The Topeka state journal., 1901-02-27
State Senate Rescinds Woman's
Suffrage Action.
No Ladies Present When Bill
Was Killed.
1T WAS BAD POLITICS.
Therefore the Measure Could
Not Stand
Bill Approved Last Night Dis
proved Today.

The senate reconsidered its action of
last night and killed the bill allowing
women the right Of voting for nresider-
tiaI electors. The fact that the LOBBY
was not aIled with women had some
thing to do with the change, but it IS
snore likely that it was joke upon the
1voraen. perpetrated with malice afore-
thought.
The senator's who made brilliant
speeches before the senate last night
when the women were there, were
strangely silent this morning and only
the men opposed to the bill spoke
Senator Noftzger called up the recon-
sideration Of the bill this morning and
opened the night upon it. He said that
If the bin passed it would put all Re
publican senators out excepting three
Tt is simply political suicide When
the senator's are ont hustling for votes
again they will have to depend on the
men for their votes and the women viii
not be there to help them by applause
as they did last night. 1 am in earnest
about this matter and 1 believe it should
be reconsidered-
Senator Fitzpatrick also favored the
recon sideration The surroundings are
different this morning. he said, and
the senators have had time to think Of
what they did. believe their judgment
viii now tell them that they acted has
tily-" He said that the time TO pass
upon the question was at the next ses-
sion if the members We're Convinced thaI
it should be done. We should go holpe
and talk the matter over with the WO
men of cur districts. and then we would
know how TO vote" He said the action
last night was snap judgment and that
the women had Influenced the members
TO do something they had not seriously
considered.
TT is very poor politics. said Senator
Branine We have nothing to gain and
much TO lose by passing the bill" He
said that III the bill passed IL would not
allow the women a chance to vote until
three years had passed and that there
was ample time to thoroughly consider
the bill before the next session. IF ~
decide 20 do it we can do it then We
have had enough cheap notoriety in this
state and we do not need any more. AT
present We can not afford to try any
more experiments. As party dominate IN
power we can not afford TO do it. 1t is
only cheap form of gallantry and is a
play to the galleries He said that the
suffrage right bestowed upon women
was not a sign that the men respected
them and that the senate should not al
low Itself TO be Influenced by womeE
lobbyists
Senator Wright got the floor ard
moved that the motion he laid on the
table II was lost by a large majority
Senator smith said that the speeches
made appealed orly to the fears of the
Repup1ca1S and that it made them RI
uiculous in the eyes Of the minority
Such matters should be discussed only
in cloak rooms and upstairs in the Cope
land hotel"
The roll call showed % yeas to "A navs
on reconsideration and on final passage
the bill was defeated by the same vote
senators voting against-Branine. Bus
chow. Carpenter, Conrad. Crum Find
lay. Fitzpatrick, Fulhngton. Fulton. Ca
briel- Hurrel. Kennedy. McKnight Nc
MILAN, Miller, Morrow Noftzger. Peter
son. Porter Sponable, Stewart. Vincent
Neas-Allen. Caldwell. Codding. Cub
bison, households, King. Leidy, More
house, Pestana, Simons, Smith, Tapp,
White and Wright
LAST NIGHTS SESSION.
The senate convened at 1880 and long
before that time all the available chairs
~ the lobby were taken by the women
who wanted to see the snlOns shed a lit-
tie Of their knowledge on the suffrage
question
"a few bills were introduced and re-
ports made Just to show the women
1hat the senate did know how to- do b11s-
1ness when it wanted to do 80 and f6ar,
the entertainment Of the evening was
opened by the reading Of the women ;
SUI suIl5age hill which had been Introduced
Dy senator MorehOuse by request
Senator Tom Noftzger the only man
IN the senate who is not afraid of a wo-
man, sot the floor and said that thers.
ed this session and moved thar conzir,
grafton Of the bill be POSTPONED until
Monday Of next week He did this with
view OF stopping the speeches when
ne -Salu ne knew had been prepared bv |
certain senators for the edificatioa of |
the women present
serator Smith. who had a speech pre- |
pared said that there was just as much |
prospect of the bill passing nov as fte,,
was earlier in the session and as II ha5
Deeil placed on the calendar for consf1- /
erauon ne did not Iavor poStponirsr II /
MS Is a question we must consider /
ard we should face il now he safd
senators Mcmillan. ATorehousa Allan
and Pestana. an having speeches 49, /
pared e catch the applause of the faip 1
SIX. spoke a few words in favor OF cor I
sldering the bill at once
After they had all had talk sana-
Tor NoIt1ser said that he saw the sa-o I
tors wanted to consider the bin - mat /
tney could get chance to speak before
st tils ar tIienus tney had asked to attend /
But We have other matters Of fmnor+
ancc 60 consider he said and my r,ec- 4
ple uLu not send me here to listen 10 4
ss- Ahes sent me here to do bus
l1ess ana not 10 talk 10 the arari /
Senator Tapp said a few things IN his
uSuai earnest way to the effect that - /
49,. ~ y eAs PHI and favored considera- 4
~ ~slVu pA IL az once He was one Of the /
1ew men who favored the hin v.bo '5id
net nave 2 speech ready made to nlessa \
The women. ~ FiS1As7
Senator Cubbison 4nada q fsu.
which We're applauded 81 the io1,f--- 10 10
thcuSnt that the great trouble ,vifb r.
country was that it was too free ,.-ith
AtS AAhehise privilege. but that as pol.-
<.-- ,z = - = - Ssusq W vote before they could
1ne2 should have the same r~iv-iIsse-,
senator smith made q long sneaoh H.,
'~-4~- ~ @s-A-AsAsa All the arguments ln