The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-06-03
aEARLY WORKERS IN THE
MICHIGAN SUFFRAGE SOCIETY


For the second time in the histor,
Michigan, great opportunity ha.
omes 10, the men of this state. The
OPPORTUNITY 70 give Just rights 10 al
err scitzepsrrTto place all her sons anC
aughters. on. an exact plane OF rights
Ind duties. This has not come about
|uddenly or without effort. cit ha:
BONE as the result OF many labors
publicly beginning In 1876 by an ad
dress by Ernestine l.. Rose before the
legislature. ip which she so ably adj
Focated the legal and political rights
pr women that she was given a heave
vote OF appreciation by that bodJ
Three Years later the first bill "a
grant equal rights TO women was FRO
pcsed In the legislature and was re
ported tavorably by three of the COZ.
mittee TO. whom II was referred.
In various ways and by different
persons during the years, there has
at all times, been more or less effort
Towards securing some portion of the
rights OF women. Through petitions
by public speaking. and the introduc
ton or measures in the Legislature
upon which women were granted hear
ings TO plead their cause. school suf
frage for tax-paying women was
granted. s~
Through the, most strenuous efforts
the University1of Michigan was open
ed to women in 1869, thus securing
the honor -of being the first university
10 admit women students upon equal
terms with men. During the years
ZACH constitutional convention was
petitioned 10 include woman suffrage
blfteTefused upon the plea that the
voters would not accept a proposed
constitution containing such provi-
sion.,-1 However their constitutions
we're voted down and the makers
theEsof disappointed without the help
OF woman's suffrage clause.
During these years. many lecturers
of national reputation were speaking
throughout the state upon the rights
OF women. Among these speakers
were Mrs. Stanton, Miss Anthony,
LUCK Stone. Mrs. Mary A. Livermore,
Miss. Mary f. Eastman. Bishop Haven,
Thomas Higginson and many other
GIFTED persons. Through the influence
OF THESE, speakers and the active work
OF Michigan men and women, the leg
islature OF 1873 passed an act TO sub
NIT TO the voters, an amendment TO
the state constitution granting suf-
frage, TO women upon equal terms with
men, An active campaign ensued, but
the voters defeated the amendment
mos than 2 toll.
OF this minority, Senator Christian
cy SAID in congress, "Of the forty
thohsafid men who voted for suffrage
i'm zMfchigan, there was not mean,
low fndepraved man amongst them"
Surely a cause of which this could be
truly said must win in the progress or
I he human race.
Thon Oh the failure OF 1874 was fol-
lowed by "a period of depression there
were always a few persons and So
|cistiesdto uphold the cause BY intro
duoing In the legislature some meas
urer Of rights for women. In 1881. the
school; law was amended, giving the
school ballot to parents OF children of
school age and making women eli gible
to- beevme trustees and to hold other
school Offices In 1883 a bill was in
trodHcede granting municipal suffrage
10 women-a measure approved hy
many constitutional lawyers 10 whom
IL was submitted as one that could
stand the test If brought before the
supreme court
In 1884, a mass convention was
called to meet in Flint on May 81 10
consider forming a state society to
promote woman suffrage The differ
ent parts OF the state were represent
ed and the present Michigan, Equal
Suffrage association was organized
with the following officers: President.
Mrs. Mary l.. Doe; vice-presdent, Gov
ernor Josiah w Begole; secretary,
Miss Nellie Walker. manistee; CORE
spending secretary. Mrs. Fannie
IIslden Fowler, Manistee; treasurer,
Mrs Cordelia F. Briggs, Grani Rap
ids
Educational and legislative work
was taken up. At once memorials
end resolutions we're prepared and
sent by representatives Of the asso-
cations to the national and state
conventions of the various political
TaEties. These representatives asked
and were allowed TO present suffrage
resolutions in every case to TIE COM
mittee % Nfesofutions and given time
in which TO urge their adoption. The
Gfeenback,aa and Prohibition parties
usually included and adopted the suf-
frage resolution-the others were sill
ent upon the subject.
Realtzfpgs thesfutility Of attempting
aTthatttifpe 10 secure constitutional
amendment, the association adopted
the, municipal bill already introduced
as the, principal legislative measure to
lie tfafhed Therefore. the bill, as pro
rosed in 1888, was introduced in the
legislature and a public hearing"
rranaedrHpcwhich the passage OF the
liz ,Nas urged. but the bill met with
various phases of defeat until the SEES
sions Of 1893, when early in the ses-