The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-04
WOMEN PLEAD FOR
 THE RIGHT ID VOTE
Mrs. Belva Lockwood and
 Others Appear In Senate
STRONG ARGUMENT MADE
Woman Suffrage Is Claimed By the Petitioners as Matter of Right and Their Efforts Are Seconded
 By Senator Owen.

Washington, March S.--The advo- cates of female suffrage were today given their annual opportunity to pre- sent pleas to Congress, the presenta- tion to the Senate being made before the committee on woman's suffrage and to the House before the judiciary com mittee. Senator Clay of Georgia pre- sided over the Senate committee and Rev. Anna Shaw as the president of the National Female Suffrage associa- tion, introduced 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 ex- pressed confidence in the support of her cause by the committee. Mrs. Fan nie Fernald president of the Maine Woman's Suffrage association, made an eloquent plea for "a voice in govern ment which controls every interest in the whole world"
 The House hearing was presided over by Chairman Jenkins of the judiciary committee and was in charge of Mrs Harriet Taylor Upton of Ohio. The speakers before the House committee were Miss Emma Gillette 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. Mary E. Craigie of New York, Mrs. Ida Porter Boyer of Pennsylvania and Miss Kate Gordon of Louisiana. Mrs. Catt's Contention. Mrs Catt showed that the condition of women in foreign countries and even in Great Britain where such agitation of woman's suffrage was now going on was better than in the United states She claimed that the male riff raff of foreign countries who emgrated to these shores. after a year or two of residence was given the ballot 'an1 allowed to vote on questions vitally a ffecting woman. Still woman herself is denied the right to ballot
 Most of the speakers claimed that woman should be given the ballot as a matter of right. They pointed out that her education was equal, and in a great many cases superior, to that of man; claimed that to her was en- trusted tho training of the future voters of the country and contende1 that if she was competent to raise her sons so that they might become goot citizens, she certainly was competent to be given the right of ballot.
 It was claimed by Miss Gordon that had it not been for '.machne politics. Louisiana would have declared in favor of woman suffrage.
 Mrs. Craigie advanced the claim that inc action of the states in disfranchis- ing woman was unconstitutional The original constitution, she said, made no restriction IS between the sexes.
 Influence of Motherhood.
 Mrs. Boyer spoke of the influnece of motherhood upon the future voters. She was interrupted by MT. Alexander of New York, who said that his mother had died 43 years ago, and that the principles she taught her son had beel voted by that son for the past 40 years sJf everyone" replied Mrs. Boyer "had the surroundings and the ability of your mothers son this room would be filled with senator's
 The address of Senator Owen was ire CONTINUED ON PAGE 3.)