
the proudest day of the golden west.
j. H. BRALY.
The herald., 1896-10-31

fairs. Their influence has been almost
Invariably cast in favor of good gov
ernment and political reform.
AS to your question, do many Of
them voter" I can only say that the
vote of the state in 1894 was very near
ly doubled over that of 1892, notwth-
standing the fact that in the mining
sections of the state the male popula-
tion far exceeds that of the female. The
vote of 1894 was by far the largest ever
cast in this state and 1t is undoubtedly
true that a larger per cent of male vo.
ters cast their votes than at any pre-
vious one.
In this election. as in all subsequent
The herald., 1896-10-31

pie. Will they submit? Can this pa
geant at Canton so tell upon their i'm
agination that they will forget that.
The herald., 1896-10-31

Amends section /. article II, Of the
state constitution by striking out Of
said section the word male"
The herald., 1896-10-31

unknown quantity, this X Y in social
mathematics?
We cannot find it in the classics, in
sacred or profane history or the litera-
ture of the day. Like our demonetized
silver coin, woman is dishonored in the
boasted republic. not recognized as
person, an individual, a citizen, the
equal of the most ignorant foreigner
landing on our shores
The herald., 1896-10-31
NOTICE TO VOTERS.

The woman suffrage campaign com.
mittee calls attention to the amendment.
which will be the last on the ballot, and
will read as follows:
The herald., 1896-10-31

Assembly Constitutional YES