The Springfield herald., 1898-11-11
WOMEN SUFFRAGISTS,

Miss Anna X. Simmons Is the presi-
dent Of the South Dakota EQUAL Suf.
frage association, and is the leading
figure in the fight which is being made
In that state for the right of women to
vote.
Planned by the South Dakota Equal
Suffrage association, the campaign is
being conducted along systematic
lines. For ten busy weeks the lenders
in the movement have been arguing
seriously with the voters and they
have summoned noted women from
other states to their aid. Confident
that the time has come when n major
ity of the men are willing to cast n
vote in their favor, the woman suf-
fragisis are carrying their battle cry
into every corner of the state. Mass
meetings are being held by day and
night and reports from Headquarters
show that there are encouraging signs
Victory for the women in this cleo
tion means the addition of 100000
voters to the state. For the most part
they are white persons, native born,
and for them is claimed higher av-
erage of intelligence, industry and
thrift. Naturally the two great polit-
icnl parties are interested in the issue.
Not less so are the other parties and
factions in the state. 1t is an open
question on which side in national
matters the majority of the women
would lean should the electoral priv
ileges be accorded them, but at the
same time there appears to be no in-
clination among the political chiefs to
base opposition upon lines of possible
party supremacy or overthrow. They
are meeting the issue face to face, ar
guing 1t upon its merits and combating
it upon clear ground. 1t remains fof
the voters to determine the weight Of
the logic and the influence now being
brought to bear upon them.
Wyoming adopted the woman spT
frage law in 1870. Colorado in 1893,
and in Utah it is II constitutional pre-
vision and came into the nation with
The state. This point is made in SUP.
poTt of the argument that woman sut-
frage is not to be an experiment IN
South Dakota.
Speaking of the outlook for the We
men campnigncrS in the fall election
Mrs. Emma Cranmer, one of tht
strongest state organizers, and one
who is ns closely in touch with the
actual situation rs anyone has this 10
say:
The outlook for the passage of ~
equal suffrage amendment has ncvet
before been so bright. | spent con,
siderable time in the Russian settle
ments in Turner county and met With
surprisingly cordial reception. One
of the Russian women who took part
in an entertainment TO raise money
for suffrage work had stacked fifty
stacks of grain this year. Surely she
is entitled to the ballot. The Scanda-
navian vote is ours in very large
measure, and they are giving us aid
and cooperation which is effective
and encouraging. Bishop O'Gorman OF
Sioux Falls is an ardent sufrragist,
and his outspokcn utterances will
carry great weight In the coming cleo
tion with the Roman Catholics of the
state"
Success of woman suffrage in South
Dakota will mean another change in
the record Of the states on this ques-
ton. At present it stands: Three
states in which there is absolute polit-
ical equality, twenty-five where there
is limited suffrage. and eighteen In
which woman's political rights are ig.
nored. Those states where limited
suffrage is granted are:
Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois.
Indiana. Iowa, Massachusetts, Michi-
gan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska.
New Hampshire, New Jersey, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
South Dakota, Kansas, Texas, Yer
mont, Washington and Connecticut.
The conspicuous cnmpaigners have
been at work in the state since early
In September-the war delaying the
and are pledged to go on until the eve
before the election. They are women
whose qualifications for the fight are
striking. Mrs. Simmons has the conf
1encc of every suffrage sympathizer in
South Dakota. Her home Is in Huron,
and she is the wife of Rev. Thomas
Simmons. a Methodist minister and
the presiding elder of the Huron dis
trict. She was born in Ohio, but went
with her parents in early girlhood TO
Iowa, and received her education at
Cornell College, Iowa. In 1873 She
was married. coming with her husband
to Dakota Territory in 1884, since
which time she has been constant
and faithful worker in reforms. She
has three children, and her eldest
daughter. n girl of 10, can look after
things at home during the weeks when
her mother is gone. Mrs Simmons is
motherly looking. handsome woman.
dress.