Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-13
Women Suffragists Present Argu-
ments in Their Own Behalf,
APPEAL MADE FOR RIGHT 10 VOTE
Heard by Committees Of Senate
and House Respectively:
THE ANTI-S UFFRAGISTS

All the interest Of the morning for the Ma
tional American Woman's Suffrage Associa-
ton centered in the hearings before the
House judiciary committee and the Senate
committee womans suffrage. The in
tention was to plead for sixteenth amend
ment to the Constitution eliminating the
abridgement of the right to vote because of
sex.
Before Senate Committee.
The Senate committee on woman suffrage
today gave hearing in the marble room on
the proposition for Congress to enact a six
tenth amendment to the Constitution, per-
hitting women to vote. Speeches on both
sides of this proposition were given AL
though the meeting was called at the in
stance of and to hear those favorable to the
proposed amendment, Miss Anthony was
agreeable to the suggestion that the oppo-
sition present their side of the case, and
the committee heard them.
Members of the committee present were
Senator Daniel. chairman; Senators Berry,
Wetmore and Foster.
Those who read papers spoke were:
Work in Congress for the Advancement of
Woman Suffrage Mrs. Mary C. C. Brad
ford on Results of the Suffrage in the
Enfranchised States" Mrs. Harriet Stan
ton Ria Oh. IN Women in English Pol
itics;" Miss Susan B. Anthony. on the gen
eral subject of woman suffrage, and Mrs.
Rachael Foster Avery read paper on
Limited Suffrage" by Mrs. Laura NJ.
and Miss Emily P. Bissell each read papers
in opposition to the adoption of sixteenth
amendment to the Constitution.
There were about 300 delegates to the
womans suffrage convention present at the
hearing In favor of the proposed amend
ment, and Mrs. Arthur NJ. Dodge, Mrs. Gil
bert E. Jones. Mrs. Rossiter johnson, Mrs.
Douglas Robinson, Mrs. William c. Cowles
and Mrs. George Phillips from New York,
with Miss Emily P. Bissell, Wilmington;
Miss Alice H. Chittenden, Brooklyn; Miss
p. H. Houghton, Cambridge; Mrs. Barclay
Hazard, California. and Mrs. A. ]. George,
Boston, appeared to protest against any
change of the Constitution giving women
equal rights with men.
Scope of Papers.
Mrs. Colby gave the history of the wo-
mans suffrage movement before Congress,
and the paper of Mrs Johns reviewed con-
ditions in Kansas they relate to the suf-
frage movement.
Mrs Mary c. c. Bradford spoke of the
good results that come from the presence
OF women at the ballot box. The time had
been when women were the power behind
the throne, but the time was coming when
they would share the throne. She said in
one campaign in which women voted for
the first time there had been sold more
books on political economy than during ten
years previously, which was an indication
of the interest that was awakened by the
women having the franchise. She said the
women of Colorado had been personally
benefited by the suffrage in the self respect
1t had given them.
In England.
Mrs. Batch. speaking of women in Eng
lish politics, said it was true in America
as in England that nothing was given wo-
men gratuitously. In 1870, for the first
time, women were elected as members of
boards of managers of the schools Later
they were allowed to go on the poor boards.
Now nearly 1000 women are sitting on the
poor boards of England, ninety-nine on the
great boards of London itself. These boards
deal with one of the largest funds of Eng
land for outdoor and indoor relief. When
the question Of putting women on the poor
boards of England was put before the Eng
lish parliament only eight men voted against
them. But 272 men in parliament voted in
their favor. The women who go on these
boards do their work quietly. In England
every qualified woman is a voter on every
question except for election Of members of
parliament. She had found that in this
country this fact was not generally under
stood.
Every time women are given a hand in
political matters politics are purified.
Recent Developments.
Mrs. Gait spoke Of recent develop
ments in the woman suffrage movement
Women. she said, had never gained so
much In century as had the women of
America in the last century. This ad-
vancement had come through the noble
work Of individual women, who, In advance
OF the time, had worked for the liberation
of their sex. The women as a whole had
stood in the way of rather than helped to pre-
mote this progress. At the beginning of the
century both law and custom restricted the
liberties Of women. Physicians had weighed
Womens brains and said women could not
master the college curriculum and minis
tiers read the Scriptures to show that they
should not, and the public approved their
yerdicts. Then women did master the COL
lege curriculum and the doctor changed
his opinion, the preachers reread the Scrtp-
lures and modified their Interpretation of
them and the public formed another opin-
lon Today 10000 women have been through
I he colleges, and men and women are no
longer willing that their daughters should
have the education of their grandmothers
When the women Of the country had at
tempted to vote they were met by the re-
str1ctions of the Constitution, and now thew
come TO Congress to ask for a sixteenth
amendment to the Constitution in order
that they should have such right. They
were forced to petition for this right when
there were whole communities of men yot-
ers VINO mad not In the aggregate as much
intelligence as a single woman seeking
privileges equal to them. In the name n
democracy and American womanhood she
appealed for the right of women to vote.
Miss Anthony's Argument.
Miss Anthony spoke of the good results
that had been secured through woman suf
frage and Of the difference in the attitude
toward this question by men of American
and foreign birth. In South Dakota there
were 10000 American and 10000 foreign
born. OF the American born 24.OOO had
voted for suffrage for women, but the votes
OF the foreign born had defeated them. In
new York more than half the voting ponu
lation were foreign born, SO that thew
would meet that same condition there If
the question were put to a vote in the state
For those reasons they came to Congress
Tor intelligent consideration of the Dues
ton. ~ doe'
Miss Anthony spoke of her continuous
hard work in the cause of woman sufYra9e
and of the long campaigns through which
she had gone. She said she found that
there was one interest that could always
be found to be against the proposition To
give women the suffrage. This was the
men interested in the liquor traffic. In
their recent campaign in California. thew
had secured 10000 votes for woman suf-
frage. but were defeated by the vote Of
131 900 on the other side. Before that cam.
paign the liquor dealers held a meeting in
which they decided to use their utmost ex
ertion to defeat the proposition and thew