Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-14
WOMEN INVADE The CAPITOL
Delegations Argue Before Commit.
tees for Right to Vote.
DR.. ANNA SHAW is LEADER
Speeches Are Made by Mrs. Laidiaw,
mis-. o'Reiii,. Miss Aadams aad
Mrs. IIarprr---Ask Constita-
tionai Amendment.

WASHINGTON. March i5.-Loaders OF
the campaign for votes for women In
vaded the capitol in force today and
presented their arguments TO the nations
Legislators In advocacy OF an amendment
to the constitution to enfranchise women,
Hearings were given by a Joint committee
Of tho womsn's suffrage committee Of
the house. The committee rooms where
the hearings we're held were crowded to
their limit by women from various ciues.
Dr. Anna shaw marshalled the sur
fragette forces at the senate hearing.
Mrs. LaIdlaw assured the seven listening
senator's that the phalanx Of women was
not militant. but only "inslstent and per-
sistont.'
Ms. o'RciIIy for Wage Earners.
Probably the most determined speaker
was Miss Leonora o'Reilly Of New York.
representing the wage-earners.
I'VE don't want TO bluff YOU" said
shc. I'VE want the ballot for our own
good. We don't get half enough TO live
OH and yet VIC have got TO keep decent
You men make the laws 50 that when you
do wrong you get off, but when We women
do wrong we go TO the gutter and prison
We have heard the tommyrot given US by
Il ogislators. We know the game. You
men went this nation TO get rich. You
don't know that riches. lie in human
lives"
Or. Shaw asked the senate committee
10 recommend in case It did not report
the constitutional amendment an investi-
CATION Of woman suffrage in the states
which had granted IT,
A full attendance Of the house Judiciary
committee and the proponents Of six DIFF
ferent congressional resolutions giving
them votes marked the house welcome to
the suffragettes. Although representa-
tlves Raker (Cai), Lafferty Core.l,
Taylor (Colo). Mondell tWyol. Rucker
CColo.) and Berger (Wis.l. authors OF
suffragette resolutions. were there to
show their galisntry, Il remained for
Representative Garland Dupre of Louisi-
ana. to go to the limit OF consideration
for the fair sex. Mr.. Dupre is member
Of the committee. a suffragette pre-
empted his seat and he had standing
room only.
ssiss Jnae adams Talks.
Miss Jane Adams Of Hull House. Chi
cago. was the first Of nine speakers. She
argued that women. the inspiration and
active agent In many institutions Of
philathroplc reform, should have a voice
In the government. She said the care OF
the child and its protection was rapidly
becoming more a matter Of government
control and that woman. the mother.
should have q part In IL.
Miss oReIlly. addressing the house
committee. said:
I'VE OF the triangle fire In New York
know that after we were burned alive
for gain we went TO the courts for
justice and failed to get 1t.
I'VE want the ballot" she added, so
that we can stand before the legislatures
and courts on an equal footing with
men,
Mrs. Ida Harper recalled Colonel Roose-
velt's quotation from Lincoln in his Co
lumbus speech and urged IL as reason
for giving the franchise to women. Lin
coin said:
This country with its institutions be-
longs 10 the people who inhabit il. When
they grow weary they can exercise their
right and amend the con-
stitution.