New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-16
WOMEN ASK THE BALLOT.
HEARINGS GIVEN BY HOUSE AND SEN
ATE COMMITTEES.
SUSAN b ANTHONY AND OTHERS ARGUE IN IA
voR OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE AMEND
MENr TO THE CONSTITUTION.

SUSAN Il. ANTHONY AND OIHbhS ANVIL ~
voR OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE AMEND
MENT TO THE CONSTITUTION
Washington Feb I5.-The House Committee on
the judiciary gave a hearing to-day 10 Representa-
tives OF the National Woman Suffrage Assocla"o"
on the proposition to make woman suffrage
amendment to the Federal Constitution. The com
mittee room was crowded with delegates from the
various States. and the advocates OF the project
which hns been before Congress of ana on TOT
years included several leaders OF the organ'Ah-
ton. Miss Susan b. Anthony. the president Oh '"o
association. who to-day attained tho age OF seVe"'!
eight years. made a strong plea In whch sue
pointed out the fun suffrage already grahteo ~
three British cooniea-the Isle Of Man. New-Hea-
land and South Australia She referred to the
many voters less qualified than intelligent women
spoke OF gnoramuses who held the elective ran
chise and said the Government when reluseu 10
women any right Of suffrage, was cohierI'"s INC
privilege OF the ballot unasked foreigners reach-
ing these shores The ballot, sne SAID Is
put In tho hands Of all outside State pris-
ons whether they have sufficient sense to cast
their ballots not. yet the women or the country
were compelled TO humate themselves In piead'hg
for rights that should have been accorded 10 them
long ago She spoke of the amendment giving SUI
frage to the negroes. and drew a comparison be-
tween many of the ex-slaves and the large nuinocr
OF women OF high intellectual rank compelled 10
acknowledge their political inferiority
paper by ex-senator Carey. OF Wyoming read
by the wife of Senator Warren. reviewed the his
tory Of suffrage in that State. and said that women
In every respect before the laws OF the State are
equal 10 men. The = political equality is as hrmiy
fixed in tho fundamental law and IN the minds OF
the people ms any institution be fixed in any
american State No other extension or suffrage
ever made she said had brought SO much adj
vantage and 80 little disadvantage. and she pre-
d,cted that woman suffrage eventually will be
adopted in all the States.
Helen Blackburn. an Englishwoman. submitted
a paper read by Ida Harper. in which she re-
viewed the progress Of the reform movement In
foreign countries. paper from william Bladder
ston described woman suffrage in Idaho. Martha
a 5. Bushnell Comm, member OF the Colorado
Legislature. spoke on the reform In Colorado and
J. W. Gleed spoke Kansas. Martha Hughes
Cannon, State Senator OF Utah described condi-
tons there Alice Stone Blackwell, OF Boston. the
daughter OF Lucy Stone. depicted the Indifference
OF women TO the subject, but said that every I'M
provement thus far made In the condition or
women had been secured. by general de-
rnand from the majority Of women. but by the
arguments. entreates and continual coming OF
a persistent few Ellen II. +. Price. OF Swarth-
more Penn. spoke school suffrage and other
limited sunrages In this country Aside from the
States where women have full suffrage. she SAID
there was some form of school suffrage in twenty
one States and two Territories. all but three Of
been made by representatives. OF the people In
twenty States and by direct vote in four
The Senate Committee on Equal Suffrage to-day
granted n hearing in the Marbl. Room TO a large
delegation from the National Woman Suffrage As
sociation now in Convention in this city. senators
Berry Wetmore Teller Cannon and McLaurla
were present The Marble Room was crowded.
The addresses all pleas for the granting OF
tho franchise to women the sentiment generally
voiced being expressed IN Mrs. Sewalls paper.
She contended that II IL the political lie OF the
Nation which stands in the sorest need YET ms is
the only department Of National life which REJECTS
aid of
Mrs Clay spoke OF womens exemption from en-
lstment for the defence OF the country. Nnlch was
due 10 the fact that In the struggle Tor ulpa'
vIved which exposed its women the least Poly
eamv universal among primitive races. could IN a
degree sustain population against the raVaees
among men made by continual wariarsii nut any
tribe that suffered IT. Womens exemption from
VAR she said had proved no unhought privilege.
and II was evident that in Justice men had no
superior rights citizens on that account
As the members were engaged before the COM
nittees OF Congress this morning there was only
one meeting to-day OF the National Woman SUI
fracp Associations This resolved itself into WORK
conference during which the delegates discussed
advancement of woman suffrage and the class OF
matter that should be sent TO the newspapers Tor
publication Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait presided
Papers read and remarks submitted by the
following: AN Ideal State Association" Mrs
CAT. LIN emile Work" J. Mary Person. superin-
tendent Of Juvenile work In Network; Ideal
Press Work" Jessie j. Cassidy national pres
Chairman. "Platc Work" paper prepared by
New-York and read by Jane Campbell, Of Phila-
delpha How Utilize the Press OF Large
cities" Ida H. Harper. and improvements over
Present Methods" Ida Porter Boyer. OF Phi!a-