The Washington herald., 1910-04-10
Representative Women
from All Parts of the
Country VIII Petition
Congress to Grant the
Franchise to them and
their Sisters.

Woman has been the beacon light for
mankind over the centuries of civiliza-
ton; her gentle hand raised the Saviour
of mankind. watched beside the cross.
and waited at the tomb; guided the foot
steps of the great and noble. ministered
In hospitals. kept the faith in cloisters.
preserved the sanctity CT the home, and
kept the whole world sweet and clean.
And what has the world done for wom-
kind in return? II is a sorry story. the
reward of the world for the work Of
woman. Until several centuries ago won-
en- were no more than chattels, slaves OF
the home, without legal rights or redress.
Suddenly out of w0mans developed in
teIlect evolved a plan TO become equal
with men. She started in, and now is
fairly on the road to success. She be-
came a property owners In truth as we'll
as name, but stnl the immortal power of
suffrage was denied her. While the most
besotted and vicious male could dictate
by whom he should be governed, woman
kind had no voice in the matter, no mat
ter what the quality of her intellect or
her influence in the world.
Seeks Emancipation.
But in the hearts and minds of a few
noble women in the wondrous nineteenth
century was born the ideal of emaneipa-
ton from the state of legal slave with
out vote or voice. taxation without repre-
sentation. against which principle every
true born American instinctiveiy rebels.
Led by the patron saint of wOmans suf-
frage. Miss Susan b. Anthony. who saw
the vision OF equal rights for equal women,
the now nearly century old struggle began.
The movement reached beyond the seas.
and noble-hearted Englishwomen took up
the cause, which they have vowed never
10 lay down even if they must emulate
their early Britain saints Saint Hilda
and others, and win in return a martyrs
crown It is the absorbing topic with
English womanhood and is fast getting
to be with American womanhood. The
end is in sight. victory is at hand and in
the victory will be found purer civic
life and higher national ideals.
During the last two years the American
movement for wonian's suffrage has as
sumed enormous proportions. To the few !
followers of the pioneer suffragette, Miss
Susan B. Anthony, has been added the
strength Of the most influential women
in the country. college professors, wives
of Representatives and Senator's and at
the present time several Cabinet officers
wives, as well as nearly all the women
writer's of the country.
Rsepare Big Petition.
For the last year plans have been care
fully laid to pave a way for an enormous
netition to Congress asking for the fran
chise for women. This petition has cir
culated all over the country and now
contains over One-half a million names,
This is the largest petition ever presented
to any legislative body. The idea of the
petition as ammunition for the suffrag
lists cause was conceived last fall by
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, a noted suf-
fragist.
In a short time volunteers from all over |
the country were busy getting signatures
The names are collected on sheet of /
paper with places for twenty-one sigma |
lures and at the top of this paper is |
printed
PETITION
To the Senate and House q Representatives Of the
United States.
We, the undersigned citizens OF the United States, |
over tWentyOne years Of age, hereby petition your
honorable body to submit 10 the legislatures Of the
several States for ratification amendment 20 the /
national Constitution which shall enable women
to vote.
NAMES. OCCUPATIONS. ADDRESSES.
Thousands Signed Daily.
Thousands of these petitions are com
ing in each day. duly signed, at the Ma
tional American Woman's Suffrage AS
sociation, 1923 H street northwest. Mrs
Rachel Brill Ezekiel claims that the in
terest is becoming more earnest and that
the petitions are coming in faster than
they did at the beginning of the work
Mrs. Ezekiel holds the responsible office
OF petition secretary. Twenty sheets OF
the petition will be pasted together and
then rolled.
The work OF gathering the names on
this petition has been entirely voluntary.
Churches and public meeting places have
been flooded with the blanks Besides
this main petition there is a subsidiary
one devoted to American writer's, and on
this appear such names as Mark Twain.
Ellen Glasgow. Mrs. Woodrow Wilson,
and many other literary lights.
VIII Join ia Parade.
Tuesday. April 10, the largest parade of
women ever known in this city will wend
its way up 10 the Capitol. Some of them
win be on foot, while others will ride in
the thirty-five automobiles which will
lead the procession. The riders In the
automobiles will be the officers from the
various States bearing that part of the
precious petition containing the sigma
lures of the women of their particular
State.
It is estimated that 5000 women will
parade on foot. many of the wealthy ones
preferring to walk with the crowd than
ride in their own carriage or automobile.
Mrs A. L. Barber. of Washington,
whose mother and grandmother were
suffragists will lead the automobile pro-
cession after the automobiles containing
the national officers. Mrs. Barber. who
IS chairman of the automobile committee.
viii carry the District of Columbia per
ton of the petition.
Goes TO Committee.
Just what the Congressional committee :
designated 20 receive this petition will do I
with it is hard to say, as il is so large I
mat II the rolls were piled one on top of a
he other they would make two stacks as y
nigh as the Washington Monument a
A hearing will be granted the suffrag- 4
SITS in the committee rooms of the House d
7f Representatives Judiciary Committee e