The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-21
CALIFORNIA WOMEN
DESIRE SUFFRAGE
Question Will Be Decided at
General Election to Be
Held on Oct. 10th.
tNational News Association)

tNational News Association)
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Sept. 21.-
On October 10, only trifle more than
two weeks hence, the voters of Cali
fornia, for the second time in the his
tory of the State, will decide by their
vote whether women shall have the
right to vote. The last time woman's
suffrage was submitted to the ballot
in this state it was defeated by only
5000 votes. Times have changed
greatly since then and the advocates
of women's rights are not only more
hopeful of success than ever before
but quite confident that California will
win the honor of becoming the sixth
state in the Union to grant suffrage to
women.
Never was a political campaign in
this state fought with greater determi-
nation than the one now drawing to a
close. The women of California realiz-
ed the importance of victory at this
time and, inspired and encouraged by
the success of the women in other
western states. entered upon this cam
paign with tremendous energy and de-
termination. When the legislature de-
cided to submit a constitutional am
endment, giving women the right to
vote, to a referendum vote on October
10, it did not find the women of the
state unprepared.
More than two years ago the first
step was taken to prepare the women
of California for just such an emer
gency. 1t was Mrs. James Lees Laid
law, chairman of the Women's Suf
frage party of New York city, who by
her individual efforts induced the wo-
men of California to organize for the
purpose of making fight for suffrage.
The ground was we'll prepared and,
when the legislature voted for the sub
mission of women's suffrage amend
ment to the state constitution, the or
ganized women of this state were
ready to begin the battle.
Fully realizing the Importance of
thorough and energetic campaign the
women of California sent out an ap-
peal to the friends Of women's suffrage
throughout the United States and else
where. Nobly did their friends re-
spend to the appeal. From all parts
of the world came encouraging letters
from men and women interested in
the success of the women of Cali
fornia fighting for their rights. J.
II. Brady of Pasadena, retired bus
mess man of great wealth, organized
under the name of the Political Equali-
ty league powerful body of promi-
nent men and women bound together
by the common desire to aid the wo-
mems suffrage movement.
in every state of the Union where
there are friends of women's suffrage,
meetings were held, resolutions pass
ed, giving moral support to the bat
thing suffragists in California and
funds were contributed to help the wo-
men of this state in their great strug-
gle The women of New York, head
ed by Mrs. Laidlow, willingly came to
the assistance of their sisters on the
Pacific coast. Miss Jeanette Rankin,
sent by Mrs. Laidlow; Mrs. Helen X.
Hoy-Greeley, Mrs. Archibald G. Fiske
and other distinguished leaders and or
ganizers of the woman's suffrage
movement in Greater New York, came
to California to help by word and deed
in the campaign. Large sums were
raised during the week of self-denial,
when men and women, anxious to help
the women in California, denied them
selves some Injuries and contributed
the money thus saved to the cam
paign fund.
The energetic, business like and ef-
fective manner in which the women of
this state have conducted their CAM
paign has been revelation to such
men even who have made politics a
business for many years and have
grown gray in it. There was no I'M
certainty about the methods employed
and everything was thoroughly up-to-
date The women throughout the state
were thoroughly organized and every
where meetings were held, speeches
many places house-to-house canvass
es were made by special committees
of women and all men favorable to the
were enlisted in the cam
paign.
The opposition, which includes
many distinguished men, like Gen.
Harrison Gray Otis, former United
States senator Frank Flint, Oscar
P. Lawler, former assistant United
States attorney general in the depart
ment of the interior; former United
States senator Cornelius Cole. Presi-
dent Ide Wheeler of the University of
California and many others, has by
no means been idle and is still carry
ing on its campaign in all parts of the
state. contracting the efforts of the
suffragists with great shrewdness and
ability. The outcome is still doubtful,
but the women are confident Of sue
cess.