Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-07-30
POPULAR SPEAKERS
EXPOUND SUFFRAGE
Adrian Lyon Says Men Should
Show Cause Why Women
Should Not Get Vote.
REV. Mr.. WESCOTT SPEAKS
Mrs. ]. {. Fries Also Adds EIo-
quenCe to SesSion-About
100 in Palace Hall.
lEV. Mr.. WESCOTT SPEAKS

cause why women should not be
Adrian Lyon in an eloquent address
On behalf of equal suffrage for
women at a meeting arranged by
Mrs. j. E. Fries, of Glen Ridge, who
has been in this city for the past six
weeks conducting an ardent propa-
ganda for the state suffragist organ
ization. The former judge made it
plain that If he were presiding over
a court of common justice and WAS
unhampered by law he would with
out parley allow rule to show
cause" speaking in legal phrase
ology, why women should not be
given the right to vote And &C
cording to the former jurist, man,
the defendant, would not be able to
prepare a sufficiently reasonable
answer, and women would gain their
right of franchise.
The speaker was one OF five who
addressed an Assem- blage of about
one hundred at Palace hall. Rev. ].
Wilbur Westcott, combining grace
and humor, delighted the audience.
Judge A. A. de Bonneville, of Bay
onne, and his wife presented logical
arguments for the suffrage cause,
and Mrs j. E. Fries added no little
weight to the many arguments as to
why women should vote.
Most of the auditors were women,
but there was a fair sprinkling of
men. There were probably ten from
the Central Labor Union, several at
torneys and nearly a score others of
masculine persuasion. The meeting
was interrupted several times by
MAIDS Christensen, State street
tailor, who seemed to desire to add
his arguments for "The Cause" He
became SO persistent that finally he
was led from the hall and the suf-
frage session continued peacably.
Mrs. Fries, who came here the lat
ter part of June, went to New Bruins
wick, today to attend a meeting of
the state organization for the promo
tion of woman suffrage. She will
1lae,all : lR0l1p Glen
ID this city again
later. She, with other speakers, sat
on the platform. Miss E. Cameron,
chairman of the enrolment commit
tee of the state organization, WIS
also on the rostrum but because OF
the number of available speakers
gave no address. In the absence of
Mrs. Ruth Benton, president Of the
Equal Suffrage League of the Am
boys, which has assisted Mrs. Fries
materially, the vice president of the
local body presided and introduced
the different speakers.
Former Judge Lyon declared that
he held no brief for equal suffrage
but that he believed in votes for
women and had believed in woman
suffrage for the past few years. He
said that his experience at the bar
and on the bench brought him to the
irresistible conclusion that the ri-ht
of franchise should be extended to
women.
Man should be compelled to show
cause why women should not be
given the right to vote" he declared
with emphasis, stating the burden of
proof would be upon man.
The former judge harked back to
three years ago when the Republican
National Convention was in session
and asked the pertinent question
why women of higher intelligence
are not allowed to vote when igno-
rant negroes of the south are al
lowed to cast a ballot in selecting
president of the United States. (The
former jurist was a Roosevelt dele
gate.)
The conservation of the interests
of home, the family, religion and ed
uc-tion the speaker declared the
highest attainments of govern
ment, and contended that the high
est development could be only ac
complished by allowing those who
form the nucleus of the home and
family interests take part in decid-
ing the means of such accomplish
ment.
Rev. Mr.. Westcott declared that
for happiness in the home there must
be equality of opportunity and re-
sponsibility He declared we admit
this equality and responsibility in the
hone, business, education and at the
bar of justice. He set forth that
women are compelled to obey the
same laws as man and are liable to
the same punishments. He said that
the same holds true as to morals.
we suffer regardless of sex. The
speaker asked If it were not common
sense IOE WOIlcn W UG dilOW6Q an
equal opportunity in making laws,
when she bears equal responsibility
in the different walks of life, gov
erned by those laws.
The speaker gave a number of
reasons why he believes in equal
suffrage, as follows: Because of
common decency. He declared 1t
would have a purifying effect and
dignity elections. There would be
housecleaning before women would
go to the polls to vote; they wouldn't
vote in barber shops and stables"
he declared, after recountfng some
of the filthy polling places he had
encountered.
Because it is matter of common
justice Ridiculous. he claimed, to
allow women to hold property and
give them no voice In governing the
status of that property.
Because of the reasonableness OF
woman suffrage. Eve live in a
democracy where its perpetuity is
dependent on the intelligence of the
voters" he said. I'VE let boys
twenty-one years old vote; foreign
ers who have been here five years,
but deny the right to our mothers
| and wives
CONTINUED on page 81
=