Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-08-19
25,0OO,OOO VOTES

| ton OF the suHraSe amenument u
the Constitution sends a struggle
which began in this country before
| the Colonies declared their indepen-
dence. It will eventually enfranc-
hise 25,o00.0o0 women.
Woman suffrage first raised it's
voice in America in Maryland in 1S47
| when Mistress Margaret Brent, heir
Of Lord Calvert, demanded a place
in the legislature of the colony as a
/ property holder of wide extent And
in the days of the Revolution Abb
gail Adams wrote her husband, John
Adams, at the Continental Congress
which was framing the laws Of the
infant nation that, 'if-in the new
laws-particular care and attention
are not paid to the ladies', we are
determined to foment a rebellion and
will not hold ourselves bound to
obey any laws in which we have no
voice."
Organized work for woman suf-
| frage began In the United States
with the Woman's Rights Conven-
ton in Seneca Falls, n. Y, 1S4s in
which was called by Lucretia Mott
;; and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, early
leaders Of Massachusetts and New
York, in response to the indignation
aroused by the refusal to permit wo-
men to take part in the anti slavery
convention of 1870 From the date
of that convention the suffrage
! movement in the United States be-
gan the fight that lasted seventy
years and ended with victory. An
other convention followed in 1852 at
Syracuse, y. Y. at which delegates
from Canada were present and it
was there that Susan B. Anthony
assumed leadership Of the cause to
which she devoted her life.
In 1859 the National Woman Suf-
frage Association. with Miss An
thony and Mrs. Stanton at it's head
vas formed in New York and in the
same year the American Woman
Suffrage Association was organized
in Cleveland with Lucy Stone and
Julia Ward Howe as it's leaders. At
first differing widely in policy, the
National Association working to put
4. suffrage amendment through the
federal Congress and its sister or
sanization bending it's efforts to con-
vert the country state by state. the
two associations later united under
the name of the National Woman
Suffrage Association. The Associa-
tons drive for the vote was led in
turn by Mrs. Stanton, Miss Anthony.
DR.. Anna Howard Shaw and Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait, the latter of
whom is now its president.
The nineteenth amendment. which
bears her name, was drafted by Miss
Anthony in 1875 and was first in
troduced in Congress in 1878 by Sen
ator A. A. Sargent Of California:
ana 1t Is In the same language that
the new principle of the national
law reads:
Article Section /. The right
OF citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or ABRIDGED
by the United States or by any state
on account Of sex.
Section . Congress shall have
power. by appropriate legislation. TO
enforce the provisions of this a rtt-
Gle"
The amendment holds the record
OF being before the country longer
IMAM any other successful amend
ment to the Constitution. II was in.
troduced as the 18th amendment
and has been successfully the I'm
18th and 10Th and has been before
every session of Congress since it's
initial appearance
During the first 35 years after it's
Introduction into Congress the
amendment made practically no
progress and until seven Years nm i,
mad not been debated on the f,oor
Tor so years. But the campairn for
the movement was slowly but stead
hy gaming ground in the states.
Meanwhile Miss Anthony made a
test of the right of women IN cast
the ballot by going to the POLLS and
voting. She was arrested ana con.
vlcted and though she refused to nav
her me, was never Jailed. She he.
came. however. the forerunner of tho
mllitants" who adopted the forcaf,1
tactics of the latter days of the carr.
paign.
state after state gradually on.
franchised its women citizens, Re-
ginning with Wyoming in 1899 hv
1919 sixteen states had given women
me right to vote, and fourteen states
mad presidential suffrage previous TO
ratlncation of the amendment.
Militancy in the fight for suffrage
IN America made its at,pea "a nee
with the formation of the National
Womans Party In 1913. on the cve
OF President Wilson's inauxuratior,
5000 women led by Alice Paul nov
the chairman Of the party. attemnt.
cd to march from the Capitol to the
White House. They were hara ssed
by a hostile crowd which oyefran
an unssmpathetic police ana the
capital OF the United States had ITO
hrst experience with suffrage riots
Continuing their demonstration
over period Of seven years mem-
bers OF the women's party ~ppfcketed
the White House with banners IN
their hands and served terms in iail
for the disturbances Of the neacc
which grew out Of their parade. and
blockade Of the executive mansion
During the last few months before
the adoption of the amendment the
miiitants redoubled their exertions
several demonstrations were held ON
the steps OF the Capitol and on New
Years Day 1919 wa+cb Asa -