The San Francisco call., 1896-05-15
Good Papers Read by Many of
the Well.Known Ladies
in Attendance.
REASONS FOR woMAN's VOTING.
The Church in Which the Conven
tion Is Held Is Most Elab.
orately Decorated.

Methodist Episcopal church was beauti-
fully and artistically decorated for the
suffrage convention by the committee in
charge with yellow, the suffrage color.
Miss Jennie Mansfield, Mrs. Lulu Green,
Miss Caroline II Hollingsworth, Mrs. f. E.
Carney and Mrs. j. T. Evarts did the
work. The beautiful hand painted banner
with motto on the left was the FORK OF
Miss Jennie Mansfield. Two Ameri can
flags occupied the opposite space on the
right.
Miss Elizabeth n. Yates was introduced,
and made some very interesting remarks.
She said she knew how anxious all were to
have the eleventh amendment pass, and it
needed long pull, strong pull and pull
all together. We have set to familiar air
new words, and want you all to sing THE
New America"
After the music and prayer she con-
tinued speaking of the MASS of Women
OF Our Grandmothers' Time" who would
rather make tatting than learn the alpha
bet. But to-day we would blush to be
found as ignorant as our mothers and
grandmothers. A handful of women were
being brought to realize the necessity of
woman's ballot, and 1 hope the number
will increase. She compared the women
of the past and present to the chicken,
who, after bursting the shell, said How
is it possible / ever lived in that place p"
The woman in the future would wonder
"How is it possible l ever lived in that
environment" She spoke of the new
woman speeding along on the bicycle,
and gave the old rhyme OF Peter, the
pumpkin-eater, and the modern Miss
Pumpkin who would not be content to sit
and sing to everlasting bliss, but would
burst the shell as the chicken and work
with ceaseless activity.
We don't see any enemies in the field,
but expect the woods are full of them. A
bird flying along was shot by man.
Some one said, What made you waste
your arrow? The fall would have killed
ii" We expect the scarecrow prejudice is
going to fall, but it will only be by the ar
row we have shot into its heart
There was then song, and Miss Evarts
made an address. She said: "Friends, in
behalf of the w. P. e. A, 1 welcome you
to our City of the Holy Cross by the sea.
You have come to our loved California to
help US to liberty. Our society Is small IN
numbers, but strong in spirit. We have
distributed 5000 or 1000 leaflets, circulated
petitions and finished study of 'Fisk's
Civil Government We want to represent
ourselves in voting-we are tired of voting
by proxy.
81 spoke to two of my employees who
looked like intelligent men, and asked if
they were going to vote for the amend
ment. Amendment? What's that? saws
one. l explained, and he said, Not much,
| amt going to vote for that. You women
want US to do just as you want US to, but
we WON'T No. 2 said, IF women had
the ballot they would close up all the
saloons. l know one who would vote for
it. That's my wife, but am going to have
what / want 10 drink"
Miss Yates said: "It's been my pleasure
to listen to words OF welcome in many
places, but none more welcome than here
Mrs. Truax said: ~ believe it duty to
our homes, our husbands and our children
to vote" Mrs. Green read Miss Jennie
Morgan's paper, she being unable to be
present. She said there wasn't enough
material in the atmosphere or in the earth
to produce female tramp.
Miss Yates said there were being
coined many thousand pennies, but she
hoped and prayed they would not get here
until after election. She knew it was not
her begging but the generosity of the
audience which would make the collection
all she hoped it would be. The seats in
the evening. she said, were TO be divided,
the center reserved for voters till 8:15
o'clock and the rest for ladies, giving th.
men nice seat in the convention because
good deal is expected Of them this fall.
Miss Ida Harper of the Clipping Bureau
1900 clippings from various papers only
twenty-five were against suffrage.
Mrs. Lulu Green told the old tea party
story, and asked if the women of to-day
were not in the same position as those
men. She claimed they were. She be-
lieved in government of the people for
the people and by the people.
I've heard good deal about the fore
fathers but nothing about the foremothers"
she said. She claimed the ballot not alone
on the Justice of representation for taxa
ton. No one questions woman's right to
acquire property, and che should have the
privilege of vote in the expenditure of
the tax collected on it. She has the privi-
lege of being punished by the laws she
had no hand in making. There is so much
objection to women going to the polls;
it isn't her sphere. What is woman's
sphere? Men conteBded in all ages it was
to see to her household work and nothing
else. Mrs. Green contended woman's
sphere is to do whatever her conscience
tells her to do, and do it we'll. Woman is
mans equal socially and sometimes more
than his equal mentally.
w. P. Netherton, City ATTORNEY, spoke
on the subject: docs the State Need
Woman's Ballot?" He made short ad-
dress very much in favor of the eleventh
amendment and suffrage generally. He
paid graceful tribute to women and his
mother in particular, saying he owed all
he was to-day in the world to her. If he
found the men were incapable of handling
the reins OF government he would give
the women chance by placing the ballot
in their hands. They stand knocking at
the door of state. Let them in. Some