Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-31
SUFFRAGISTS STORM
SENATE FOR BALLOT
Senator Owen Formally Pre-
sents Petition Demanding
Equal Rights at Polls.

WASHINGTON, July 31.-HVotes
for women" were demanded today by
delegations of suffragists from every
State in the Union. who besieged the
Senate chamber and bombarded the
Senators with petitions bearing thou
sands of signatures urging considera-
ton of woman suffrage constltu-
tional amendment.
The siege of the Senate followed
demonstration in the course of which
hundreds of women paraded from
Hyattsville, Md, through the country
roads and the city streets, down
Pennsylvania avenue and through the
capitol grounds. Members of the
Senate woman suffrage committee
which has already favorably report
ed the suffrage amendment, met the
petition bearers and rode to the
capitol with them.
Miss Alice Paul, chairman of the
legislative committee of the National
American Woman Suffrage Associa-
ton, officers of the association and
the Senate committee headed the par
ade. At the capitol it disbanded and
cloud of femininity fluttered into
the Senate wing.
Hush Suddenly Broken.
The dignified hush of the imposing
marble room just off the Senate
chamber was shattered by the de-
mands of women from various States
that their cards be taken to their
senators. The pages were busy for
the better part of an hour nurrying
senators from the chamber TO meet
their Constituents" armed with petit
tons.
After the petitions had been pre-
scented, the delegations flocked to the
galleries, where seats had been re-
served, and the woman suffrage sup
porters on the floor of the Senate took
charge of the demonstration Senators
owen, Ashurst, Poindexter, Jones,
Works, Lane, Smoot, Clapp. Thomas,
Shafroth and Hollis, made brief ad-
dresses indorsing the petitions.
Presents Petitions oficially.
Senator owen officially presented
the petitions to the Senate.
1.-THE reasons for this request on
the part of the women of the coun-
try" he said, ARE overwhelming and
unanswerable, and the time has come
when they must be considered with
dignity, with unbiased mind, free
from prejudice or passion, in the in
terest of the welfare of the human
race.
"I do not appeal to men from a
party standpoint, or call their at
tention to the erect which may be
expected to follow If either one of
the great parties should go SO far as
to insult the 3,O0O,0OO women who now
have the full suffrage in America by
contemptuously denying a right so
obviously just and so obviously nee
essary to the welfare, the progress
and the happiness of the people of
America, but will remind you that
a great party with high ideals, cast
ing over 1000, 900 votes last year, de-
clared for woman suffrage and the
question can no longer be ignored"
Tonight the suffragists will con-
tinue their demonstration at a ban
quet to be attended by members of
the House and Senate.
Practically every senator was
armed with a bundle of the petitions
bound with the yellow ribbon of the
suffragists.
Senator Smoot, presenting the Utah
petitions, attacked militancy in the
fight for suffrage.
Suffrage should be given, not to
the Pankhursts and the militant
radicals among our women" he said.
"but to those who follow in the wom-
anly footsteps of the American
pioneers for suffrage, Frances Ellen
Foster, Susan B. Anthony and
Others
Senators Jones. of Washington;
Thomas and Shafroth. of Colorado;
Gallinger Poindexter, Works., Of
California, and Ashurst followed