Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-10-19
sUFFRAGETTE NIGHT
Crowd at Masonic Bazaar Hear Aa-
dresses by Miss Lord of Boston and
Mrs. Burch of Washington

Last evening was suf1ragetse nisn'
at the Masonic bazaar ana 'hose ~
attendance had the pleasure OF list
: on;nq 70 two addresses on the sub
iects Hon Fred Birrell introduced
Miss Eliza Hardy Lord, OF Boston
who spoke first.
She said that it was a pleasure to
sneak to a Virginia audience as some
of her ancestors belonged to the Jam,
estown colony in 1909 and yet after
all those years of American ancestors
behind her she was yet without the
privilege accorded to the alien-born
She spoke of difficulties that had at
tended the advancement Of w"mer
and said that the first women who
received college educations were
deemed .unwomanly and unseXed, the
first woman who went to college be-
ing ostracised as dangerous and dis
reputable.
. Miss Lord was one of the first
American women to graduate from
college fifty years ago, and her
memory covers a period embracing
the struggle for woman's progress
as the same as those put-forth six
ty years ago against their education.
1t was said then that education would
degrade woman, separate families,
and ruin the nation, and the world.
Miss Lord referred to the fact that
Alexandria had been the scene Of the
activities of George Mason, the au-
thor of the Bill of Rights, which pre-
ceded the Declaration of Independ-
ence, and which was the foundation
of universal male suffrage and of a
constitutional form of government.
Now it is fitting that the spirit of
this document should be extended to
all the citizens, irrespective of SEX.
as doubtless the fathers Of our coun-
Try would ADVOCATE, were they with
us Eoda ay.s They were big and BROAD
minded enough to change with the
times.
Miss Lord reviewed the accom-
plishments of women where given
the ballot. They now vote in eleven
states and in Alaska. Suffrage of
some degree is accorded woman in
nearly every nation of Europe. Suf-
rage will be granted the English We
men. after the war. Recently eight
thousand women met in Germany
and asked for woman suffrage there.
All over the world suffrage is gain
ing. In our own land it is difficult
to be informed of its progress be-
cause information is not published
in the average newspaper along
that line. Were the people of this
country properly informed on the
suffrage question there would be lit
tie opposition to its extension. The
Century and the American Maga-
zines recently contained articles that
would be Illuminating to the women
of Alexandria as to the benefits to
themselves, their children, and the
community that would result from
woman suffrage.
The plan now favored is by con-
stitutional amendment, as being the
most direct, the surest and the most
dienifed. When a man talks of sub
mitting the question to the states,
upon inquiry you will ascertain that
he is not in favor of suffrage. Over
twenty of the 4s states of our Union
cannot amend their constitutions.
Mrs. w. Thompson Burch of
Washington also spoke for a few
minutes, emphasizing the growing
political power of women, who now,
with their four million votes, control
81 electoral votes. 1t is proposed to
use this power in the west to en-
franchise the eastern women. A wo-
mans political party has been or
ganized as the most efficient method
of defeating any party which op-
poses the enfranchise of women.