Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-13

ana GATE, and he mad no right or DISPOSE
tion to deprive them of a single moment.
Nirs. harriet Iaylor Upton, who has had
tne congressional hearing in charge, stated
1t had come to her ears that the remon-
strants had said the suffI agists had acted
unfairly, in that they would not divide the
time with them, and had kept the commit
tee from listening to them. This Mrs Up
ton denied. She said she had arranged to
give each lady who appeared before the
committee fifteen minutes and that took
every minute of the time She would be
delighted to hear the remonst-ants, as
would all the suffragists. They had never
had a chance to hear them, and only knew
or them through men who appeared for
them, or through documents, and she was
curious to know just what they had to say
for themselves
Mrs. Blake's Argument.
Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, who appeared
in tailor-made gown Of rich purple broad
cloth. with two tones of violet velvet and
satin In Its decorations and in her bonnet,
opened the meeting by briefly presenting
the reason OF the appearance of the dele
gates before the committee, and then pre-
scented Mrs. Lille Devereux Blake of New
YORK, who was richly attired in black vel
vet and satin, with silver embroidery In
fact, all the ladies' in attendance were at
tired In the height Of fashion, as though
for calling.
Mrs. Blake gave a concise argument,
showing that our federal Constitution pro-
tected women in their right to vote.
Article l, section 2, she said, provides
that the House of Representatives shall
be composed of members chosen by the peo-
pie AS one-half the people are women
this would seem clearly to indicate that
women should have the right of suffrage
Article ~. section t. provides that the
United States shall guarantee to every state
republican form of government" A re-
public is defined as 'as a state governed
by representatives chosen by the people,"
no dtttyy % 49, nI
see that all the states give to their women
and men people the right of choosing their
representatives in Congress and iegisla-
lures.
antees,' Mrs. Blake said, which establish
beyond cavil the constitutional right of the
women of the country to vote. Article xiv
section l, declares that all persons born or
naturalfzed il the United States are citi-
zens thereof Women are therefore citi-
zens. Article Nv speaks Of the right of a
citlzen to vote Article Nv, section 2, pro-
vides that the citizens of each state shall
be entitled to all the privileges and i'm
munit1es Of the citizens in the several
states. In four states-Wyoming Colorado,
Utah and 1daho-women have the right to
vote; plainly 1t Is the duty of this Congress
to insist that in accordance with the pro
visions of the Constitution the women citi-
zens OF all the states shall enjoy the privi-
lege OF voting, now enjoyed by the women
citizens of four states
representative OF M1sStsSfppi.
The next speaker was Hala Hammond
SUIT, young Mississippi matron, who
quite captivated the committee with her
soft southern drawl and her winning man.
ner. She traced the evolution of human
thought and customs up to the present
time. Every ascending graduation in this
evolutionary process Of human souls is
battle ground where meet in mortal combat
the leg1ons Of light and darkness-the poig-
rant spear Of reason unsheathed against
the blunted eapon of force. After the re-
action, then comes the adjustment to new
conditions, and thus it IS that every era OF
progress is born.
THAT woman, Intellectually, has never
been. nor is now she said, under the ban
OF nature, but of statute and custom his
tory weaves for US network of evidence
have been built up through the influence
OF civil and religious laws. founded though
they be upon misconception of both God
and man. There, the despotic conditions
that SO long denied to the mothers of the
race that freedom of thought and action
which alone subserves the highest and
hottest purpose of being. Do you marvel
that the women who have distinguished
themselves IN the history of the world are
the exceptions?
THE church had for ages refused her
recognition-to great extent withholds it
still-declared her possessed of no individual
rights, defining such meager privileges as
she may have had the gifts of her lord
and master; determined her normal condi-
ton as one of ignorance and impurity,
maintaining that education was a preoga-
tive OF man alone; interpreted moral and
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