Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-22
By
Frederic
j. Hdskin

popular in the west than in the east.
The monster petition to be presented to
congress next week, said to be the larg
est single petition ever presented
to a parliamentary body, is signed by
quite as many men as women and from
the western states the men are in the
majority. The petitions are arranged by
states. and 10 of them are headed by
the signature of the governor. The gov
ernors of Colorado, Florida, South Da-
kota, California Minnesota, Michigan,
New Hampshire, Maryland, Idaho, Wy
oming, Utah. Washington and Oregon
pray for the woman suffrage amend
ment 1t will be noticed that all but
three of these suffragist governors hail
from the west.
Although womans suffrage is further
advanced in some other countries than
In America, it is recorded that the orig
inal 'suffragette' was an American. She
was Mistress Margaret Brent, of Mary
land, and her demand for votes for wo-
men was made in 1647. Mistress BreM
was the heir of Lord Calvert brother
OF Lord Baltimore, and executor of the
estates of both in the colony. Repre-
sentation in the Maryland legislature at
that time was based upon property BY
virtue of her holdings she demanded
legislature. Her petition was debated
holly and finally declined.
Under the old province charter of Mas
sachusetts women voted for all elective
! officers from 1851 to 1880. The consti-
tuition then succeeding excluded the wo-
men from voting for governor and MEM
! bers of the Legislature, but gave them
| the right as to all other officers The
/ h9 mt hod
strictions, however, and not one-fourth
! OF the men were eligible. In 1895 the
Massachusetts legislature submitted the
question of admitting the women to tn .
suffrage to a plebiscite of the women of
the state. OF the $4,000 women of vot-
ing age only 22,204 were sufficiently in
terested to go to the polls and demand
the ballot for their sex. The legislature
concluded that e women didn't want
it and they didn't get it.
few months before the Declaration
Of Independence in 1876, Abigail Adams
wrote to her husband, John Adams, in
Philadelphia setting forth the political
claims of the women. She said that she
longed to hear the news InaI congress
had declared the colonies independent
of England, but she reminded her hus-
band that the women ought to be con-
siderej in the question or representation,
even threatening to .oment a rebellion
they were excluded Mrs. Hannah
Lee Corbin, sister of Richard Henry Lee
OF Virginia, in 177S presented a petition
demanding the right to vote. Thus the
sister of the mover OF the Declaration of
Independence and the wife Of it's princi-
pal advocate were among the first suf-
fragettes.
The continental congress left the ques-
ton of suffrage entirely to the states
New Jersey was the only one which gave
women the right to vote, equally with
men, it's constitution conferrIng the
franchise on all inhabitants worth $3.50,
etc. In 1890, when the federal gov
eminent under the constitution had been
set up, a revision OF the New Jersey
election law used the words he or she.
in reference to electors, thus confirming
, women in the right to vote. suffici-
. ent number Of womeT availed themselves
OF the privilege to incur the enmity of
the politicians, and in 1897 the legisla-
ture passed an act limiting the suffrage
to white male citizens" This was In
violation of the constitution of the state,
but the women, apparently, were not suf-
ficiently interested to make an effective
protest.
1926 Frances Wright came to Amer
lea from Scotland and began a crusade
for womans rights. This was the be-
ginning of the movement which has re-
suited in the ameiioration Of the laws of
so many states which paced women. I'M
der disadvantages. The movement, how
ever was absorbed in the anti-slavery
agitation, and it was not until 1869 that
it took definite shape as a demand for
the suffrage.
The first organized general movement
was begun in 1S4S when a woman's right
convention was held at Seneca Falls, n.
Y, Ito discuss the social, civil and relig-
ious condition and rights of woman"
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann Nc
Clintock, Lucretla Mott and others OF
almost equal prominence were the guild
ing spirits Of that movement, which IS
the same represented today by the con-
vention in Washington.