Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
SIX SUFFRAGE
CAMPAIGNS IN
SOUTH DAKOTA
For Twenty-Eight Years the Wom-
en- Have Fought for the
Right of Franchise.
REMINDERS OF EARLY BATTLES
The Picker Ward Incident in Wa
tertown-Mrs. Helen Gou-
ger at Highmore
REMINDERS OF EARLY BATTLES

edwin c. Torrcy, MINI. Journal)
Amendment L. TO the constitution
Of South Dakota was ratified by the
voters last week. The amendment con.
sisted of three distinct propositions,
all relating to suffrage, and if found
valid by the courts, the women of the
state will hereafter have the right 70
voting at all elections on equal terms
with men.
In its 2S years of statehood, South
Dakota has had six suffrage cam.
paigns, counting the winning one,
eliminating last week. The first in
1890 was probably the most interest.
ing. The constitution adopted in
October. 1889, directed the legislature
to submit the question at it's first
session after admission into the Union.
The s~uffragists lost this campaign,
though national leaders and speakers
toured the state from early spring I'M
til election day. Wyoming had adopt
ed equal suffrage and its advocates
We're hopeful that the %gallantry of the
young settlers of South Dakota would
carry them through.
Four years later, in 1894. suffrage
was defeated. and again in 1898, at the
M of another four year period. A
change of 1850 votes from mo" to
yes would have spelled success in
1898. This marked high tide for the
cause until the present year. A re-
action followed which postponed the
next vote until 1910 and was further
reflected in the decisive defeat of the
amendment of a majority of 22,419.
The s~uffragists did much better in
1914, but lost the campaign by IN adj
verse majority of 11,914.
The original suffrage campaign in
1890 attracted nation wide interest.
South Dakota had just adopted con-
sttutional prohibition and it was felt
that there was really a chance for
suffrage to win. Lucy Stone, Susan
b. Anthony, Anna Shaw. Helen NJ.
Cougar, Mrs. Wallace, and other
came out from the east to campaign
for it, INC there was a capable body
of state women marshaled under Mrs.
Fl. M. Barker. long the president Of
the South Dakota associations; Mrs.
Emma A. Cranmer, in her turn head
of the state association n chief of
Johnson. mother of the present con-
gresham from the second district;
and Mrs. Picker, wife Of one of the
congressman chosen at the first cleo
ton under the constitution. Major
Picker himself was an ardent sup
porter of votes for women and was
often called "old Petticoats.' The
sobriquet lost some of its force after
the famous retort of Major Picker to
General A.. B. Ward in a republican
convention at WATERFOWL in 1888.
The majors reply could not well be
put into the record, out it sauelched
the general and threw the convention
into transports Of delight.
the early stages of the campaign and
lspoke in the rickety old ''operahouse.''
She was then advanced in years, spare
of form and rather angular Of feature.
Her silver white hair was conbea
smoothly down the sides of her head
and gathered in a small knot at the
back. Her dress was severely plain
and she looked as though she had
stepped from some old daguerreotype
But her eyes bespoke the spirit that
famed up when her favorite theme
Twas under discussion.
Miss Anthony took par t in the or
ganization OF the Equal Suffrage club
of Aberdeen, the first formed in the
northern half of the state. S. III
Cranmer, now all attorney of Mime
apolis, was chosen president, and Z
r. Baum, who was later to win fame
las the author of the ''Oz' books, sec
rotary. The press generally hostile
to the suffrage movement, did mol
hesitate to criticize Miss Anthnoy
ssShe was not eloquent, nor Witty, no
brilliant, said the Argus-Leader Of
Sioux Falls, but prosaic and some
what tedious"
The star speakers Of this memorable
campaign were DR.. Anna Shaw and
Mrs. Cougar. Both made many con
verts. The former often spoke to out
door audiences numbering thousands
Mrs. Cougar usually commander !
large hearing. Her rapier thrusts
sometimes excited opposition and
partly III consequence. u few regret
able incidents marked some D he
meetings. Thus at Highmore prom
inent citizen led q dirtYEIndianNwith /
blanket up the aisle OF the hall wher,
Mrs. Cougar was speaking and PLACED
him on chair in front 81 the plat
form, after first assuring him that q
suuaw dance war ii progress. Whei
Mrs. Gougar laid on with verbal ham
liner ana tongs and declared that tn
Indian Man more = 4 gentleman thar