Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-15
WOMAN SUfFRAG|STS
Here to Celebrate Miss An
thongs Birthday.
HEARINGS AT THE CAPITOL
Committees of Both Senate and House
Listen to Arguments.
THE RIGHT TO VOTE DEMANDED
Appeals by Many Women Prominent
in the Suffrage Movement Made
to Legislators.
THE RIGHT TO VOTE DEMANDED

to Legislators.
Miss Susan b. Anthony arrived In tnis
city from Baltimore yesterday afternoon
and is stopping at the Shoreham Hotel
where she has confined herself to her room
and denied admittance to all except severai
of her closest associates owing to the fact
that she is suffering from severe cold ana
desires to be in as good physical condition
as possible for the big celebration of her
eighty-sixth birthday at the Church Of Our
Father this evening Her niece, Miss Lucy
Anthony, said this morning that her aunt
confidently expects to be able to attend the
meeting unless of course, her condition be-
comes worse.
Miss Anthony caught cold before she went
to Baltimore the first of this week to attend
the meeting of the National American
Woman's Suffrage Association in that city
During her entire stay there she was un-
well but her friends have reason to be-
lieve that the affection is serious. She is
travelling in the care of a nurse who Keeps
the strctest guard over her health. It was
a considerable disappointment to Miss An
thony that she was unable to be present at
the hearing at the Capitol this forenoon,
when the leaders in the womans rights
movement made their plea once more to the
members of Congress.
The national officers of the American As
ISOLATION and a number of delegates to the
meeting just closed in Baltimore have come
to this city with Miss Anthony and VIII
take part In the celebration tonight, at
which also there will be addresses by men
prominent in the official life of the capital
city. according to the program published
heretofore in The Star.
Miss Kate NJ. Gordon. corresponding sec
rotary of the national organization, has
been receiving those who have called at the
Shoreham in quest of Miss Anthony.
Speaking of the contention of the women,
she said last night:
1T is largely a matter of self-respect
with US. When we see some of the men
who are entitled to cast a vote and COM
pare them with an educated woman. who
is quite capable of making an intelligent
decision on public questions, we think that
existing conditions are very bad l think
an educational taXpaying condition. to be
imposed on voters, is the only solution OF
the southern question. l also believe that
a man who has the right to vote and does
not avail himself of it ought to be deprived
of his franchise.
Before Senate Committee.
Two or three hundred women. members
of the National Equal Suffrage Association,
gathered in the Senate marble room today
to make their annual plea to the Senate
committee on woman suffrage for the right
to exercise the franchise Senator Bacon
presided, and with him sat Senators Per-
kns, Wetmore and Beverage of the COM
mittee. Rev. Anna II. Shaw presented the
various speakers and brought to the COM
mitteg a message from Miss Susan B. An
thony, the originator of the movement, in
which she said that the women had done
as much as the men to develop the country
IA country whose government is of the
people for the people; not of the men, by
the men," and expressed the hope that wo-
men as well as men might be free.
The first regular speaker was Elizabeth
Bacon of Connecticut, who made plea
for suffrage largely on the ground of prop
erty right. She said there were many
ladies in her state who desire the franchise,
but that 1t is denied them, notwithstanding
the women property owners are rapidly in
creaSing in the state.
Mary Bentley Thomas of Me- yland asked
for her sex the right to assist to their
full capacity in promoting the interests of
the race. She said that Maryland pro-
tects its terrapin, but not its women. Rev.
Antoinette Brown Blackwell, eighty years
old, who was introduced the first or
dained woman minister of the country, ad-
mitted that women enjoy some rights, but
rot all that they are entitled to. She made
an especial plea for purity in the press and
expressed the opinion that if women We're
given their proper position they could have
a wholesome influence in that respect.
A South American Plea.
SeHorita Huidebro of Chile made a plea
for the beautiful right of the ballot Z"
which, she said, would bring the women
their Just dues through the front door and
save them the trouble of seeking them in
another way. She warned the committee
that If the United States was not expedi-
tious the women of Chile and Argentina
would secure their rights in advance of
the women of this country, as their con-
sututions contain nothing TO prohibit equal
suffrage.
Mrs. Pauline e. Stienen a member of
the board of education of Toledo Ohio
expressed the opinion that the slowness of
men TO recognize the rights of women is
due to their failure to take the time to
investigate them. She said that she had
received 500 more votes than any other
candidate Tor the board.
Senator Beveridge.
Senator Beveridge was made the subject
of much of the remarks of Mrs Harriet
Taylor Upton of Ohio. Referring to the
joint statehood bill, she thanked him Tor
taking women out of the class of lunatics,
paupers and criminals. She said that II
Is only young sprigs of men who are will
ing to declare themselves openly against
legal rights for women"
Senator Beveridge replied to Mrs Upton
by saying that the committee on territories
had done only its simple duty In amend
ing the statehood bill
Mrs. Shaw replied that the women want
ca not only to be out OF the bill but in
II, and thus turned the applause which nad
been awarded the senator TO a laugh at his
expense.
Miss Anna Miller of Geneva N Y sal1
the women want to be placed on an equal
NY with men-not on a pinnacle abo re
them. Like Josh Billings wasp, she said
women have a business end and many OF
them had had singing experience in bust
ness affairs. due TO the lack of dfscrim,-
nation because of sex.
Mrs. Susan Fessenden of Massachusetts,
said that God never intended that there
SHOULD be any especial use In being a
man."
Mrs. Shaw's Closing Argument.
Mrs. Shaw closed the presentation of the
case with an argument for the passage OF
the bill giving woman the right TO vote for
members OF the House of Representa- lives.
She said that the cause OF equal suffrage is
making rapid progress abroad. and that
in no other country are women required 10
run the gansut as In the United States
In closing the meeting Senator Bacon