Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-01

initial addresses in behalf OF the cause
they espouse.
Last nights meeting. which was at
tended by a crowd numbering, it was es-
timated, between 1000 and $50, was held
in the interest of suffrage campaigns
which are being made in four western
states, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas and Ore
gon.
Senator Poindexter Chairman.
John Barrett. head Of the Pan-American
Union, was to have acted as temporary
chairman. but was unavoidably detained,
and in his place Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby
introduced the permanent chairman, Sen
ator Miles Pondexter of Washington, who
jumped right into the middle of his SUBJ
tect by declaring that if women had the
ballot everywhere in the United States,
instead of in scattered localities or COM
| munities. and if they had the right to sit
in Congress, many abuses which exist in
the District of Columbia would not be
tolerated.
The gloomy ill ventilated Capitol build
ing, he said. would be lighted and aired,
and the dungeon like office rooms would
be done away with and the same, he
said, would be true in the Treasury build
ing where conditions, as regards the
health and comfort of the employees, are
deplorable.
Foremost among the speakers was Mrs.
Belva Lockwood, twice a candidate for
the presidency of the United States.
Standing between pictures of Susan b.
Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and
beneath the suffrage flag of five stars
representing the states where universal
suffrage is in force-and the thirteen red
and white stripes, Mrs Lockwood made
"a stirring, Straightforward appeal for
votes for women. She reviewed a num-
Der of Supreme Court decisions in which
women. for other purposes, are declared
to be citizens of the United States. For
the purpose of taxation, she said, the
Supreme Court has stated that women are
citizens: for other reasons the same de-
cision has been made. A study of these
decisions and of the Constitution and its
several amendments, she declared, is
sufficient to convince any one that women
already have the right to vote.
Defends Woman Voters.
Representative Frank W. Mondell of
Wyoming said that in his state, where
suffrage has been in force since the ad-
mission of the state to the Union, wom-
| en- are just as womanly as they ever
| were. He said that in all the campaigns
| in which he has engaged he never wit
messed any dsgraceful scenes at the
polls, such antagonists of wom-
| ans suffrage are so fond of pre-
| dieting if women are granted the
| right to vote at all elections. Repre-
sentatives Rucker of Colorado. knowland
| of California and French of Idaho spoke
| along similar lines.
| Woman speakers included. besides Mrs.
| Belva Lockwood Mrs. Colby of Oregon,
Mrs. Edward T. Taylor. wife of Repre-
riet Taylor Upton, president of the Ohio
| Suffrage Association, and Miss Laura
| Burieson, daughter of Representative
Burleson of Texas.
4 -lxD I'D
making her first address in behalf of uni
| versai suffrage, said that the ballot
| brings men and their wives into closer
sympathy, and declared that, to her
knowledge, politics had never, in her
state, brought about serious differences
in the home.
Safeguard to Home.
las to the declaration of those opposed
to suffrage she said, that the ballot in
the hands of women will destroy the
home. Colorado has not found it so. Our
women are just as good housekeepers as
they ever were, or as are any women
anywhere. The home life is as happy,
and our women have as many children
as they ever did. 1t is a fact. in my OBJ
servation, that woman suffrage safe
guards and builds up the home instead
of tearing it down.
Notes of regret from several whose
could not be present, were read. Sena-
tors Smoot of Utah, Borah of Idaho anC
Works of California were among those
unable to appear.
Among those who occupied platform
chairs with the speakers were Mrs. Mary
Lockwood. Mrs Carrie E. Kent, Mrs
Helen Gardner. Mrs. Joseph r. Know
land, Mrs. Miles Poindexter, DR.. William
Tindall. Mrs. Atlee Pomerene. Mr.. ant
Mrs. Henry B. F. Mcfarland, Mrs. Mon
dell Mrs W. e. Andrews Mrs. Buresol
and others.
Honorary Vice Presidents.
, The honorary vice presidents of tn
meeting included Mrs. LIE Droict Barber
State Equal Suffrage Association: Mrs
Julia Leavitt, District Woman Suffrag
Association: Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley
Stanton Equal Suffrage Club; Miss Elsi
Hill. College Equal Suffrage League; Mrs
l.. B. Thomson, Political Study Club; Mrs
. Clinton Smith, president emeritus WON
ans Christian Temperance Union: Mrs
. Emma s. Shelton, Woman's Christia
Temperance Union; Mrs. William z. An
drews, Federation of Women'S Clubs
Mrs Charlotte Emerson Main. Aid Asso
citation for the Blind; Miss Laura L
Graddick, Woman's Bindery Union: Mrs
Mary 8. Lockwood. Woman's League Q
the Junior Republic, and Mrs. Emily lie
o Raglan. Woman's Clinic.
e
: The Baltimore and Ohio n. n. Co.