Goldsboro weekly argus., 1915-02-11
RIGHT OF PETITION
GRANTED TO WOMEN
Opponents of Measure SHED AT III
Some, Claiming That 1t Was only
Another Entering Wedge in the
Cause Of Woman Suffrage.

Cause OF Woman SunfaBes
(Raleigh News & Observer, Feb. 1O.}
What some are pleased to call an
other "entering wedge" in the cause
of woman suffrage, gained signal VIC
tory in the House yesterday when tha
body by vo e OF 68 to "a passed ths
Senate bill p1ogioing that women Prog
erty owners shall have the right of Pc
tition where elections are to be heio
in which taxes would be assessed
against their property. Different ahc
sundry metLC1s were used to GeIe&s
the bill bat ali such efforts failed AM
after the measure lad passed its see
o. reading and objection had bee1
made to its third roll call, the CHAM
pion of the measure, Mr.. Thomas
flushed with victory, called for sus-
pension of the rules and the bill was
enacted into law.
Mr.. Bowie called the bill another
suffragette measure and moved to ia
BILE it but Withdrew the motion which
opened up the foodgates and for al
hour the members listened to one o.
the liveliest debates of the session
Somehow or other the word got nolsed
around on the outside that anotheT
woman suffrage debate was on and IL
a very few minutes the galleries were
filled with the fair sex.
Mr.. Thomas warmly defended the
v;r1r hot txyac ms
to give the women the right to vote
but only the right to petition where
her property interests were involved
and where her land would be subject
to taxation. He declared that the Wo-
men should have their intests safe
guarded as we'll as the men and he
was tired of hearing the statement
that every time a bill came up in the
House with the name of woman in it
that it was an entering wedge for
woman suffrage. He wanted this bill
to stand on its merits. He said that
the women always stand for cleanl1-
ness, sanitation and morality and when
you educate a woman you educate a
family and he was always in favor o.
giving the child chande. "Will you,
thundered the gentleman from Anson
table the bill and vote it down simply
benause it carries the name of wo-
man."
Mr. Williams of Cabarrus wanted te
apprehensive over the encroachmen
of the fair sex as to exclude then
from the rights of petition.
Mr.. Witherspoon said there were
would stir things in the House, on
was the word fish, which would caus
a roar from the east, and the othe
word was woman, which always dis
turbed the gentleman from Ashe. H
said the Legislature of 1911 passed a
act allowing women to serve on schoo
boards and saw no reason why the
should be denied the right of petitio
under the provisions of the bill unde
consideration. He admitted that h
was an ardent woman suffragist an
was not ashamed of it.
Mr.. Page said he was not woma
suffragist but was supporter of tn
bill. He proposed to do nothing bt
what was right, just and equitabl
He warned those opposing this bi
that if justice was refused to wome
in this instance, in the protection
her property rights that the opponen
of woman suffrage would soon
overwhelpeed by the tide now sweel
ing toward them.
Mr. Mason in a calm dignifed MAJ
ner explained the source of this bi
and that its passage would clear |
matters. The Supreme Court had d
cided that woman was not a fire
holder, although the court was divid
on the question to 2, and this b
would clarity the situation. He d
clared that tbe opposition was takil
fright at nothing, that a woman G.
now sue her husband, can own b
own property and make her own wi
so Why not give her this right of pc
ton.
On call for the yeas and nays
bill passed second reading 68 to
Objection was made to spa ssing thi
reading, the rules were suspended q
the bill passed.