The San Francisco call., 1896-05-14
PRESENT THEIR
CLAIMS ANEW,
Women in Convention at
the First Unitarian
Church.
NOT ONE VACANT CHAIR
Miss Susan B. Anthony Sends a
Dispatch From Sacra-
mento.
MRS. E. T. WILKES PREsIDEs.
Mrs. William Keith Has Something
TO Say About Writers of
Editorials.
MRS. E. T. WILKES PREs1DEs.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL !
90S Broadway, Nav 13. {

LII
90S Broadway, May 13.
The Alameda County branch of the Pa
cific Coast Woman's Congress met in the
beautiful First Unitarian Church this
afternoon, with the president, Rev. Eliza
beth 1upper-Wilkes, presiding. The plat
form had been tastefully decorated with
cut flowers and potted plants, and pre-
sented very inviting appearance The
attendance was very large, limited only
by the capacity OF the church.
AT the afternoon session not more than
half dozen men were present, but in the
evening the increased attendance showed
that the great question CT the day is of
equal interest to both sexes.
Seated on the platform with the presi-
dent were Mrs. John Heath, Mrs. L. G..
Judd. Mrs. Lloyd Baldwin, Mrs. Alice
Stucker and other women prominent in
the suffrage movement.
The general theme of the session was
woman in Government" The speakers
were miss Sarah Severance, Mrs. Ada Van
Pelt, Mrs. William Keith and Mrs. Wilkes.
The first speaker was Miss Severance,
who said in part:
I'VE are dragged into politics; we are
born into taxes; the incompetent and un-
worthy shall be justly excluded from vot-
ing, but women should not be debarred
from government because they are women.
We are taxed, we should be allowed to
vote. We can never get out of govern
ment. We are in politics and we cannot
get out. The benefit to be derived from
woman's voting depends upon the lndi-
vidual. But that does not alter the fact
that no one has the right to take away the
dearest privilege OF man, the right of
voting.
Women should take an interest in poll
tics, especially in school politics. a child s
lie IS Influenced more or less by their
teachers. W hen ! was girl if there was
any superior man in town he was made q
school trustee. His life was pattern tor
the scholars. Is this true to-day? Perhaps,
but the trustees are not selected for that
purpose. They gain their position merely
because they stand in with the bosses.
Then there is the municipal govern
ment. a woman's opinion in regard to
public affairs is not respected because she
cannot vote She cannot protect her chill
dren, for she has no voice in the laws.
There is the county ballot. You may be
left widow. You may be allowed to be
the guardian of your children, but it is a
political matter. There are the condition
of the roads, the almshouse, the iails and
other things that come under county poll
tics. In State politics men have every
thing, and women are allowed no voice,
destruction of their boys or girls
Mrs. Ada Van Pelt, the president of the
Woman's Press Association and vice-presi-
dent of the Woman's Congress. was the
next speaker, her subject being THE
Mothers of Great Men" She read the
paper presented last week and published
in The CALL. In discussing it Miss Sever.
ance said the smart sons OF smart mother:
were not to blame, as they could not help
it; they were born that way.
Mrs. William Keith, the wife OF the we'll
known artist, graduate of the State
University and native daughter, who /!
warm supporter OF woman suffrage, wa:
greeted with applause as she stepped for
ward to present her paper. She said:
Feilow-citizens franchised and otherwise
This is 1HE CALL which hold in my hand
[Applause.l You all know The CALL. Before
concerning The Chief'' l would like TO say
few words by way OF preface. l wish l hat
something new to offer. You know, however
that though very few husbands like colo
meats and warmed-over things, yet the womer
must swallow them TO save them. Moreover
we had no choice as 10 subject; 1t was assigned
nothing TO do but 70 obey orders The inten
ton OF the congress last week was to bring ou
the idea OF woman and her relations to gov
ernment. This, we think, on the whole, was
very well done, though one or two City ed
itors found something to criticize. They
said that all this repetition OF history
was not OF any practical benefit. Men Of
to-day are not bothering their heads over what
savages have done in the past. But they are
trying to solve such important problems a.
finance, tariff and municipal reform. This j!
very true, and we predict that next year the
congress of 1897 will concern itself with the
practical one of women in government, and
that our brothers shall have all the co-opera
tion that the women OF California with q vote
in hand can give.
The booksellers OF Denver report that more
works on political economy and topics of gov
eminent have been sold within the year thar