The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-08-28
Women Held Crowd
Talking for Ballot
From Saturdays Daily.

About twenty-five women at
tended the meeting held at Mrs.
J. w. Andrews home this morn
ing. Much of the same ground
which was gone over last night
was covered again. Mrs. Hamiin
told Of writing to the Legislative
candidates in the county asking
what stand they will take on the
suffrage bill, which will again be
presented at the next session OF
the legislature.
Two Of the candidates, Or. j.
w. Andrews for the senate, and
II. o Thompson for representa-
tive have signified their inten-
ton to support the measure. Alec
Hanson, who is a candidate for
reelection, voted for u at the
last session, and w. A. Just,
candidate for reelection voted
mo" on the bill.
The committee has not heard
from J.. G. Gerlich or John n.
Holman, the first a candidate
for the house, and the latter for
the senate.
Mrs. LELAND In her address
said that the object of the meet
ing this morning was to get the
women to work for sieners OF
the petitions which are being cir
cuiated through the state, and
which will be presented to the
legislature asking that the voters
of the state be given the privi-
lege Of voting on the suffrage
question.
"Aint il fierce, we amt got no
Tag" was the remark made by
john Smith to George Washington
NJ The army OF the thirteen colonies.
George replied that il was and later
ON remarked TO Betsy Ross that
il was fierce" that there was no
flag. Betsy replied. Here, you hold
the baby and I'll make one which
she did and the baby" was well
taken care OF wen though Betsy
did take the time to make a flag
for her country.
Miss Mildred Hessian of st. Paul,
who was one OF the party of suffra-
gets who came to Mankato yester,
day afternoon. and who spoke from
an automobile at the corner of Sec
und and Walnut streets last wen
Ing. told this story and Immediately
N.,n hn- nrIinnnn Whn ctannd IN
her further arguments with interest
ana enthusiasm. Miss Hessian was
the youngest member of the party
and is a student at the teachers
training school in St. Paul.
Others who spoke were Mrs. Len
ore Austin Hamlin, who Is chair
man of the expedition. Mrs. Andreas
LELAND of Minneapolis, and Mrs.
Edgar II. Loyhed of Faribault. The
talks last night were given from
and there was a very
large crowd gathered to hear the
arguments advanced. Literature was
distributed by the party and little
badges bearing the words Votes
for Women were distributed.
Large Meeting Elsewhere.
In her Introduction, Mrs. Hamlin
spoke of the large meetings which
had been held in the other towns
which had been visited by the party
and then wen on with an explana-
tiOn OF woman's suffrage. She gave
the history of the so-called suffrage"
bill which was lost in the senate
two years ago and stated that the
suffrage workers have written to
every candidate for the legislature
and for the senate asking how they
stand on the subject. From these
candidates the equal suffrage forces
have received $50 communications
stating hat the candidates who wrote
them will pledge their support to
a similar bill at the next session.
Mrs. Hamlin mentioned the names
OF a representative from this dis
trict and a senator from an adj
jacent district who opposed the bill
at the last session.
In closing her remarks Mrs. Ham.
lin stated that il is the women
of the country who have In the
past and now have the health in
terests OF the people keenly in mind
and that in order To make the
sanitary and health conditions what
they should be, the women should be
given the ballot. She believes that
If women we're permitted to state
their opinions through a ballot they
would have much more time to de-
vote to their homes than they now
have.
Mrs. LELAND took up some of the
objections which are %oftenest heard
against suffrage. She first spoke
Of the threadbare objection that wo-
men would have to be away from
their homes SO much IL they voted,
and answered 1t by saying that It
would take not more than one hour
in two years, and mentioned that
church takes more than that time
each week.
The Indirect Influence"
She then took up the question Of
indirect influence being SO power
full, and showed that Il was not
all powerful by telling of the wo-
mems clubs of st. Paul trying to
get five different bills which tended
toward public welfare through the