Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-31
NATIONS WOMEN
PETITION SENATE
FOR THE BALLOT
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IUu I'LL U0IlUI
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dresses of welcome to the visiting dele
cations.
Speeches at Ball Park.
Speeches We're delivered at the ball
park by Senators Clapp of Minnesota,
Jones of Washington, Chamberlain Of
Oregon. owen of Oklahoma and Ashurst
of Arizona, Representative Smith Of
Maryland. Mayor Shepherd and Mrs.
Mary Ware bennett Of New York.
Senator Clapp took occasion to crit
icize Representative Hefiin of Alabama,
who recently attacked the suffrasists..
Senator Clapp said he felt ashamed OF
Mr.. Hef1n. In his address Mr.. Hef1in
spoke of the women of Solomon's day.
and Senator Clapp said he might ask
Solomon how to build temple, but not
to choose a wife for him.
Headed by an automobile carrying
Miss Paul, Miss Noyes. Miss Lucy Burns
and other members Of the Congressional
Union, the automobile parade then start
ed for Washington. In the second ma
chine were members Of the Senate suf-
were officers of the National American
Woman Suffrage Association, including
Mrs. Mary Ware bennett, Mrs. Rheta
Childe Dorr. Miss Helen Todd and Mrs.
Frances Bjorkman. The other delegations
were arranged alphabetically, according
to states
Reaching the city. the parade was
joined by mounted policemen. and pro-
ceeded along Rhode Island avenue to
18th street. then south to Pennsyl-
vania avenue. and then east to the
Capitol. In places the parade had
trouble proceeding because Of the trees
and other distractions across the
street, caused by the storm yesterday.
Presentation of Petitions.
The parade circled the north end of
the Capitol to the east entrance, and
there all the delegations alighted and
went into the marble room on the
Senate side. where the petitions were
delivered to the various senators. The
suffragists then went to the section
of the gallery allotted to them, and the
presentation of the petitions to the
Senate began.
The crowd of women that blocked the
entrance to the Senate lobby and
clamored for their senators taxed the
endurance of the attendants. There
were two women from each state, and
each woman had an armful of petitions.
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon, after
making speech lauding the suffragists.
was hurried out to the marble room
and confronted by women bearing half
a bushel of documents.
Get me a page to carry these to the
secretary of the Senate" demanded the
senator as the papers overfiowed his
arms and strewed the floor. They were
finally gathered up and disposed of.
Hurry to the Galleries.
AS rapidly as the women saw their
senators they hurried to the gallery
IN licfa 70 hn
Clapp, after presenting the Minnesota
petitions, made a stirring appeal for
the extension of the suffrage
Whatever the fate of this present
resolution may be-" he declared. tine
time is not far distant and is in
evitable. when the American people
will confer on the American woman
the only weapon by means of which
she can peacefully defend herself anu
her children-the ballot.
Senator Bristow presented the Kansas
petitions and Senator Smoot, In
speech arguing that woman suffrage
has proven feasible and brought good
petitions. He attacked mtlitancy In
the fight for suffrage, declaring that
in his experience suffrage has not and
should not interfere with the God-im-
posed duties of wife, mother and
daughter.
Suffrage should be given, not to the
Pankhursts and the militant radicals
among our women" he said. but to
those who follow in the wonsanly foot
steps of the American pioneers for
suffrage, Francis Ellen Foster, Susan
b. Anthony and others"
Owen Argues Benefits
Senator owen, who made one of the
principal addresses in the Senate, de-
clared that he presented the petitions
in mo perfunctory way" but because
he believed that woman suffrage will
be better for the government ITSELF
better for the states, better for county
government, better for city government,
better for the home, better tor the sale
guarding of the health of the people,
better for the safeguarding. OF the
rights, interests. happiness and general
welfare Of the children and the women
and the men themselves.
The reasons for this request on the
part of the women in the country, he
continued ARE overwhelming and UNI
answerable, and the time mas come Wnen
they must be considered with dignity,
with unbiased mind, free from pre1udice
or passion, in the interests of the well
fare of the human race. l do not under
stand how a man loving and honorlns
women. believing in their integrity OF
ethical sense, believing in their upright
character, believing in their rights as
human beings, can deny the overWhelm-
ing reasons justifying suffrage.
II do not understand how any man, In
the presence of God. can deny the
reasons for woman suffrage. II you
attempt to answer these reasons with
good conscience, it seems to me you
are compelled to yield to the righteous
demand of the women or America You
well know as students of history and
students of statecraft, that the ballot
is the right protective of every other
right, and. knowing this, how will you
deny women equal opportunities to earn
equal wages for equal labor:
Raise Mothers to Power.
The right of suffrage is justified by
every natural right, and cannot be de-
MED by conscientious. thoughtful, stud1-
Gus men, who desire TO deal justly with
ali human beings alike. | greatly de-
sire to see these rights established. in
order TO raise in dignity and power the
mothers OF this nation.
"Win YOU suggest that good women
will not vote and bad women will vote !.
This most untrue and unkind suggestion
has been emphatically and finally an
swcred by history. which demonstrates.
that the same percentage of women vote
as men, and that the vote of undesirable
women is an utterly negligible quantity
Women are not to be regarded as BRING
| ing to suffrage u preponderance of evi
but their vote has brought TO the use
the state an important influence in the j.
terest and well-being of children ne
| and stronger laws for the protection al
| advancement of the interests of Oh.
| dren. new and better laws for the pres.
walton of the public health. new al
| better laws for decency in the admins
tration and beautifsing of cities, an
marc worthy candidates bv all parr.p.