New-York tribune., 1908-03-04
WOMEN SEEK SUFFRAGE
Present Arguments Before Senate
and House COMMITTEES.
tFror the Tribune Bureau !

[Frcrn the Tribune Bureau
Washington, March 3-SuSrax axettes invaded tse
Capitol to-day legislators trennhled. They Arss
went 20 the Senate Committee on judiciary ana
flooded the ears Of Senator'S Gay and Jehasea
with reasons why women should vote Trey asked
why negroes we're entrenchised and not renen
They cajoled the ssrato.s. and then oVerca-ne
them with logic, ard during the whole proceed
iags the two lawmakers uttered nc word
Senator Owen Of Oklahoma, summed Up the ar
su-nent in strong speech. during which be said
that the nation oued suffrage % women Cor She,r
labor in the homes and that he loved the caSes
for the ersraiss Il had made, the saloenksepers
ana other lowering elerasrts IN the national lite
The address Of Senator Owen was frequently -.
tsrrrupred with applause. He paid & glowing rrle-
ute womanhood, and earnestly advocated uni
versal suffrage He claimed that the saloon ele-
n2snt n Oklahoma had defeated the universal suf
frage proposition and said that if women had aues-
tioned every candidate before the election they
would hare carried that point. instead OF HAVING
their suffrage limited school questions
Nj Alexander asked Senator Owen it he would
be Wiling 70 give the ballot 70 the low class of
immigrant women VINO come to this country
Yes" replied Senator Owen. "hecause the vote
or the male Immigrants Is largely dominated ~
the ssIco- and bTothel influences, and the vote %
the women would counteract the votes q this class
Of males. The Senator pointed out that n stairs
where woman suffrage IS universal The percentage
of women convicts Is very low, He said tnat IA
Wyoming there is not one woman nov 41Cal-
carate6 in the pententiary He cUntended mar the
ruption ana immortality in the states
Among the speakers before the Senate commit
tee Mrs. Isabella 9. BdTroWs WIG o. ga
Representative Barrovs, ans Mrs. Ena CFosse'
and Anna Miller of New York; Ms. Ella = stew
arr. of Illinois: aIrs. Ida Husted Harper susan Z
Anthonys biographer; Mrs. Laura Clay, or Ken
tucI1y. and Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait
Then The sirFragettes turned their attention to the
House committee and during their march tAFousH
tho corridors frightened Representatives cooid %
seen scurrying into cloak rooms and hiones
IN the walls. In the House committee room theF
found Representative Jenkins, the chairman sup
rorted by two other members. All seemed ABOUT
70 90 well until d bell sounded; then three other
,,.,-,rors Of the committee who about 70
enter the room fed in d!snay while visitors 70 INC
CapitoI peered through the door wondering Il Nj
Jenkins vas celebrating his birthday with d dinner
The hell vas runC by Mrs Harriet Taylor Up
ton of Ohio. who took this means Of shutting on
each woman whom she thought had talked long
enough The women pointed to other countries
where the right of suffrage IS granted ana He'd
that these countries were better off They CLAIMED
that taxation without representation Is tyranny ana
the committee nodded its head all the while N
Affirmation The speakers before the House com
rnI-ree were Miss Emma Gillette. NJ Nashingtor'
Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait Of New York MIS-
Richard Y. Fitzgerald. Of Massachusetts: Senator
owen Of Okla hoTna; Mrs. Emma Funck OF Mary
land Mrs Mary r Craigie. of New York. Mrs
Porter Rrver OF PENNSYLVANIA. and Miss Kate Cor
don. Of Louisiana.
carr devoted greater portion Of the time
a7Io7+ed 70 hcr 20 showing that the condition Of
women in foreign countries, and even in Great
britain where much agitation of woman suffrage
was now going on. was better than IN the United
States She claimed that the male rifTaf Of for
igr countries who enig- 70 these shores. after
3 year o. -vo OF residence were allowed to vote
on questions vitalv affecting women. Still woman
herself is denied the right Of ballot. Most of the
zpaa kers claimed that should be given the
ballot as = matter OF right They pointed out that
her education was equal and in great many cases
sijnero- to that ~ that her was intrusted
the training Of the voters the country, and that
II she was competent raise her sons 50 that they
might become good citizens. she certainly was com
re+ent 20 20 given the right ~ ballot
= was claimed by Miss Gordon that had Il not
been ro- machine pcltice' Louisiana would have
declared in favor Of woman suffrage.
Mrs Craisie advanced the claim that th- action
IF the states I'm 5isfrar chtsing woman uncon-
.tttlr-ional The original Constitution, she said,
made no restriction IS between the sexes.
Mrs Boyer spoke q the influence % motherhood
upon future voters she vas interrupted by Mr.
had died forty-tfreo years ago and that the prin-
ciples she taught her son had been voted for by
that son for the last forty years.
If every one" replied Mrs Bower. had the
surroundings. the environment and the ability Of
your mothers son this room would Re dled With
Senator's
The members ~ The committee adjourned the
hearing IN order 10 take their places in TIE House
hut i agreed - take the meter under con
side-stion-