Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-18
ADDRESS
Of Rev. Anna n. Shaw
Was an Eloquent Plea
For Her Cause.
Woman Suffrage Has
Been Discussed
Freely For the Past Two Days
In This City.
Summit County Suffrage Club Elected
Officers.

Woman Suffragists, during the past
two days reached their climax Tuesday |
evening.
The speaker of the evening was Rev.
Anna II. Shaw of Philadelphia. Rev.
Mrs. Shaw is one of the best known
advocates of woman suffrage IN the
country. She presents her subject in
logical manner, and reaches heights
of eloquence seldom found in her sex.
The meeting was opened by Rev. L.
A. Lndemuth, after which Miss Har-
riet May Mills, of Syracuse, n. T., who
has presided at the several sessions OF
tho convention introduced the speaker
of the evening.
Rev. Shaw said in part: ",The thcor-
| les which are the more often advanced
by the opponents of woman's suffrage
have nothing to do with the subject.
| IL is not question of whether women
are wise or unwise, or whether they
can fight or cannot. In government
which purports to be. a republic, the
fundamental principles are, that gov
crnments derive their just powers only
from the consent of the governed and
that taxation without representation
is unjust Why is it, then, that one-half
of our government is governed with
out it's consent and why are we taxed
without being represented in the gov
ernment? There never was good rca-
son given for the disfranchisement of
women. We can see why male idiot,
an insane man, male criminals, and
baby boys" under the age of Il years
are disfranchised. Women are not all
idiots. nor insane, nor criminals, iDor
are we babies.
''It has been said thai women are such
in character, that il they were permit
ted voice in the government, that
their influence would he destructive.
Another has said that government by
its very nature, would destroy women,
should she come in contact with it.
"The disfranchisemcnt of women is
the crime Of this republic"
Mrs. Shaw then spoke at length rcla-
tive to the changes made in our gov
ernmcnt since its inception. At first
only male church members were allow
ed to vote and finally property quail
tication was imposed.
at was Thomas Jefferson" said
Mrs. Shaw, "who first declared that
man was not good citizen because
of his purse, but because Of his man
hood. Later all white males were en-
franchised, and still later the ballot
was extended to the blacks.
make one more change in the consti-
tution," said the speaker, 80 that II
will read that every citizen in the Unit
cd States, regardless Of sex, may vote
then you will have true republic
That step once taken, will make us q
democracy, the equal of which the
world has never seen.
Government exists for three reasons
namely, the protection Of personal
property, the administration Of justice
and the development of society"
Taking up these essential features
separately, the speaker sought to show
that women are interested equally
with men.
In speaking of the place woman has
!. taken in the development of society
4 Rev. Shaw stated that nine.tenths OF
the work done for the upbuildlng OF
humanity had been done by her sex
In this connection she paid q glowing
tribute TO Elizabeth Cady Stanton
lLucy Stone, Frances u. Willard, Susar
r. Anthony and others.
At the session Tuesday afternoon th,
Summit County Suffrage Club was or
a ganized with the following officers
President, Mrs. Olive Paul, Cuyahog,
3 Falls; vice president. Mrs. Lydia A
! Wagner, Copley; corresponding sec
retary, Mrs. June Fl. Davis, Cuyahogs
Falls; recording secretary, Mrs. Mar
garct Sadler, Akron; treasurer Mrs
j. ii. Leighton, Akron.
4 The association is composed of al
4 subordinate branches in the county
The first annual meeting will be helt
next September.
Cooking exhibition at the Juhant Go,
| mil IN ou u See n1I IN 9Th I'm ep