Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-07-27
ELIZABETH GRANNIS
a LOBBYIST AT II

-'''t "a ~ 49,
police stations in regard to women lais-
"frfs. IN those days they We're given
sleeping accommodations IN the station
houses. The quarters were crude. crowd
Ell, and usually ringing with loud and
worst. than vulgar talk. The women, Il
rough and degraded lot for the most part,
became lower still through the influence of
these conditions. and il became evident to
MRS. t'iannis that to have matrons in
cfi;rse of these female prisoners would
hel2 matters. Others thought as she did
hlllaei Van Rensselaer, being prominent
among tlcna-so they Joined hands IN an
eildeavor 10 have the conditions amelio-
rated through the passage of the Police
Matron bin. II met with opposition from
doormen. patrolsnen and other minor Of
iirials OF the police department, who fore
saw q possible curtailment of their
authority and perquis-tes. The bill was
fna'ly passed as a 'permissive" measure
liat IL Is. women were thereafter permit
ted To serve as mutlons in charge OF
female prisoners i'm the police stations.
Ut took just three wears more of hard
lighting and innulnerable lobbying
Trips to Albany to get the bill made man
datory, as it exists today. Mrs. Grannis
and five male men" worked for six
years before this bill became law.
There are other laws to the credit OF
this small lady of the iron will. i'm the
L <''oi Y ~ vi WIllCIl SIc S1ctIl UdNS
and nights i'm the senate and house at AL
bany. tn say nothing of thousands of dol
lars. every cent OF which she has earned
herself. Shit tells of the nervous strain OF
waiting about IN the corridors hour after
hour for word tllat her measure was be.
ing acted upon. Every time a "menlber'
left the room her heart sank with the
fear that i'm even his momentary absence
her bin would be brought up. only to be
| cast aside FOR lack OF tnlt one mana
vote. Each time Il member entered the
legislation chamber she tremblad lest fis
be the influence that would kin the meas
ure. The thrill of victory as her" lesis-
'ator at last sent n message. Your aiu
iias gone through without amendments"
wa something to live for.
ITO feel" she says, that you ha~N
made Il law is. indeed, to feel the eNhila-
ration of real accomplishment" And the
TACT that a woman can do ii, and has
done it. solely through others-witlout
direct voice or vote I'm the matter-should
be good food for discussion among both
the suffragists and the %'antis."
For many years, at each election, Mrs.
Grahnis went regularly to the polling
places and made perfunctory application
10 register, which was. of course, as reg
ula'ly refused. The officials got to know
her quite we'll by sight. treated her re-
spectfully-and enjoyed the joke. To the
representatives at the state capitol she is
aSo a familiar figure, with her chiffons
and feathers. her Immaculate kid gloves |
and her quiet. adamantine insistence-
only she is not Il joke up there, and she |
rs at present engaged in Il consistent and
steady campaign in the legislature of New |
Jersey.
fourteen years ago Mrs. Grannis. |
backed by the League for Social Purity. |
of which she is president, began a strug-
gle to secure ar act making the statutory
ground for divorce in New York state q
criminal offense. The criminal bill was |
dra"n by Judge W.. II. Arnoux, who told |
Mrs. Grannis that. while he was willing |
to help her. the bill would never pass a
New York legislature. Commodore Ell.
bridge 7. Gerry prophesied the same thing
that no legislative body would pass q
measure which would virtually turn to |
sting any proportion of it's own MEMBERS. |
Ihe discourage,nents OF these male
men" however. never for one moment
deferred this woman, who was used to
lighting. and to whom a struggle against
violent opposition had, on the contrary.
always acted as a stimulant.
1t took her IA years. but she got her
bill through, Governor Hughes having set
his signature to it in 1907. Whether the |
law is a dead letter." as claimed by
some. or not is another question. Mrs.
GranIiis firmly believes it is at least a
deterrent and. that it's existence upon the
statute books exerts an influence for the |
protection of family life.
Mrs. Grannis is at work now. with her |
usual earnestness, upon the most vitality |
important piece Of legislation. in some
ways. ever put forth. 1t is known as the |
Sterilization BILL" and the woman who
rs working for 1t, i'll the face of discour- |
agcrnents that would daunt any other |
woman of II, believes if It could be placed |
(lD0nL Inc StQflfa hnnku 81 Cknt1 L.
the union it's effect for good upon both |
present and future generations would be
beyond compute. The sterilization of de- |
receives has become q law in the state Of
Indiana and Is being carried out at the
Indiana refoimatory. The bill also has
passed the lower house in New Jersey. !
and has been reported favorably in Ore
gon and Wisconsin.
Mrs. Grannis believes that ;f it were
widely known how simple and merciful
this remedy is, yet how directly 1t strikes
at the root of untold wills and suffering.
legislators could not long delay the enact
ment OF a law for its operation. She will
nave the bill recast each year and laid
before the legislature at every term so
long as she lives. And when I de-" says
she. II shall leave the work in some one
else's hands. and the money to helm II 4,
ultimate success
Years Z a well known man. meeting
Mrs. Grannis on a railway train, said, as
he got off at his city: We'll, 1 wish YOU
success IN your mission out west. shall
hope to hear of your safe arrival. If
don't I shall give the alarm and adyer-
tise for the railroad company to find q
little bundle OF lace rags with the spirit f
of n lion tnside!''
eisstow, Tldsn and tho Library.
At the recent dedication Of the New