The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-14
BOTH SIDES HEARD.
Suffragists and Ants BefOre Senate
and House Committees.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 10. - The Senate
committee on woman suffrage gave a
hearing to-day to delegations from the
w-oman-suffrage convention and the anti
suffragists. The suffragists were intro
duced by Miss Susan B. Anthony. Mrs.
Clara b. Coleby sketched the work that
had been done before Congress in the way
of petitions presented and bills introduced.
She said that progress had been made each
year. Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery read a
paper prepared by a woman who had twice
been elected mayor of a Kansas town.
She indicated that there had been a purifi-
cation of municipal affairs since suffrage
to women had been granted in that State.
Mrs. Mary c.. Bradford, of Denver, read
a paper on the good effects of popular suf-
frage in Colorado. and Mrs. Harriet STAN
ton Black, a daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth
England. Mrs. Chapman Gait spoke in a
vigorous manner concerning the suffrage
movement, referring especially to the great
advancement women had made in the GEN.
fury just closing. Miss Anthony closed the
argument for the suffragists. She recited
the campaigns that had been fought and
declared that where there had been failure
it was due to the foreign,born voters. This.
allied TO the liquor interests. had sue
ceeded in defeating amendments granting
equal rights to women.
Mrs. Dodge was then recognized to pre-
sent the side of the anti-suffragists. She
read a letter signed by the state associa-
lions opposed to the extension of the suf-
frage to women. 1t was a general argu-
ment against the question and concluded
as follows:
1--WE know that women are physically
unable to perform the duties which men
are compelled TO perform under a well-reg-
ulated government. The enforcement of
law involves not only the performance of
Jury duty, but, in the last emergency, the
employment of military force. in neither of
which can women discharge the RESPONSE
bility of actual service. No better illus
tration of the difficulties which would arise
i'm case women were endowed with the
duties of suffrage car be presented than
the situation which has so lately existed in
the State of Kentucky. Imagine women
taking part in the strife of that State, III
volving insurrection, riot. bloodshed and
assassination as the consequences OF a po-
litical dispute. If either one OF the claim
ants for the governorship had been a
woman it is perfectly obvious that confu-
sion would nave been worse COMPOUNDED,
and that in the last resort. under the Con-
stitution, the federal authorities would
have been paralyzed by the necessity for
using military force against the women OF
the State. The word chaos alone gives
adequate expression to the state of affairs
which would have existed in Kentucky IL
the women, as well as the men, had been
compelled to take part in the unhappy
controversy which has convulsed that
State and might have ~entangled the gen
eral government in its solution
Mrs. Dodge was followed by Miss Bissell
of Delaware, who declared that where
| there were thousands of women who want
ed to vote there were millions who did
not want the ballot.
AT the conclusion of the hearing before
the Senate committee both sides appeared
| before the House committee on judiciary
After the hearing had proceeded for some
| time sharp differences developed between
the two sides, and in order TO avoid a con-
troversy the committee adjourned.