Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-08-04
TIE LADIES WISH 70 VOTE.
Delegation From the Political Equality
Club Before the Charter Commission,
At Last Evenings Regular Session.
Text of the Address by Mrs.
George Q. Boyd - Remarks by
Mrs. Geo. K. Wheat and DIR.
Harriet B. Jones - The Work
Done by the Commission.

II9uldI SESSION VI mo ouD NSA-'A4i-N'NN ~
the City Charter Commission, last eve
ming, by tho presence Of committee
Of ladies from the Political Equality
Club OF this city.
The delegation was composed of Mrs
George Z. Boyd, Mrs. George X. Wheat
and Dr.. Harriet 3. Jones. After the
session OF the committee had been called
10 order. the object OF the visit Of the
ladies was made known as being a desire
80 have some suitable step taken 10 per-
NIT the women of Wheeling to vote IN
der the proposed new charter. Dr.
Jones presented The matter briefly to the
gentlemen. and then Mrs. Boyd was IN
PRODUCED and made 4 formal address as
follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:-We
come before you tonight representing
The Political Equality Club OF Wheel ns.
20 ask Of YOUR committee the insertion
of q clause IN the NV charter, giving
the right Of suffrage to the women IN
the city in all municipal elections. We
ask it in the name III justice, and in the
same spirit as our iorefayacrs, ana moth
ers displayed when they rebelled against
England's unjust treatment or them
without representation. The women OF
this city Who to-day pay an enormous
part or the taxes Of this CITY, have been
taxed since It's incorporation without
being able 10y the ballot 10 say what
The amount OF thar tex shall be. how
raised. and how spent when raised;
when the most callCw ycutls, the col
ored man, the man who cannot even
read or write mis- own name, the city
bum, almost iddotic from drink has
say IN our taxation. and what IS even
more, the good government OF the city,
which is as vital 10 The well-55;ng of
cur women as Of oar men. since women
are emphaticaliy home-keepers and
closely Concerned with those municipal
questions which effects the interest CT
The family and The homes. The women
CT our city are already III the from, rank
II all movements, educational. reform2-
tory and charitable, AM IL is only just
70 afford hem tie means Cs expressing
their Opincns and exercising their .nhu-
ence by The ballot.
A large increase will be given 10 the
city treasury by the D0il-.3X Of Jh5 Wo-
men, if YOU grant our request In ask
ing we ask no new or Unhet-d Of thing.
Over fly Yeas ago. in 1915, our neigh
boxing Safe, Southern Kentucky. gave
widow Jne scEC0l suffrage, as Ohio. jusb
across the river from US, did year or
SO ago 10 al her women.
AT the present time, in JW51.y-e. ght
Safes of this country women have some
form OF suffrage. principally school SUI
rage. In Colorado. Wyoming and Utah
three States of This Union women have
suffrage the same as the men. IN Kan
s3s women have muEic.2 pal suffrage
.Mvugh The whole STATE. IN Delaware
women vote in several NUM-
cirll.,es. In Montana they vote Cn
all local taxation. In New York State
i'm many places they vote on local in
provemeuts. such IS SIS ana electric
street lighting. paving, sewerage, munic-
ip3l bonds. etc. Leaving this country
supposed 10 be tha freesr on EARN,
and lis men the best. most generous ana
cbivairOus towards woman, We find mat
in England since 1869 women have had
mun.cipal Suffrage. and vote for al
elective olaces except members Of p2rha-
men. In Scotland IL is about the same.
Ia Ireland. The city Of Belfast has muuIc-
iDal suffrage Tor women, and thlougG
Ireland ia differen. parts, women eAer-
else various forms Of suffrage. In Can
ada. lis provinces OF Quebec, Ontdrlo ana
New Brunswick, give women munlcl-
pal suffrage.
In India all women exercise the rish,
of municipal suffrage in France W0-
men teachers elect women members OF
che boards of education In sweden
and Norway women vote the same as
men. though there is a property quail
.fci-ior for both, here in kingdom not
& free republic, taxation Without repre-
scntation IS unknown. n imperial
Russia all women heads OF households
vote In Aus-ria-Hurg gary and EO-
Lemia women vote by proxy for all cleo
tive Offices. In Italy widows vote iOr
members OF parliament; in Finland for
ali elective Offices.
In Cape Colony, held By Great Brit
sin. The most southern part of Africa.
Iceland, the Pitcairn Islands. Australia
and New Zealand women hive iull SUI
Erase.
we ask that you gentlemen members
OF this committee do ior the women of
your city w5a has been done by The
men of 50 many foreign Countries Tor
their ccUn'ryWonCu. auG not have us
feel thar the mcn of our State viii he
last. if cbey have not been jhe first IN
i'm our country, by comforting on the
women eff Yves, Virginia in this city
what our fOref2lhers gave to the nation.
Inc risa- Of self-gCvcrumcnt"
Following this address. which was
listened 20 with great deal of interest
by an present, Mrs Wheat made some
remarks. in line with what had gone be-
fore. and then a general and somewhat
informal discussion 5nsued, 4 which
all present took 4 share
Ar ErSkine the legal adviser Of the
Committee explained that il was very
likely q Constitutional amendment
would be necessary before the Legisia-
.ure could incorporate any such clause
IN he charter TO which Mrs Boyd re-
to--ed th-t the Constitution Of itself
Va, uNtll~t-i loHai, III l-at il vas
no. in harmony with the constitution Of
the United States. which set forth tina.
The rights OF citizens should not be
abridged. In a Western case, the Su-
preme Court had decided that a woman
holding pro0erty was citizen. and
while mo- stating it ia so many words,
She appeared to be decidedly Of the
oninion thar a test case in IVES, Vir-
g'ni9 might result in distinct adv2nt-
age ia turther.ns the rights OF women.
After the discussion had been pro-