The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-18

The state suffrage workers are
holding their annual meeting today
in this city at the Civic Centre. The
session opened this morning at 8
o'clock with a large number Of dele
gates present.
& Nearly every county in the state is
represented at the meeting today and
every delegate, will have many ideas
to take home for the carrying out Of
the state suffrage campaign for 1914.
Welcomed by Hardy.
The session opened at 8 o'clock this
morning with an address of welcome
given by j. P. Hardy, secretary of the
commercial club. The response was
given by Mrs. Hopes of Darlington.
The appointment Of the committee
for the election Of the states officers
which will be held late this afternoon
was held and the committee consists
of Mrs. T. D. easy of Dickinson, Mrs.
Holbrook of Rugby and Mrs. H. G..
Rasmussen Of Wahpeton.
= Reports of the committees were
given and in the treasurer's report it
was found that $500 had been given
for the suffrage campaign but $4,000
more is needed. County subscriptions
were called for and also personal sub
scriptions.
MISS Rankin Speaks,
Miss Rankin spoke as follows on
the federal amendments: .....
From the inception Of the suffrage
agitation in 1S48 until the close OF
the civil war; the efforts of suffragists
were directed toward altering the
individual state constitutions, no at
tempt being made to obtain the fran
chise through the national congress.
At the close of the civil war, however,
this policy was changed and attention
was centered upon the national con-
stitution, under which, it was argued,
i women were already entitled to vote
as a result Of the civil war amend
+ ments. This claim was, for the time
being, made the basis of. all suffrag
work. In their contention, the suf
fragists were supported by number
of eminent lawyers and by members
of congress. From 1869 to 1875, suf-
frage leaders sought from every con-
gress a declaratory act enabling Wo1u-
en- to vote under the 18th and 18th
amendments. A minority report Te-
commencing such declaratory act
was made by a committee Of the house
AZ Representatives in 1871. but no
f0TtheS action was taken by. eithe@
bronch of congress-. ~;
mot only did the .suffragists press
their claim in congress, but they also
tested the matter by actually voting.
Attempts were made to vote in local
and state elections in 1870 and 1871,
and in many parts of the country, in
the general election of 1872. In some
cases the votes were received. In
others they were rejected. The issue
was brought to test in 1875, in the
case of Minor VS.. Happersett. 1t was
then decided by the United States
METnrnry1n hnf
enfranchised under the, civil war
amendments. Since this decision the
activities of suffragists have centered
upon obtaining an amendment to the
national committee and to the state
constitutions .... . -. .
In the national congress but small
progress was made until very recently.
Only once has the subject been dis
cussed and brought to a vote. This
was in the senate in 1887 1t was then
defeated, with sixteen votes in the
affirmative, thirty-four in the mega
tive and twenty-six absent. In the
senate the suffrage measure has six
times received a favorable report from
the majority Of the committee in 1882,
1884, 1886, 1890, 1892 and 1918. On one
occasion, in 1879, it received a favor
able minority report.
In the house it has only once, in
1890, received a favorable majority
report. A favorable recommendation
was made. by the minority, however,
in 1871, 1883, 1884, and 1886.
Prior to the present year there had
been no favorable report in either
house since 1892, and no report of any
kind since 1896. '.a,....,t
The great suffrage leader, Susan B.
Anthony, spent the congressional sea-
son from 1879 to 1891 inclusive, in
Washington. 1t was doubtless largely
due to her constant work that so many
favorable reports were made in con-
gress during these years. After she
agave up the Washington work, the
movement, as far as federal action
was, concerned. has been at stand
still.
In the meantime, however, great
gains have been made in the individ-
ual states. When the first suffrage
conference was called, in 1s4s, there
was only one place in the country
IN Kentucky where. in 1888. school
suffrage had been given to widows
with children of school age. Since
that time the franchise has been
gradually extended by act of the state
legislatures and by amending the
state,eonstitutions until at present wo-
men have the full vote in nine states:
Wyoming, Colorado, Utah. Idaho,
Washington, California, Oregon, Ari-
Eolla, and Kansas, and in one territory,
Alaska. In the state of Illinois they
have the vote for all non -constitu-
tionah offices. In addition they have
school suffrage In eighteen states, tax
paying suffrage in four states, and
. bond suffrage in two states.
During these past years the state
has undoubtedly offered the line Of
least resistance for suffrage work.
The fact that about 100000 women.
are now able to vote for president has
hrought close at hand the time when
the slow and tedious process of win
ming the vote state by state can be
ehortelled by the direct cut Of federal
aetipns
in view of this new situation the
National Suffrage association is now
concentrating upon the work for a.
federal amendment. For the first time
I'M many years 1t has, through it's
congressional committee, opened
Headquarters In washington. Every
effort III is being made to secure the
passage Of the amendment during the
present congress. .5a
s,Tfle first measure introduced in
this congress was the Joint resolution
presented In the senate by Senator
Chamberlain of Oregon. and In the
house by Representative Mondell Of
]. Wyonaing, providing that:
ss sssection /. The right OF citizens.
og the United States to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any state ON account Of