Newark post., 1915-09-29
SUFFRAGE. DEBATE.
HELD IN WILMINGTON
Honors Go To Mrs. Hilles

Honors Go To Mrs. Hilles
The question, Shall Women
Vote?" was debated and decided in .
the affirmative last Friday even
ing before a crowded audience in
McCabe Methodist Episcopal
Church, Wilmington. Mrs. Flor
ence Bayard Hilles argued in the
affirmative, and Miss Emily P. Bis
sell in the negative. DR.. Charles
A. Wagner, State Commissioner of
Education, Professor Clifford J.
Scott, uperintendent of the Will
mington Public Schools, and Rev.
J. R. Stonesifer, pastor of First
Presbyterian church, were the
judges.
Mrs. Hilles, the first speaker,
was allowed 25 minutes. She
started the debate by saying eve
are supposed to be governed with
the consent of the governed, when
there are 100000 women in this
country who are disfranchised,
and many of them want to say
something about the conditions
under which they live"
One of her strong points was
that the women educators of Will
mington, a disfranchised class,
turn out the coming citizens of
that city. In II states and terri
tories, she said, suffrage is as
sured. She quoted several state
ments by Representative Edward
Taylor of Colorado, showing the eff
feet Of suffrage in that State. If
suffragists controlled Delaware,
she declared, the Delaware Indus
trial School for Girls would be on
a firm basis.
Suffrage is making the same
strides toward victory, Mrs. Hilles
continued as Florence Nightin-
gale made when she went out of
her home to nurse on the battle
field against the wishes Of her par
ents and friends and won by keep
ing at her work. Mrs. Hilles said:
There are 100000 working
women in this country. Do you
think for minute that they go out
from their homes to work for mere
pleasure? There are thousands
and millions of women who
haven't the protection we have,
and it is our place to go out and
help them. You can't do things
indirectly, and indirectly is not
the way to deal with things any
way"
Miss Bisell next took up the neg
ative side of the debate, speaking
for 25 minutes. She said the agi-
tation for woman's suffrage began
in 1850. To the audience she sub
mitted the question "If the major
ity of women want the vote why
haven't they succeeded in getting
it before this time?" AS a founda-
tion stone, she said, the vote was
not necessary for education, as
some of the larger institutions Of
learning were established by anti
suffragists. AS far as property
rights are concerned we are ahead
in Delaware. The statement was
made that nearly all the suffrage
states are wet" states. Miss Bis
sell said "The suffragists are sim
cere in their belief, but being sim
cere does not make it the right
thing.
perhaps we are ignorant and not
public spirited, but most of the
women who have done things in
this State are anti-suffragists, she
held. She stated that club women
can accomplish more without the
vote than they could if they were
voters. She spoke about some con-
ditions among the women voters in
Colorado and pictured them as be-
ing on a par with men voters.
Each speaker was given five
minutes for rebuttal, and each
made good points.
After hearing both sides the
judges withdrew for conference,
and 20 minutes later they reached
a verdict in favor of the suffrage
side.
Announcement was made by DR..
Josephine M. R. White de la Cour
that the annual meeting of the
Wilmington Equal Suffrage Asso-
citation will be held at her home
next Thursday night.