The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-26

fEx4f X AIz2e1aESkezy re@A9AS&S7A- <AAA~seA-~
s. B. g. relzting 20 isss-ruzenr s1ect-
Tag -eAs property. was reported from CON-
r.lttes VITA the Recommendation taAt IL
- i16eEnitezy postponed. Adopted
8. 3. Is. regulating Ap2esAs 10 the SrSe-
rior court. was reported s2-oraoy srozn
TIE committee. Adopted.
S. 3. Id an act relating 70 legal ruolica-
tons. was reported back vita recon-
meraation thai * bs indefinitely post
pon@d. ard q substitute reported Adopted
HIS bill. providing for CONSTITUTIONAL
amendment comforting the elective fran
ch.Se OF women. was taken Up IN commit
tse o. the whole.
On motion Of PIumrsr the committee
rose and reported the bill back 20 the sen
ate without amendment
On motion o. Range the BIZ was read tbs
third tine and placed on It's fnal passage
Then the debate began
II seemed % Hill OF Lewis that the aues-
ton OF woman suffrage had been so often
discussed thze but little could be said
The cause OF woman suffrage was first
met with rtdicGls. and human advancement
bad been met with the ssms obstacles. and
as q consequences, 10 reform had ever been
secured without long and hard s,rug-
gle. IN Europe the right OF Suffrage for
men vas only secured By a struggle, and
frequently by loss OF life. Every good
cause has had its martyrs. Il seemed 10
him that we are ever building sepulchers
TO the martyrs and heroes that our fore
fathers killed. He cited John Brown.
whose "soul goes marching on" as a man
who Is now honored as the martyr OF
slavery. Il was the senator's desire that
the wrongs of women be redressei SO that
they could take their places where they
belonged. alongside OF their husbands.
fathers and brothers az the polls. II was
not right, II was unjust and unmanly 10
debar her from the right OF voting Women
were treated politely and generously by
the men Of Washington, but he held that
no amour; OF politeness could atone for a
right which belonged 20 her being with
held. The great defect of the government
OF today was that il was too masculine.
and II needed the gentle influence OF fair
women TO restore its equilibrium. The
active sympathy and help OF women Were
just as necessary in the affairs Of state as
they were in the government OF the family
and the care of the household.
The speaker secuted the idea that wom-
en- were too ignorant. too easily moved
by impulses and prejudices TO be trusted
with the ballot. The new women. he held,
were up-to-date and fully capable OF at
tending to the affairs OF the state
daughter and applause) He held that
the widely recognized law OF equal free
dom carried with Il the right OF equal
suffrage. He caileS attention 20 the fact
that In savage life woman was nothing
but slave. but with the increase OF civ
tization her rights increased, and the
standard of civilization is now measured
by the way nation treats its women. He
did not believe that the average woman
would be dictated to IN her political predi-
lection. He confessed that woman had a
Will of her own, and he had found II hard
10 win her over when he tried 10 In po-
litical matter. daughter and applause)
women are just as apt TO make their hus-
bands
Wooding-Mr. Hill. are you married
or a single man?
Hill-Why do you ask that question?
Two communications were sent in by
Dorr from X. T. Holmes, giving reasons
why woman suffrage should not be
passed.
Relnhart said that the men had made
hopeless failure Of government.
Look around you. Uaughter) Other
fools Will talk after me- There Is not a
beast In the field that would mortgage
his offspring as we have. We want the
politics. Now. I'll let some other fool
talk"
Applause and laughter for a minute
followed. and President Daniels had 10
stop 1t with the tattoo OF his heavy ma
hogany gavel.
Deckebaeh said woman admired a
manly man. and he revered and honored
womanly. good virtuous woman He be-
lievsd that a measure could be framed
that would show whether the women OF
the state wanted IL. In the state Of Mas
sachusetts the question was submitted TO
the women. and the result revealed that
they did not want II. He was willing 10
submit the question IN the sama wav.
There was a doubt in his mind as 10
whether the legislature was doing a favor
TO women by passing the bill under con-
sideration. 1t was the impression OF the
speaker that mixing In politics would tend
TO debase. instead OF elevating women.
The outcome OF the proposition would be
that the very women that people did not
want 10 vote would be sure TO do so. Just
as the most undesirable class of men are
always sure 10 vote.
Tayior-Would you Ike TO .levata tha
ballot Mr. Deckebach?
Decke5ach-Yes: but ] believe that the
passage OF this bill would lower the
standard among women.
At this juucture a message was received
from the house reporting the bill 10 nra
vent the spread OF disease among sheep.
Ihis announcement caused a roar OF
laughter.
speech in support OF the suffrage hill
was made by McReavy. He said IL was
stated that woman suffrage in this state
was failure. His experience was that
honest
aud conscientious in all the duties that
uevolved upon them as citizens. lie hoped
that the senators would cast their votes
for measure which he considered TO be a
most important one
Range hoped that the bill would PASS
The matter should be referred 10 the
people.
This matter" said Crow. SHOULD ba
submitted 10 vote OF the people There
Is no other way. | would vote 10 submit
20 vote 81 the people q measure that
questions should be submitted 10 tie neo-
pie as matter OF right and 1uSf{ca
Women should be allowed 10 vote In
Colorado % per cent. OF the women voted
Snd tais sets aside the argument that
women VIII not vote"
Il do not know said Van pattsn
whether anything that I could say would
change a single vote, but / wish 10 telI
which side am on"
Then he proceeded to tell why he IA
vored woman suffrage. The women he
sa3d. had been pleading with men for the
privilege % sufTra 20 for years lie main
tanned that under the principles euuu-
cla'ed ~ the Declaration - independence
women should have tais right
The boar has come" he said when
We saauid place ourselves on record as
consistent ana vote for thts measure T"
F1gsr5.- WRat became of She fudge tkst
declared that act unceastttstianaie
Van farten-A CA kUcT bis name
Euspv-Is not bis name Turner
IaTicr--E1a utau = 1e wrote the onlnfon
was Judge Jones. aEd he died three
months after he G1f so.
Paseg--iN1 vou thiek that the wiring
~ tkaE DptuieH Killed him@
NaTlor--A man wHu would cnnSfr1@ cha
word fzerscu to not mean woman INNS,
have strained bis mind so THAI Do v-aS no