The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-15
PLEA FOR SUFFRAGE.
Henry B. Blackwell Delivers
Address at Auditorium.

The Tuesday afternoon meeting in
Representative hall was attended by not
more than one hundred women. of
whom sixty or seventy were delegates to
the convention. There were about ten
men in the audience. The appearance OF
the women indicates refinement and a
high order of intelligence. Indeed they
look just like any body of earnest,
thoughtful women who devote the time
not demanded by their homes and fam
lilies to philosophy, education, art or
some other kindred object The presi-
dent, Miss Helen Kimber who is the
soul and spirit of the woman's cause in
Kansas, is frail little thing, not much
more than girl in years, with a man
ner about as aggressive as that of a
Spunky mouse. She has a very mild
voice and appears so perfectly harmless
that it seems impossible that she has
chosen for her life work such a rude
task as fighting for the rights of her
sex. Miss kinberS paper in the after
noon was a review of the suffrage move
ment in Kansas and an appeal to the
women for further earnest effort, eSpe-
eially in the immediate problem with
which the association is confronted. thar
Of getting the state legislature in Janu-
ary to grant the right to women to vote
at presidential elections,
Mrs. Kate Arlington, of Council
Grove, read an entertaining paper on
Library and e@yic TEX Suffrage for
Women" and sl1nWear how essential to
the progress of q town il Isl that women
be allowed to vote for necessary i'm
provements In order to -Uffsetethe ignor-
ant. retrogressive vote.
The address of welcome WAS by John
Macdonald Of the Western School Jour-
nal, ando Mrs Laura JOHNS of Salina
replied to it. The afternoon closed with
a short talk by Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gait of New York. VINO will be heard al
the Auditorium tonight.
Only a handful of people of which
Mere Man was most insignificant part
attended the meetings of the annual
convention of the State Equal Suffrage
association in Representative hall Mon
day afternoon but the Auditorium was
comfortably filled last night to hear
Henry B. Blackwell of Boston, editor
of the Woman's Journal and for many
years perhaps the most prominent adj
Vocate of woman'S suffrage in the Uni
ted States. The cause of woman was
the theme of his lecture last night which
Included all the familiar arguments in
favor of extending the universal fran
chise to women. Mr. Blackwell is far
from discourag cement concerning his
hobby. In his address last night he re-
viewed the DEVELOPMENT of the suffrage
movement in the United States. showed
the progress that has been made and
predicted the women of every state viii
soon enjoy the rights and privileges now
accorded to the women of four of the
| to vote at all elections. Kansas, in Mr.
BlackwelPs opinion. will be among the
| first states to follow the example of hel
sisters of the mountains. The state
would have granted women equal suf-
frage in 1867 he thinks if the enfran.
chisement of woman had not. been link
ed in the amendment with the PROPOSE.
ton of suffrage for the negro. He pre-
dicted victory for Kansas women in the
fight which they will make this winter
for the right to vote at presidential elec
tions.
Prof. A. L. Wooster, of the Kansa.
State Normal school. was on the pro
gramme for an address but he did no
reach Topeka last night. DIR. D. M
Fisk made the invocation with whicl
| the programme opened and there was
vocal number by Mrs. frank Thomas
Mrs. w. c. Dickie. Mrs. Frank Eoste
and Mrs. L. S. Ferry, a viloincelIo
solo by Mr.. H. G. Schwartzkoof. a vo
cal solo by Mrs. Phi Adams and a plan,
number by Miss Pearlade Prescott