Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-19
REFUSES TO ANSWERSC|ENT|STS MEET|PLEAD FOR BALLOT
National Its sunrags Appear Before
Information Demanded Annual Committees Of Congress-
NEARLY SENATORS HEAR SILENTLY
RAJ Limited Amount
uwm Adpunrh
Suffragists Appear Before
Committees of Congress.
SENATORS HEAR SILENTLY
Chairman Clay, However, Permits
Limited Amount Of Applause.
DR.. SHAW FIRST SPEAKER
Says This Country Should Be Leader
in Movement-other Arguments
Are Presented.

Suffagists invaded the Senate and
House office buildings today. ana for
two hours presented their cause to the
members Of the Senate committee on
woman's suffrage and the House COM
mittee on judiciary. Long before the
appointed time the Votes Cor women"
advocates arrived, and there was
standing room only in both committee
rooms as the chairmen called the hear
ings to order
Senator Alexander s. Clay of Georgia,
chairman of the committee. presided on
the Senate side. Other members Of the
committee present were Senators johnson
Of Alabama, Burkett of Nebraska and
Wetmore Of Rhode Island. Although not
a member of the committee. Senator
Smith of South Carolina seemed to have
enough interest In the subject to sit
through the entire hearing.
Not enforcing the Senate rule OF no
applause. which checked the ardor Of the
snffragists yesterday when Senator La
Toilette championed their cailee, Senator
Clay permitted limited amount of hand
clapping. Only once did he rap for order.
Throughout the speaking the senators sat
in silence. Just once Senator Burkett
interrupted to ask question
opening address to the petition containing
1000 signatures that had been present
ed yesterday and said that this country
should be the leader and not the laggard
in trying true democracy by enfranchis-
ing women.
Woman Lawyers Appeal.
Mrs. Catherine Waugh McCulloch, q
lawyer Of Chicago. was the first speaker.
She said that as the common law did not
specifically state that women should vote,
it was argued in some decisions that
therefore they had the right, and in
other states that they did not have the
right
You have placed upon women the
stamp of political inequality" she added,
land that puts us at q great disadvan-
tage In competition with men. l pre-
sumo you are all lawyers, therefore APP
peal to you az relatives. as brothers In
law. to grant our request"
Miss Eveline Gano of New York re-
ferred to the injustice that has been done
the woman teachers In New York. where
there are two grades of pay, one for
female and one for male teachers. She
said that the organized opposition to
woman's suffrage came from the liquor
interests, the politicians and those who
were opposed to child labor laws.
DR.. Anna Blount of Chicago argued that
as woman doctors cannot vote they never
get the good municipal and other posi-
tons which go to those who can add a
little political pull to their professional
qualifications.
the suffrage question from the stand
point of the college woman, and told OF
her experiences in Washington fifteen
years ago, when she aided in abolishing
an old law which gave the mother no
right in her child which the father could
not will away even before the child
was born.
On Equality in District.
1--WE are on an equality with men in
the District, however" said Mrs. Mussey,
las even the men can't vote here. And
they can't have the ballot here unless
We get it, too She told of recent
trip to Norway and Sweden. where she
met a little Swedish girl who knew only
three words Of English, Votes for
women
Minnie ]. Reynolds of New Jersey dis
cussed the suffrage question from the
standpoint of writer's.
DR.. Shaw closed the hearing with an
appeal to the committee Ito report the
petition. favorably, If you can, but UNI
favorably il you must
Two hundred votes for women adj
vocates appeared before the House conn
mittee. Six or seven women speakers ad-
dressed the committee and expounded the
familiar argument in favor OF women g
rights.
Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton of Ohio told
the committee that she represented WIFE
hood and house-hOod and that sne was
lone of the best housekeepers In the
ROOM"
'Gentlemen," she said. won't you
please report against this resolution and
give us your reasons for it? We know
that you are not going to vote in favor
of it and we know that you are not go
ing to vote against us. You will do Moth
ING at all. Certainly you are not afraid
of us. We have no votes ard we cannot
hurt you. SO please vote against this
resolution. but tell US why. Won't you
do this? 1t is all we ask, and certainly 1t
isn't very much.
For Protection of Workers.
Representatives of women who work in
factories spoke for votes for women, de-
claring that men had failed to protect
women and children and that in conse-
ouence the women themselves should be
given chance.
representative of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor urged that the resolu-
Zion be favorably reported. Two or
three members of the committee were
gently reproved by su1ra9ist speaker
for usurping a wornAn's right OF inter-
ruption, but the others listened in silence.
At the conclusion the respective chair
men promised the speakers that their
arguments and petitions would receive
careful attention.
The final session Of the convention Of
the suffrage association will end late this
afternoon.
Election of Omcers Finished.
At the session last evening the elsc-
ton of officers was continued. Cath
crime wangle McCulloch Of Chicago was
chosen second vice president. Mary Ware
bennett of Boston corresponding secre-
tary and Harriet Taylor Upton treasur-
err. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw. president.