The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-12
LOSE THEIR FIGHT
House Votes Down Presidential
WOman's Suffrage.
Vote on the Measure Stood 81
to 50.
CONTEST WAS EXCITING
Cyrus Leland Opened Battle in
Support of Bill.
Representative J. B. Adams Led
the Opposition.
LObbies and Galleries Crowded
With Spectators.
CONTEST WAS EXCITING

After q heated debate lasting
more than an hour. the house in COM
mittee of the whole late Wednesday
afternoon defeated the woman suffrage
bill by a vote Of 81 for the bill to g.
against it, with II members absent
The members voting for the bill we're
Adair. Barker. Barnd. Bevington BIl-
Iings, Brown Of Labette. Bucklin. Camp-
bell of Meade, Chandler, Crocker, Dolley,
Dunn. Enright. Evans. Finley Friat.
Griffin, FIonneH Hugos. Hunter, Hutch
eson, Jerks. Johnson of Decatur. Jones
of Norton. Jones of Trego, King of OF
tawa. Kirkland. Kramer Law, Leland,
Lewis. Linton. Lockwood, Martin Of
Morton. Martin of Woodson, Perkins OF
Leavenworth. Robbins, Roughtoh,
Schermerhorn, Sims, Speer, Starr.
stavely Stubbs. Tannahil Taylor.
Upton. Won Treba. Weldon. Wilson.
Woodhouse. Total. 81.
Those voting against the bill wers
Adams of Butler. Adams of Sedgwick.
Baird, Ballard, Beeson, Belts, Bowman,
Brandon. Broadbent, Burke, Daugherty.
Einsel E.mmons, F'arris, Fisher. Focke.
Francis. Gale, Goebe Hale, Hallen-
beck, Harris, Hawkins, Hayden, Husey.
Jensen. Johnson of Sheridan. Jones or
Cove, Keith, King OF Lane, Kinkel, KIM
nisOn, Kirkpatrick, Iangfeld, laughinis
Lynn, Mcintyre, Mckee of Clay, McKse
Of Marshall. Mclaughlin. Meade, Miller.
MurdOck, Mustoe. Nation, Nixon. O'Dor-
nell. Parish. Peck. Perkins of Wyan-
dotte, Pollock, Pra1le. Sarbach, Schmidt
of Geary. Sharp, Smith of Sherman.
Tatum Tucker, Waggeper Watkins
Williams of Shawnee. Wyckoff. Total, D.
Those absent were Brown of Brown,
/ Campbell Of Bourbon, Godshalk, Heusel,
/ Hill. Jeffries Kost, Afendenhall. SChlyef,
/ Whistler Williams of Stanton. Speaker
/ Pringle. Total y.
/ 4 4 Tod he
measure and y against OF the fusion
lists. z voted for and 20 against the bill.
The bill had been made a special order
for o'clock in the afternoon. and
who introduced the measure, stopped
! the consideration of another bill ana
1 called for the woman suffrage bill. For
an hour before that time the galleries
had been filing. and the floor Of the
/ house was crowded until standing room
was a a premium. To the south of the
speakers stand sat large number OF
4 the woman suffrage lobby. headed by
I Miss Helen KimbeT Of Parsons. Mrs.
Laura NJ Johns OF Salinas and other
suffrage leaders. But all the women
present were not suffragists on the
north side of the hall sat a group head
ed by Mrs. T. A Noftzger. Mrs. Nc
knight. and Mrs. 8ranine all senator's
wives, who very much opposed tine
measure The sentiment CT the ladies'
I gallery also seemed to be divided
That the anti-suffrage women vera
4 just as enthusiastic against the bill as
the suffragists were in favor of it was
shown by the fact that DIR. O'DOnnel,
who started the fight on it and turned
loose a lot of elOquence against the
measure. was the recipient of two beau
tlIui bouquets as an appreciation Of his
oratorical effort-one from Mrs Noftz-
ger and Mrs. Mcknight. and the other
from delegation of Bethany conege
girls.
DISCUSSION IN HOUSE.
The suffrage bill in itself seemed
very small to cause the commotion it
did. The body of the bill consisted of
only half dozen lines and provided
/ that hereafter women shall be allowed
to vote in presidential elections in Kan
sas That was all there was to it,
As soon as the clerk read the bill
and no one offered any amendments to
II, Cyrus Leland arose and moved that
when the committee of the whole rose
It should report the bill back to the
house with the recommendation that iE
be passed Representative Lewis, who
was acting as chairman of the COM
mittee of the whole. Immediately put
the question to a vote without waiting
for any speeches, but Leland demand
ed that an opportunity be given for
argument on the Dill BeVingfCn also
said that in view of the fact that he
had petitions signed by 10000 people on
his desk relative to the bill he thought
the members had a right to be heard
on it. As soon as order had been Sc
/ cured Mr.. Leland made his second
speech of the session. His first had
been made in the morning on the
Louisiana purchase exposition appro-
priation.
There is every. reason why this bill
should pass and none why 1t should
not" asserted Mr.. Leland. They now
have the right of suffrage in four states
and we have given them the rights TO
vote on municipal elections. They have
always stood for the best things and
the best men. 1t is claimed that the
women don't want to vote, but I be-
Ieve a majority of them do believe
the women are better qualified to vote
than rs per cent of the men. I live in
a rural community and that is my ex-
dOubly true in the cities. I am heartily
in favor of this bill. I believe women
have the right to vote. Why jointists
and thugs and men of that class be al
lowed to vote and not the good women
of the state?"
Bevington then took the floor for the
bill. From the time of the scene back
in the Garden of Eden, this question
has been growing he said AS ciVili-
zation has advanced woman has risen.
Her status represents the civilization OF
her sovereign liege lord. In view Of the
fact that 5000 people ef Kansas have
asked for the passage of this bill I am
decidedly in favor of it."
DR.. O'Donnell, of Ellsworth. was ths
first member to raise his voice in pro-
; test against the bill. He had prepared
himself for the effort. and his speech
was probably the most oratorical OF the
day He said:
Il regret that I cannot support this
bill I am opposed to it for more rea-
sons than one 7 do not believe that 9
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