The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-05
Suffrage Organizer Addressed An
Enthuslastic Gathering Of Women
at Home Of Mrs. kibourne
Yesterday.
TO MEET ON MARCH 10
Organization VIII be Affected at
This Time-Says Suffrage 10
Not Failure in Other
Places. =.

The parlors of Mrs. Augusta Wells
k1lbOurne'S home at Third and High
street, were filled yesterday afternoon
at the meeting called in the interests
of equal suffrage. The company was
very representative one, and in
cluded a number of young women.
Mrs. Kilbourne introduced the speak-
er of the afternoon, Mrs. Gerald Nc
Dowell. as a representative of the
Iowa Equal Suffrage association and
also as her friend. The introduction
was informal but very gracious one
on the part of the hostess Of the
afternoon.
Mrs. Mcdowell is a woman of very
pleasing personality and in delight
full way which won her hearers, pre-
sented the arguments for equal suf-
frage and gave the history Of the
progress Of the movement
| At the close Of her address a par
tial organization was made. the or
| ganization to be completed at the
next meeting to be neld at the nome
Of Mrs. William Ballinger on Mon
day, March 10, at o'clock. Mrs.
Mcdowell will speak at this meeting
at Mrs. Ballinger's and the women
of the city are cordially invited to
hear her.
| MrB. mcdowell SAID:
| II find particular pleasure in the
meeting this afternoon for at last
have come to the city, because of
to work for suffrage. / have met so
many family friends that I do not
feel that any Of you are strangers.
Il became first interested in suf-
frage in Denver where Mr.. Mcdowell
and l went to live shortly after our
marriage. With the other women of
the city I took interest in the cleo
ton and it's issues and had gone with
my husband and registered, but be-
fore time for the election in Novem-
Der, business matters made it advis-
able for us to return to Michigan. In
the moving from one state to another
we both lost our votes and at that
November election the only member
of our household who could vote was
the colored man who worked about
the farm. Soon, Of course, my nus
bands voting privileges were re-
stored to him, but mine were not and
I realized how much l had appre-
ciated my right of franchise by los
ing It. I set about in a quiet way to
interest my friend in equal suffrage.
There are certain questions regard
ing which you can always be sure
just where women will stand, but
suffrage isn't one Of them because a
great many splendid women have not
thought about the subject and that
is why it is an educational cam
paign. 1t is not the purpose of the
women to do anything dramatic or
militant, but to study the question
and by that study we shall come to
know that it is one Of the greatest
measures before the public today and
| 10 Not New Issue.
This question Of suffrage for wom-
en- is not a new issue. In 1E47 Mar
garet Brent demanded a vote, be-
cause the owning Of property was the
requirement for eligibinCy to vote and
she was the largest property owner
in the colony. Property owners, both
men and women, voted in Massachu-
sets ninety years before the revolu-
ton. Abigail Adams in a letter to
her husband asked that he use his
influence in congress to secure fran
chise for women, and told him she
and her friends would refuse to obey
laws in the making Of which they
had had no part. In the early his
tory Of our government the men did
not have the right to vote and every
argument which is being made today
against women being given the vote
was used a hundred or more years
ago to keep franchise from the men.
During the revolutionary war period
little girls did not 60 to school; they