The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-11-29
WANT The BALLOT
New Jersey Convention Of
Woman's Suffrage As !.
sociations Held Here
Yesterday.
BRIGHT PROSPECTS AHEAD
Major Pangborn Expects Wo-
man Will Vote in Half
the States Within
Next Ten Years.
BRIGHT PROSPECTS AHEAD

and some of the other cities throughout
the State it was nevertheless chosen as
suitable place in which to hold the
Woman Suffrage Association annual con-
vention for 1899, perhaps for the very rea-
son of awakening greater interest in
woman and her rights in this city.
The convention opened yesterday after
noon at half-past two in the beehive room
of the Bergen Reformed Church, where a
temporary platform, trimmed with ferns
and potted plants had been erected. Mrs
Florence Howe Hall, president, was in
the chair. First came the reading of min
utes of last meeting, April IS. held at the
Womans League Club of Newark then
there were a number of reports. In the
absence of Miss Mary Philbrook, DR..
Florence De Hart was appointed secre-
tary pro tenn. and gave favorable report
as corresponding secretary. Mrs. Krom
reported as corresponding secretary, and
DR.. Hussey, of East Orange, as treasurer,
showing balance on hand of $l0l9. DIR.
Florence De Hart also reported on press
work, and the various counties were heard
from. OF these the Orange County Politi-
cal Study gave the best report. 1t holds
meetings regularly on the first and third
Thursdays of every month, and once
month have a parliamentary drill. Among
the other counties to report were Essex,
Union-which has membership of forty
nine and average attendance of twenty
seven-and Morris.
Bayonne also reported and the w. G. T.
u, through a letter from its State Super
intendent of Franchois said that it was
working for school suffrage and in spring
would send out circulars on the subject.
Mrs. Phoebe C. Wright reported as Ma
tional delegate to the Grand Rapids con-
vention, and presented DR.. Hussey with
a toy carpet sweeper as a trophy Of the
occasion
The speaker of the afternoon was Mrs.
Chapman, of Brooklyn. She made some
further remarks on the Grand Rapids
convention, saying some Of the strong
points which impressed her lay in the
progress made by the women. She spoke
OF the defeat of the Suffrage Amendment
at Washington in 1858 by a majority Of
10, 900 against a second defeat In 1898 by a
majority Of 5000, Notwithstanding the in
creased population. South Dakota was
also mentioned as having defeat in 1890
by majority of q, 900. as against ma
iority of 3,0o0 in 1898, while in New York
when the tax payers franchise for women
came before the Legislature there were
ninety eight in favor, but it was lost by
two votes in the Senate. In the State CT
New York, the speaker continued, there
were at present ten women in ten coun-
ties elected as school commissioners.
From here the speaker went on conpar-
ing the average woman as better edu-
Gated than the average man, especially
in New York, where there were so many
foreigners, who, she said, numbered many
more men than women. If women had
the ballot, she thought, there would be
more intelligence and more morality.
.'However,'' said Mrs. Chapman. In con-
clusion. we are not here to grumble
at the state of affairs. We were born to
it. The men had first chance and they
took it. But the men Of the country
are giving us each year little more.
We only want half the earth, and that
is not much"
Mrs Chapman then spoke very feel
| ingiy on the death of Aaron Powell, who
has dore much toward the enfranchise-
ment of woman. and a resolution of SYM
pathy was adopted. to be framed and sent
| to his widow.
The election of officers was next on the
programme, and Mrs. Florence Howe
Hall was reelected president; Mrs. J. NJ.
Pullen, of Camden, was chosen vice presi-
! dent; Dr. Mary Hussey, of East Orange,
secretary; Mrs. s. r. Krom, of Plain
field, treasurer; Mrs. Emma l. Black
well, OF East Orange, corresponding sec
retary. and Mrs. H. T. Craine Of Mont
| clair, auditor
The following resolution, recommended
/ by the National Society. was also adopt
ed:-
"To the Senate and House Of Represen-
tatives of the Fdfty-sixth Congress of
/ the United States
faThe New Jersey Women's Suffrage AS
sociation in convention assembled al Jer-
sey City on the twenty -eighth day of No
yember, 1889, unanimously adopted the
whereas, The trend of civilization is
clearly IN the direction of equal rights
| for women; and
an experiment, but has been clearly dem
onstrated as beneficial TO society; there
| fore
State Women Suffrage Association, DO
respectfully petition your honorable body
ITO omit the word male from the SUIT
| frage clause Of the new cons ttutfon when
| it is proposed TO frame for the annexed
/ territories Of Hawaii, Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippines. We ask this In the
name of justice and equality for all citi-
zens of a republic founded on the consent
/ of the governed; and be It further
ssResolved That we respectfully request
| Congress to submit a proposition to the
| several State Legislatures for sixteenth
amendment to the Constitution of the
/ United States forbidding disfranchisement
/ on account of sex
| This closed the afternoon session
EVENING.
4 The evening session was devoted to
two addresses, one by Mrs. Percy With
erington, of London, the other by Major
Q. K Pangborn. OF this city the session
| being opened by few remarks from the
president and solo. "Bewarev' by Miss
Lucy Nelson, accompanied by Mrs Platt
/ Mrs. Witherington was then introduced
she began with an apology for having
fallen victim to a cold, but talked very
| smoothly for over an hour. She has all
the charm Of the English woman In her
! voice, which IS softly and evenly modu-
] lated. She called the attention Of those
| present to the change IN woman's S
condition which had taken place during
the past fifty years, not only with the
advanced, but with the conservative
woman. During the past half century,