The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-10-03


est, cleverest women of the age. 1t is
Synonymous with the marvellous evolution
in the status of woman in which from the
early '40s until her death early in the
present year she was the central figure.
The transition of the young quaker girl,
afraid of the sound of her own voice, into
the reformer and orator is no more won
'derful than the great change which have
been brought about in the condition of
women largely through her efforts)
Half century ago, when the agita-
tion for woman suffrage was first COM
menced, if the outlook for its
success had been what it is to-
day, the question would long since
have been settled, the friction of
the new regime smoothed away and
the general public oblivious to the fact
that there ever had been a struggle to
bring all this about. The present gen.
eration has not the slightest concep-
6ion of the conditions which existed at
the time when the first demand was
made that the ballot should be placed
In the hand of woman. The wife who
to-day rests secure i'm the ownership
of the home and Of all the property
which comes to her, who manages 1t
herself and enjoys the profits; the
other one who, compelled to work for
wages to support her children, col.
lects and uses them according to her
judgment; the mother who, widowed
by death or divorce, rejolces In the
possession of her children; the WON.
en- who, in every possible vocation, are
earning livelihood and often a com,
petence-all Of these are in utter lg.
'norance of the efforts which weEo
made by the women of the past to So.
,cure for them these privileges.
We have now reached the point
where the antagonism against the
equal rights of women Is confined al.
most wholly to that of the suffrage.
In practically all other respects they
are conceded and while some states
are slow in changing their laws to con-
form to the new dispensation the jus.
tice of it is admitted and it will pre-
vail universally in the near future, so
far as the statutes are concerned The
battle henceforth must be for the
franchise. The vital question thus
becomes: What is the outlook for
the ultimate success of this last con
test?
Commencing with municipal suf-
frage to widows and spinsters in 1859,
England now grants to all women, on
the same terms as to men, the full
suffrage except the parliamentary
vote. West Australia began with the
municipal ballot in 1871; South Aus
tralia in 1880; New Zealand in 1886.
The full parliamentary suffrage was
granted to women in New Zealand in
1893; in South Australia in 1895; in
West Australia in 1900. The Isle of
Man granted the full franchise in 1888.
Every English colony has some form
of woman suffrage.
Forty-five years ago In no part Of
the United States did women possess
a shred of suffrage, save that in Ken.
lucky widows could vote on school
matters. In 1861 Kansas gave this
privilege to all women. In 1875 school
suffrage was granted to women by
Minnesota and Michigan; in 1875 by
Colorado; in 1878 by New Hampshire
and Oregon; in 1879 by Massachu-
sets; in 1880 by New York and Yer
mont; in 1883 by Nebraska; in 1885
by Wisconsin; in 1887 by North and
South Dakota, Arizona and New Jer-
sey; in 1889 by Montana; in 1890 by
Washington, in 1891 by Illinois; in
1893 by Connecticut; in 1894 by Ohio.
In 1859 the territory of Wyoming
gave full suffrage to women and, after
ii years" experience. the state came