The Washington times., 1906-07-01
.NONENPS BATTLE
FOR THE BALLOT
Alice Stone Blackwell Tells
Story of a Close Contest
In Oregon.
LOST BY MARROW MARGIN
Vicious Element, Saloons and Society
Women Worked Against
Sufragists.
LOST BY NARROW MARGIN

Alice Stone Blackwell, since the death
OF Susan b. Anthony. is easily the most
prominent figure identified with the
woman suffrage movement In a state
ment on the subject OF the defeat Of the
equal suffrage amendment which was
/ recently voted on by the people Of Ore
/ gOn. the successor 10 Miss Anthony as
leader OF the woman suffrage cause.
! says:
| The campaign over the equal suffrage
| amendment IN Oregon. which has Just
! closed. brought out in strong relief the
Kind OF forces arrayed for and against
! equal rights for women. The amend
ment was indorsed bv the State Grange,
! the State Federation Of Women's Clubs,
! and the State Federation OF Labor; II
/ had the support Of a majority of the
| churches. and OF a remarkably large
| proportion ot the press. Out of the Zss
/ newspapers published in Oregon. only
/ seven opposed equal suffrage IL had
! against IL the organized liquor interest,
/ the machine Of the dominant political
/ party. almost all the trusts and large
/ corporations. the Southern Pacific rail-
! road and all the vicious interests. \
) handful OF society women in Portland
also formed themselves into an anti
! suffrage association, and worked against
/ IL, but their influence was trih.ng com
pared with that Of these other forces OF
! opposition
/ The Brewers and Wholesale Liquor
( Dealers Association Of Oregon sent out
/ 70 the retail liquor sellers a circular
! saying. 1t Will take 5000 votes 10 de-
4 feat woman suffrage There are 200
retailers in Oregon That means that
every retailer must himself bring in
! twenty-five votes on election day. Every
I retailer can get twenty-five votes Be
sides his employees. ne has his grocer,
/ his butcher, his landlord his laundry
man, and every person he does business
/ with II every man in the business will
/ do this, We viii win.
| When We consider that out OF the
/ $1,000 registered voters Of Oregon 200
are retail liquor sellers. II will be seen
/ that this alone was serious factor in
the campaign.
Liquor Interest Deal.
The liquor interest also made a deal
with the dominant political party OF
Oregon. by which the party machine
agreed 20 throw its weight against
equal suffrage IN return for a large con
tr1butiOn from the liquor dealers TO the
party campaign fund
Almost all the trusts and great cor
porations signed an appeal 10 the vot-
ers against IL They naturally objected
10 anything that would give more power
| 70 the people. The Southern Pacinc
Railroad, which IS said almost to own
| Oregon. likewise used all its influence
| against the amendment, as the Boston
and Maine Railroad did when an equal
/ suffrage amendment was pending in
New Hampshire a few years ago Evil
IDENTIFY the railroad magnates fear that
/ women will prove less amenable than
men 10 corporation influence. II was
said that the street railway companies
| opposed the amendment on the ground
/ that women were erratic. and would
be likely 70 favor Scent fares
The vicious elements were sOlidly
| opposed, of course. An indecent card
VAS mailed to the voters throughout the
state. and distributed IN large guam
titles at the polls. The young man who
was employed as manager Of the anti
suffrage campaign had been earning his
! living as agent for the women who run
disreputable houses in Portland His
character and profession were noto-
rlous
Group OF Millionaires' Wives.
The Massachusetts Association Op-
posed 10 the Further Extension Of Suf-
Tage 10 Women has now sent out q
letter asserting that the amendment was
defeated chiefly by the Oregon Asso-
! citation Opposed to the Extension OF
Suffrage to Women the little group OF
millionaires' wives in Portland who
ranged themselves against equal sufI-
rage To anyone who knows the facts.
this statement IS simply laughabIe- The
Portland OresOnian. the leading daily
OF the State, aid one OF the few papers
IN Oregon that I'D not favor the amend
ment, said vditOrially Of the Oregon
ants:
There are a~x-Irents. and sound
ones. against woman suffrage but
women who live in luxury and ease. and
spend their time over rich gowns, bridge.
whist and pink teas, cannot represent
them. ETery protest from women OF
this cttss again. Nontac Suffrage makes
votes for ct
The amerdment had against it the
strongest combine ever formed against
any public measure in Oregon: yet IL
got an extraordinarily large vote The
question has been submitted in Oregon
three times Twenty-Five years ago II
was defeated almost three to one; six
years ago * was defeated by a very
small majority. and this year IL came
so near carrying that for a week after
the election the Oregon women did not
know II they had won or lost
Under the initiative and referendum
law OF that State. they can have tbs
question submitted as often as they
WISH ana they are already taking the
necessary measures to have IL submitted
again at the next election. No question
Is ever settled till IL Is settled right "
JUST LIKE A STORY.
Byssus. of which fine. iridescent stock
/ inSs and shawls are made in Sicily. IS
n SfI bx- oh The rofrfra fs