The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-13
WOMEN WHO WOULD VOTE
ANNUAL MEETING OF FEMALE SUI
FRAGIsTS AT WASHINGTON.
Address by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait
and a Paper by Mrs. Eliza
beth Cady stanton.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12-The first inter
national woman's suffrage conference and
the thirty-fourth annual convention of the
National American Woman Suffrage AS
ISOLATION was begun here with an unusual
~ large number of delegates in attendance.
The convention was presided over by Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait. it's president. The
delegates were welcomed to the city by the
Hon. Henry b. F. MacFarland, president Of
the Board of District Commission. The
foreign delegates. who were seated on the
platform and who took great interest in
the proceedings, listened to words of greet
ing from May Wright Sewall, Clara Barton
Susan B. Anthony and the Rev. Anna II.
Shaw. Madame Sofia Levovna Friedland,
of Russia, fittingly responded, saying in
part that Russia had been the friend of
America during the civil war and that close
ties of friendship exist between the two
countries. America, she said, had more
than once displayed friendship toward Rus
STA and had sent her ships there to protect
her people from a most cruel enemy
hunger.
Mrs. Gait. the president, then delivered
her annual address. which was listened to
with marked attention. She was frequently
interrupted by loud and prolonged applause.
In the course of her remarks she said:
Hard upon the track of the man suffrage
movement presses the movement for wom-
an suffrage; is the logical step onward? 1t
has come as inevitably and naturally as
the flower unfolds from the bud or the
fruit develops from the flower. Why should
the woman suffrage not come? Men
throughout the world hold their suffrage
by the guarantee of the two principles of
liberty, and for these reasons only. One
Taxation without representation is tyran-
n.y., who dares deny it? And are not
women taxed? The other, Governments de-
the governed How simple and unanswera-
BILE that petition Of justice And are not
women governed! These axioms have been
translated into every tongue and Numbered
forth in eloquent plea in every civilized
land. Before their logic, the most cher
ished of ancient prejudices have yielded,
and can their logic fail at last? More the
world has put new and unanswerable logic
into the mouths of our advocates.
g The future belongs to the book, not the
sword; il belongs to life and not to death,
pealed out the voice of Victor Hugo. The
world nodded and exclaimed. True, the
sword is passing and the rule of the book
woman may read the book, and write the
book why should she have no share in the
government of which the book stands the
chief prop and support? And who can
answer?
1.-THE president of Stanford University
said: The function of democracy is not
TO make governments GOOD. III Is TO make
man strong. The world approves, and
adds: That statement is the clearest pos
sibe definition between the DID, when men
existed for the government and the new,
when governments exist for men. But we
may ask il democracy is means of max
ing men strong, Is there any good reason
for keeping women weak that we should
deny them the same chance to grow
strong?
"A campaigner in the recent New York
municipal campaign pleaded eloquently
with the women to lend their mind. Said
he: 1t is the proud duty of the women of
this city to advise men how to vote, as
| they have more time than men to intelli-
gently learn to comprehend the situation,
True! But if women are competent to
! teach men how to vote, why may they not
vote themselves? These are the arguments
that the world has put into our mouths.
! Their logic can no more be disputed than
that Of the multiplication table. Surely the
world cannot long withstand the force OF
The first night session of the cOnven-
ton was very appropriately given over to
the pioneers. number of whom occupied
seats on the platform.
! Miss Susan B. Anthony presided and
| greetings and addresses from number OF
well-known women were heard. The at
on Educated Suffrage" from Elizabeth
/ Cady Stanton, was read by Clark Bewick
| Colby, of Washington. Mrs Stanton's pa
| per was in part as follows:
I'VE should not allow our country TO be
/ a dumping ground for the refuse popula-
! ton of the old world, we should welcome
| all hardy common-Sense labOrerS here
! The one demand L would make for this
| class is that they should not become a
| part Of our ruling power until they can
| read and write the English language in
/ diligently and understand the principles
| of republican government. This is the
| only restrictive legislation we need to pro-
/ tect ourselves against foreign domination
! with free schools and compulsory ed
/ uCatiOn, no one has an excuse for not un-
/ Outstanding the language of the country
| The great political parties fear to propose
this measure lest it should insure their de-
/ feat. A republic based on the theory OF
/ universal suffrage in which a large class
/ of educated women, representing the Vir-
/ tue intelligence and wealth of the nation
are DISTINGUISHED is anomaly of the
/ government, and especially when all men
! foreign and native, ignorant and educated
black and white. vicious and virtuous, by
| their votes decide the rights and duties OF
| this superior class.
"As women have no voice in the laws
under which they live, they surely have
| the right to demand that their rulers. for.
| eign and native shall be able TO read and
write English The popular objection tC
! woman suffrage is that 1t would double
/ the ignorant vote The patent answer tC
| this is. abolish the ignorant vote. Our leg
islators have the power in their own hands
! There have been various restrictions in the
past for men. We are willing to abide by
the same for women, provided the insur-
| mountable qualification of sex be forever
/ removed.
E|aad yo,,r horses IA NESS DuStleSS Oats