The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-08
WOMEN TOSTUDY TOWN
Topeka Equal Suffragists to
Take Up City Government.
VIII Elect Mayor and Council
From Among Them.
Mrs. Stryker is Admitted to Member
ship and Declares She Will Vote
for President Whether or No.

The Equal Suffrage association of To-
peka will not take up the extended
course of study prescribed by the ma
tional association, but has organized for
the purpose of studying municipal gov
eminent. This decision was reached
yesterday afternoon at a meeting in
the Hotel Throop parlors.
The national officers have decided
civil government would be the proper
study for women during the coming
year and have accordingly sent out in
structions for beginning this work and
also books from which the information
pertaining to those subjects is to be
secured Mrs. Althea-BriggS Stryker
is opposed to such an arrangement. She
said:
What is the use of our attempting
to take up civil government in all it's
details? L will say that 1 do not be-
lieve half the men in town know how a
township is organized, how school dis
tricts are created; in fact, half of them
know nothing about municipal and
state government
IF we want to take up a study that
is valuable and interesting, let US or
ganize into a municipal body and study
municipal government"
This suggestion was heartily approx
ed by the association, and after some
little discussion a motion was adopted
providing for the beginning of the
study of municipal government at the
weeks from yesterday afternoon at such
a place as Mrs. L. o. Case, Mrs Good
win and Mrs. Wardall select, they hav-
ing been named as a committee to Sc
cure a meeting place.
At this meeting a mayor and city
council will be elected. Representa-
tives from the various wards will be
present, as Mrs. NJ. E. Goodwin, Mrs.
c. w. Whitmore and Mrs. A. WardalI
were appointed members of a commit
tee whose duty it shall be to secure the
attendance of a sufficient number of
members of the association to organize
the council. With this organization
perfected the study of municipal gov
eminent will begin.
Mrs. Case, who is corresponding sec
rotary of the state association an
nounced that a letter from the state
president, Mrs. Katie r. Addison, in
dictated that she desired the members
of local associations to circulate petit
tiOns asking that the legislature pass
law giving to women presidential Suf-
frage.
''WelI, I suppose it will be necessary
for US to vote upon that subject in some
way" remarked Mrs Mary Cornelius
president of the meeting.
Yes, it will be necessary for US to
decide whether or not we will assist
in the circulation of petitions, said Mrs.
Case.
Mrs A1thea- Briggs Stryker has just
been admitted to membership in the
Topeka association and she at once
disposed OF the proposition to circulate
petitions by saying:
Il have circulated my last petition
for anything. I am tired of begging
and soliciting the men. These petitions
never did and never will do any good.
There is no use in doing it. They are
of no consequence, and why should we
spend our time upon something which
is value less TO the cause.
The little group of women applauded
Mrs. Stryker vigorously when she ut
tered these sentiments. She contin-
ued:
II have made up my mind that when
I get ready to vote am going to walk
to the polls and do so. There is moth
ing in the constitution to prevent US
from doing so, and for one am in ia
vor of proceeding in that direction.
Thereby we will be able to get the sub
ject into the supreme court again and
have it passed upon. 1t has been de-
cided once, and against the women, of
course"
In supreme court composed of the
right kind of men, continued Mrs
Stryker, AL the little, insignificant
technicalities to be thought of would
not be dragged out from some musty
recess to defeat justice. That is all we