The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-18
WOMEN PLEAD
FOR SUFFRAGE.
Delegates to the National AssO-
citation i'm Session
Appeal to Committees of House
and Senate.
THOSE FROM ABROAD
Join Their Voices to Those of
Their American Sisters.
Susan B. Anthony Leads the
Attack on Senate.

Washington, Feb. 1S.-Delegates de-
presenting the woman suffrage associa-
ton here appeared before committees
of congress today in advocacy of the
plea that women be allowed the right
of suffrage. In the senate they appear
ed before the committee on woman
suffrage. The meeting was presided
over by Senator Bacon, of Georgia, who
practically turned the control of the
hearing over to Susan B. Anthony who
made the first address of the day. She
began by calling attention to the fact
that for thirty-four years or IL con-
crosses, the ladies have been coming to
congress with their pleas but she said
that only on one occasion had their
proposed amendment to the constitu-
ton been awarded the honor of being
taken up in the senate for discussion.
She therefore made an appeal to be
heard by the senate expressing the con-
Viction that the women of the country
are as much entitled to be heard as are
the Filipinos, the Porto Ricans and the
Hawaiians. She also said that the 600
women who had been sent to the Phil
ippineS to teach were quite as well
qualified to exercise the right of citi-
zenship as are the men who go to these
islands for the baser purpose of making
money.
peared before the judiciary committee.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, president of
the association, explained to the COM
mittee that she desired particularly
that the foreign delegates should de-
scribe to the committee the progress of
the woman suffrage movement in other
parts of the world. The speakers today
were Miss Vida Goldstein of Australia /;
of Russia; Mrs. Fenwick Miller, of
England; Isabelle Campbell, of Wyom-
ing; Miss Theodosia Ammons, of Colo
rado; Mrs. LapiSh, of Utah; Mrs Wea-
n Tdann and Mrs Gait
Miss Goldstein, the first speaker, told
of the struggle and success of the wo-
man suffrage movement in different
portions of Australia and explained the
political status of woman there as well
as the great benefits that had followed
the granting of the suffrage to women.
The prediction of the adversaries of wo-
men suffrage had utterly failed, she
declared.
THE women of Australia she said,
''do not forget their homes or their
babies, and they do not raid the pub
lie Offices" She concluded her appeal
to the committee with this sentence:
Australia trusts her women; surely
America can trust hers"
Mrs. F'reedland explained that in a
country like Russia there was, of
course, little suffrage, but what there
was was shared equally by men and
women. In a country whose political
laws were the least liberal those laws
We're the N ost liberal to the civil ca
pacities of women.
Mrs. Ewald. of Sweden. where woman
suffrage was older than any other
country on earth, and Mrs. Drewson,
of Norway, where women paying taxes
on an income the equivalent of $100 q
year enjoy suffrage, told of the suf-
frage privileges enjoyed by women in
their country. In Sweden women en-
jOyed the ballot before men.
Miss Campbell. who is the daughter
of the first governor of Wyoming, the
executive who signed the woman suf-
frage law, declared that every governor
of Wyoming had testified that woman
suffrage had worked well.
Miss Ammons, of Colorado. declared
that every woman elected to office in
Colorado had reflected credit upon her
sex.