Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-03-28
Greatest Lobbyist in Montana's History
Was Woman Who Sought Right to Vote

Great green bouquets Of bt1s
have been tossed around Helena
by lobbyists" other seekers after
SEINE podding at the hands Of Ieg-
hlatoFs have piled the lAwmakerS
with wine, women and song, and
some optimistic souh have tried
gentle persuasion and sound rea-
soninx bat
The greatest lobbyist IN Montana
was . woman, . suffragist who In
1883 BY ~buttonholing" almost put
freak proposal over on the
legislature that Of giving the
This woman nearly won the right OF
permitting women OF the state to vote
when the constitution was adopted in
1889. The suffragist who came neal
putting one over" on the makers OF
the constitution was the wife of Perry
w. Meadow. one of the delegates, who
before she was married, had operated
real estate office at Billings. Her
maiden name was Tomlinson, and she
was popularity known as Captain
Tom"
She is believed to have been the
first business woman Of the state ano
after she married she had a large
share in the management of Meadows
AopottSa A1olSC AlllllC llSdl N1dluSll, d.
her husband was cripple from
paralysis. She is said to have taken
the 120-mile stage ride from Billings
to Maiden scores Of times in behalf
of her husbands interests.
Wanted to Vote
This woman, who played a mans
as well as a womanS part in the
world. wanted the vote for herself and
the sisterhood of women and when the
constitutional convention was called
she accompanied her husband to Hell
ena. She opened. Immediately. her
campaign for suffrage, but she was
delegates as they passed in and out
of the county courthouse where the
convention was held as the sergeant at
arms refused to permit her to carry
on her propaganda on the floor. and
the delegates, as body, refused TO
hear her. The greater part Of the time
she occupied seat in the foremost
row of the balcony and she became
conspicuous from her habit of leaning
from delegate that might indicate
how he stood on the question OF votes
for women
There were 80 democrats and 81
republicans among the delegates. and
Mrs. Meadow undertook to obtain an
interview with each of the rs. For fear
the cause might become a partisan
issue she buttonholed a democrat and
republican alternately.
Nearly Won Cause
Captain Tom" nearly succeeded IL,
her campaign to strike out the word
male" in the section relating to suf-
frage and inserting the words without
regard to sex" after the word person
The most determined opponents OF
suffrage for women did not realize
how near the cause had come to WIN
ming out until they discovered that
Mrs. Meadow had obtained pledges
from nearly half the delegates of each
party. Immediately there was a gath
ering of the clans and the leaders
roundly scolded the more accommo-
dating delegates for yielding to .
woman's wiles.
Maj. Martin Maginnis and Joseph K
Ioole. known in history as the first
elected governor of Montana. addressed
the convention, denouncing and ridi-
culing the proposal to give women the
vote. When the vote was taken it was
40 to Is against equal suffrage After
that Captain Tom" was seen no longer
In the balcony or the lobby, but the
next morning there was bouquet OF
roses on the desk of each delegate
except where Major Maginnis and
Toole sat On their desks were bouquets
of thistles.
Blue Laws Advocated
The leaders of the convention were
determined that nothing of freak
nature should enter into the constitu-
ton, but equal suffrage was not their
only worry. A memorial from the
Methodist conference was presented
praying for clause prescribing a strict
observance of the Sabbath and ever
among the delegates themselves there
were advocates of "blue" laws. Pro.
hibition was not yet an issue, but this
Methodists wanted to close the saloons
and nearly everything else on Sundays
by an adamantine provision of the
constitution.
A great variety of occupations were
represented among the delegates, bui
the lawyers were probably IN a ma
jority. Some of the lawyers were brim-
full of pet ideas and had all theil
suggestions been incorporated the con-
stitution of the state would be as large