Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-04-15
SUFFRAGETTES
IN SESSION
They Compare Notes and
Report Progress All
Along Line
LOOKS BAD FOR OKLAHOMA
Democratic Politicians Tried to
Suppress Petition Signed by
10000.

Washington, April 15.-Reports from
various states in which campaigns are
being conducted, including South Da-
kota, Oregon, Washington and Okla
homa were made before the National
Woman Suffrage Association today
President Taft's address and manner
in which it was received were the top
ic of general conversation among the
delegates, and the Kissing of the
President was termed "deplorable"
Report of the Treasurer.
Washington, D, c.. April 14.-Har-
riet Taylor Upton, treasurer of the ma.
.tional association, presented her re-
port showing the total receipts of the
year 1909 to have been $21, ,466.0S. The
disbursements were $19,S14.50.
During the year the association
spent about $4,000 on organization and
|sent to South Dakota alone, where a
campaign is now on $4,000 The
treasurers report in part was as fol-
lows:
-hIoo I1llIlIy IlO"ldIu, Vi EOIItl UOu,
N. Y, was the largest individual con-
tributor during the year. The four
states having the largest membership
are, in their order, New York, Massa-
chusetts, College League, Maryland
and Pennsylvania. The five states con-
tributing the largest amounts of
money in their order are New York,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Louisi-
ana and Ohio.
The auxiliary associations showing
the greatest gain in membership are
College League, Maryland, Illinois,
Kentucky and Connecticut.
Virginia has organized a promis-
ing society during the year and is
therefore admitted into the fold.
States showing gain in member
ship are California, Connecticut, Della
ware, District of Columbia, Georgia.
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana.
anime, Maryland. Minnesota, Missis-
slppi, New York, Rhode Island. Texas.
Tennessee, Virginia, College League"
Oklahoma Women Determined.
Washington April 15.-The report
OF the Oklahoma Woman Suffrage AS
soclatlon presented to the national
convention by President Kate H. Big
gers shows that the women of the new
state are leading a determined fight.
A petition bearing nearly 10000 sign
ers to strike the word male" from
the state constitution has been pre-
pared and asks that tne question be
submitted to the voters at the next
special or regular election in Okla
homa in 1910.
Mrs. Biggers reported that one of
the surprises in store came when thev
presented the petition to the secretary
OF state. The women, being political
nonentities, could not take the re-
ceipt. The secretary of the Oklahoma
Federation of Labor consented to
stand as guardian for the sex minors
and the receipt was made out in his
name.
The anomoly of these women.
many of them middle aged and grav
haired, requiring a young man to act
as guardian was a surprise, as we'll
as an object lesson in the Injustice
perpetrated on women" declared Mrs.
Biggers.
SO quietly had the names to the
petition been secured that if caused
CONSERVATION among the politicians
when the women presented the COM
pleted petition with 3S,5S6 signers. to
the secretary of state. The aspirants
for political berths, whose records
might not stand the test of women
voters, Immediately conferred with a
view to preventing the petition from
being presented to the people. This
anxiety to attack the petition was
one of the strong proofs of the gener-
al prophecy that the vote on our
amendment would surely carry. If
those who manipulate our politics had
not been confirmed in this opinion
they would have permitted the oues-
ton to be voted upon. They dared
not take this risk. Immediately the
plan OF Suspendlng action on the peti-
ton was suggested, on the absurd
charge that 5000 of the signatures
were fraudulent. A hearing was
granted by the secretary of state jan
uary 25, The suffrage association be-
ing ably defended by three of Okla
homa's eminent lawyers, Judges ]. L.
Brown, J. B. Robertson and P. Nagle.
these men being prominent in the Re-
publican, Democratic and Socialist
parties. The secretary of state sus-
tanned the petition, whereon the re-
monstrant appealed to the supreme
court He was allowed forty days in
which to file his brief. At the expira-
ton of the time, he was unable to
sustain his charges and nraved for a