Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-15
Some Things You Want to Know
Votes for wOmen-I. The Movement in America.

being attended by scores OF the most prom
inent women in the country.
Women enjoy full rights OF suffrage on
basis OF absolute equality with men IN
four states. Colorado. Wyoming. Utah and
Idaho. The cause Is much more popular
In the west than in the east The monster
petition to be presented 20 congress next
week said TO be the largest 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 ar
ranged by states. and thirteen Of them
are headed by the signature Of the gov
ernor. The governors OF Colorado, Florida,
South Dakota, California, Minnesota.
Michigan. New Hampshire, Maryland.
Idaho. Wyoming. Utah. Washington and
oregon pray for the woman suffrage
amendment. It will be noticed that all
but three Of these suffragist governors
hail from the west
Although woman's suffrage is further ad-
vanced in some other countries than in
America, It is recorded that the original
"suffragette" was an American. She was
Mistress Margaret Brent Of Maryland. and
in 1el7. Mistress Brent was the heir Of
Lord Calvert. brother Of Lord Baltimore,
and executor Of the estates Of both in the
colony. Representation in the Maryland
legislature at that time was based upon
property. BY virtue OF her holdings she
demanded place and voyce'-two votes
in the legislature. Her petition was de-
bated hotly and finally declined.
Under the old province charter OF Massa-
chusetts women voted for all elective Off
GERS from 1891 to fTSO. The constitution
then succeeding excluded the women from
voting for governor and members Of the
legislature. but gave them the right as to
all other officers. The ballot was hedged
about with many restrictions, however, and
not one-fourth Of the men were eligible.
In 1895 the Massachusetts legislature sub
mitted the question OF admitting the women
to the suffrage to a plebiscite of the women
Of the state. OF the $500 women OF voting
age, only q, 2,2O4 were sufficiently interested
to go 20 the polls and demand the ballot
for their sex. The legislature concluded
that the women didn't want 1t, and they
didn't get 1t.
A few months before the Declaration Of
Independence in 177e, Abigail Adams wrote
to her husband. John Adams, in Phiiadel-
pha, setting forth the political claims OF
the women. She said that she longed to
hear the news that congress had declared
the colonies independent Of England. but
she reminded her husband that the women
ought TO be considered in the question Of
representation, even threatening to tomeni
a rebellion II they were excluded Mrs
Hannah Lee Corbin. sister of RicharS
Henry Lee OF Virginia, in ITS presented &
nd he n
the sister Of the mover of the Declaration
OF Independence and the wife OF its prin
cipaI advocate were among the first suffra
gettes.
The continental congress left the ques
tion of suffrage entirely to the states. New
Jersey was the only one which gave wOmsr
the right to vote, equally with men, III
constitution conferrlng the franchise on al
inhabitants worth $50 etc" In 1870. wheT
the federal government under the constitu
tlon had been set up, revision OF the New
Jersey election law used the words he oi
she" in reference to electors, thus confirm
ing women in the right to vote. A suffi
Client number OF women availed themselves
Of the privilege to incur the enmity of tbs
politicians. and in 1sa the legislature 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 sufficiently interested
to make an effective protest.
In 1876 Frances Wright came to Americs
from Scotland and began a crusade FOL
woman's rights. This was the beginning
OF the movement which has resulted IN tbs
amelloration Of the laws Of so many states
which placed women under disadvantages
The movement, however, was absorbed il
the Anti-slavery agitation. and It was no
until 1863 that it took definite shape as Z
demand for the suffrage.
The first organized general movement wa
began in ls4S, when a woman's rights con
vention was held at Seneca Falls. N. Y.
ito discuss the social, civil and religious
condition and rights OF woman" Elisabeth
Cady Stanton. Mary Ann McClintock Lu
cretia Mott and others Of almost equa
prominence were the guiding spirits Of tina
movement. which IL the same Represented
today by the convention in Washington.
ny RREDEHIo J. zAs".
Tomorrow-v0EEs ron W01H1.
n where women EaVS votes.