The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-04
WOMAN'S
 SUFFRAGE Their Pleas Presented to
 Congress, MANY PROMINENT SPEAKERS
 -e-- Senator Owen Would Give Ballot
 to Women. >oixlahoma's senator Paid Glowing rrlbuse to wemanhooa And Eara- esny Advocated UsivsrsaI
 suffrage. 
MANY PROMINENT SPEAKERS

Washington, March 2-The advocates of female suffrage were today given their annual opportunity to present pleas to Congress, the presentation 70 the Senate being made before the Com nittee on Woman's Suffrage and 10 the House. before the Judiciary Com mittee.
 Senator Clay, of Georgia. presided over the Senate Committee and Rev. Anna shaw. as the President of the Ma tionai Female Suffrage Association, fn- troduced the speakers, the first Of whom was Mrs. Belva Lockwood. who has the distinction of being the only woman who ever made the race for the Presidency. Mrs. Lockwood expressed confidence in the support of her cause by the committee. Mrs. Fannie Fer- nald. President of the Maine WomanS Suffrage Association made an eloquent plea for a voice fin government which controls every interest we hold dear.
 The House hearing was presided over by Chairman JeIkins of the Judiciary Committee and was in charge of Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton. of Ohio. The speakers before the House Committee were Miss Emma Gullette, of Washing ton; Mrs Chapman Catt, of New York; Mrs. Richard w. Fitzgerald. of Massa- chusetts: Senator owen. of Oklahoma: Mrs. Emma Funk, of Maryland: Mrs QnAIX E SfAlkiG OA ANEW AVhAs @AAANt Ida Porter Boyer of Pepnsyivania and Miss Kate Gordon, of Louisiana.
 Mrs. Catt showed that the condition of women in foreign countries and even in Great Britain where such agitation of woman suffrage was now going on, was better than in the United States. She claimed that the male riff-raff Of foreign countries who emiEFated to these shores after a year or two Of resi- dence. was given the ballot and all lowed to vote on questions vitally af- fecting wcmen. Still woman herself is denied the right to ballot.
 A Matter o9 Right.
 Most Of the speakers claimed that women should be given the ballot as a matter of right They pointed out that her education was equal and in Q great many cases superior to that of man: claimed that to her was entrusted the training of the future voters Of the country and contended that if she was competent to raise her sons SO that they might become good citizens. she certainly was competent to be given the right of ballot.
 It was claimed by Miss Gordon that had 1t not been for machine politics." Louisiana would have declared in fa- vor of woman suffrage.
 Mrs. Cralgie advanced the claim that the action of the States in disfranchis- ing woman was unconstitutional. The original constitution she said. made no restriction between the sexes.
 Mrs. sBoyer spoke of the influence of motherhood upon the future voters. She was interrupted by Mir. Alexander of New York, who said that his moth CT had died forty-three years ago, and that the principles she taught her son had been voted by that son for the past forty years.
 If every one," replied Mrs. Boyer, had the surroundings, the environment and the ability of your mothers son, this room you'd be flied with sena-
 The address of Senator Owen was frequently interrupted with applause. He paid a glowing tribute to woman hood and earnestly advocated univer- sal suffrage. He said that many sound reasons of an economic nature could be advanced why women should be giv. en the ballot. Tn reply to Mir. AIexan. der as to whether women had been given universal suffrage in the new State of Oklahoma. he replied that they had not: that their suffrage was lim- tied to voting on school questions. He claimed that the saloon element in ok lahoma had defeated the universal suf- frage proposition and said that if wo- men had questioned every capdidRte be- fore the election they would have car- ried that point
 Mir Alexander Inquired of Senator owen if he would be willing to give the ballot to the low class of immi- grant women who come to this coun- try.
 "Yes," replied Senator gwen. "be- cause the vote of the male immigrants Is largely dominated by the saloon and brothel influences. and the vote of the women would counteract the votes of this class of males"
 Tho Senator pointed out that in the States where woman suffrage is unI- versal the per centage of women con victs Is very low. He said in Wyom- ing there Is not one woman now incar- cerated in the penitentiary. He con tended that the vote of the woman would largely be against corruption and immortality In the States.
 At the conclusion of the hearing Mrs. Upton stated to the Committee that for years women had been coming be- fore Congress asking for their rights. but that the committees before which they appeared had taken no action on their petitions. She now asked the Judiciary Committee If it could not make aF Favorable report on the joint resolution, to make an unfavor-