The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-04-20
Not In Meeting and Pres. Upton Says
Suiiragists Are Like Other Women.
CONVENTION OPENED TUESDAY
with symposium OF Eloquent Addresses
Mrs. Gait spoke Tuesday Night Rev.
Anna shaw VIII Deliver the speech
At the Closing Meeting
Wednesday Night.

If it is correct, as some women profess
TO believe, that woman suffragists are
a sort of short haired, grabbed, homely
old maids with cranky notions about
men, then they did not send very good
representatives to the suffrage conven-
tion which opened in Calvary church
Tuesday afternoon. For the national,
state and county officers, all of whom
were present, were neither grabbed,
cranky, homely nor unmarried and
everyone had a becoming growth Of
hair which was arranged in graceful
fashion without rats" In fact, the
women who took part in the proceed
ings were a decidedly handsome lot
and as for intellectual capacity 1t is
extremely doubtful If any Canton pulpit
has had as much good intellect in it
for long time as was gathered about
in front of the big Carnegie organ in
this church on the opening of the con-
yention.
Miss Hay, of the national organiza-
ton, presided at the opening session
and after music and a prayer by Rev.
Hill she spoke in a charming voice
about the objects of the convention.
She said that all they wanted was a
chance to express their opinions at a
time and place where they would be
counted. They did not ask women to
have more opinions; did not ask them
to change their opinions but did ask
that a chance be granted for the ex-
preston of opinions they already have.
She said that series of twelve county
meetings were being held to bring the
suffrage question more to public motto :
in Ohio. The suffrage association did
not ask for the ballot because women
would do this or that but because it was
right that they have the ballot and be
equal with men before the law.
why Wife and Mother Needs the
Ballot" was the theme upon which Mrs.
Alice Danner Jones spoke for ten min
ates. She was more eloquent than
usual and pictured very forcibly the
evils that beset the home and cited
these evils as a menace that legislation
only can reach, and because Of this she
wanted woman, who was concerned, to
influences should surround her chill
dren.
Mrs. Katherine Hinshilwood, of Alli-
ance, president of the county suffrage
association, spoke on the subject:
Does the Working Woman Need the
Ballot" She was quite sure she did.
She found that the government was
excluding women as stenographers and
clerks; that some railroads were dis
eliminating against the working
woman; that other great business en-
terprises were not treating her fairly
and she believed that the ballot was
necessary to give woman the prestige
in the industrial world that she was
entitled to.
To show that they had nothing
against the men the suffragists had in
vited some to come and participate in
the discussions and to Superintendent
Wright was assigned the topic: docs
the Tax-paying Woman Need the Bal
lot?" He thought that she did just as
much as any tax payer but he had
other reasons also why she should be
allowed to participate 4 the elections.
Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton, of War
rem, state president of the suffragists
was called upon to talk upon what she
liked. She was full of life and humor
and talked in a spicy style that kept
her audience decidedly interested. She
raid that the world thinks that suffra-
gists are poor housekeepers, that they
don't have husbands that amount to
anything, that they are irreligious and
that all they want anyway Is Of ice.
She declared these were all foolish
ideas She said they were just as good
housewives as anybody; that they had
good husbands likewise; that they were
devoutly religious and they had no:
the least idea of wanting to run for
office and become constable or mfr
mary director.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, the ma
tional president was then introduced
She said that she had found that the
people who were opposed to woman
suffrage were the ignorant, not the
cultured. But woman had made pro-
gress. Back in the fourth century a
conference was held and the question
was hotly debated and 1t was carried
only by majority Of one that would
had a soul and could go to heaven OF
hell Just like a man. On down to the
Eighth century there was more pro.
gress and then convention decided
after mature elaboration that woman
might be permitted to learn to read
and write II they would not go too far