Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-17
SUFFRAGE RALLY
TOMORROW NIGHT
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, One
of the Speakers, is Well
Known Here.

Plans for the suffrage rally in the ball
room of the Hotel du Pont tomorrow
night, which is to be addressed by William
McAdoo former Secretary of the Treas
ury; United States Senator Selden p
Spencer of Missouri, and Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait, the widely known orator
and women's leader, went ahead rapidly
today. 1t is expected the ballroom will be
filled to overfiowing and there is some
question whether the duBarry room over
looking 1t may be called into service as a
balcony.
The local committee in charge of the
arrangements for the rally is composed
of Mrs. John F.. Nields, chairman: Mrs.
Frederick +. Bach, Mrs. w. f. Bergland,
Mrs. Thomas w. Miller, and Mrs. Wilfred
Bancroft.
MIR. McAdoo's coming just at a time
when the national political campaign Is
beginning to warm up and while his own
name is being mentioned for the Presl-
dency, is regarded as unusual
Senator Spencer is something of q new
conner in politics, and holds the double dis
tinction of having defeated former Gov
ernor Joseph w. Folk, long regarded as one'
of the "big men" in politics and having
carried a Democratic State-Missouri-
for the Republicans.
in September, 1862. He took his degree of
bachelor of arts at Yale In 1884. received
LII. ID. from Washington University in
1886, was made an honorary NJ. D., of the
Missouri Medical College, where he lee
tured as professor of medical Jurispru-
dence. and finally received degrees of
Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of
Literature from Westminster College
He was elected to the Missouri Legisla-
ture In 1S95-96, and then chosen to the
judgeship of the circuit court of st. Louis
in 1897. He served on the bench until
1908. During the late war he served in the
First Infantry of the Missouri Home
Guard, attaining rank of captain and ad-
iutant. He also was chairman of the dis
trict exemption board at St. Louis under
the selective service law. In November.
1918, he was elected over former Governor
Folk to the United States Senate by
majority .of $500, TO fill the vacancy
He is regarded as one of the best informed
and polished speakers in the Senate.
Added interest is given to the coming of
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait by the host of
warm friends she has won in Wilmington
and throughout Delaware by her previous
visits. Mrs. Gait is native of Wisconsin.
She was born at Ripon. She was educated
In the State Industrial College of Iowa,
however, and took special course in law,
besides being principal of the High School
and general superintendent of the public
schools of Mason City, Ia. In 1910 Mrs.
Gait became State lecturer and organizer
of the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association
She filled that post two years and since
then has been III the service of the Ma
tional American Woman Suffrage Asso- /
citation, of which she has been the presi- /
dent since January, 1916. She also has |
been identified with the International /
Woman Suffrage Alliance, of which she |
likewise became the chief executive.
According to records kept by Miss |
Mary R. DeVou, who has been writing a /
history OF the suffrage movement in /
Delaware, Mrs. Gait spoke in Delaware as
far back as 1897. At that time she par
ticipated in q meeting held in Dover. The
then strove to have both sexes
to the vote, but were defeated. |
1t is notable that at that time, % years /
ago, the names of 1900 citizens were OBJ /
tanned TO petition in favor OF equal suf- t
frage IN Delaware. OF the 2, 900, more than /
200 were residents of Wilmington
When the vote was taken on including q /
clause for equal suffrage IN the new consti- /
tuition, 1t resulted In II members of the /
convention opposed, seven /
In favor and six absentees
In 1898 Mrs. Gait again spoke In Della
ware; at that time she appeared In the
New-Century Club drawing room. In
connection with Mrs. Gait, Miss DeVou's
records also show that the late DR.. Anna
Howard Shaw and Miss Susan B. An
thony, known as the founder Of the suf-
frage movement In the United States,