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LATESUSAN B. ANTHONY.Woman Suffrage a Live Issue^Bythe Late Susan B Anthony rLast. Half *Century Has Seen Emancipation of Woman—Former Unjust Laws Regarding Woman—If Married. She Could Not Hold Property Legally— Gradual Change of Public Opinion —Miss Anthony’s Successful Fight for Married Women’s Righto—Women Vote In Colorado.(Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)(Susan B. Anthony's neme la known everywhere as that of one of the strongest, cleverest women of the age. It is synonymous with the marvelous evolution in the status of woman in which from the early '40s until her death early In the present year she was the central figure. The transition of the young quaker girl, afraid of the sound of her own voice. Into the reformer and orator is no more wonderful tlian the great change which have been brought about in the condition of women largely through her efforts.)Half a ceptury ago, when the agitation for woman suffrage was first commenced, if the outlook ‘ for Us success had been what it Ib today, the question would long since have1 been settled, the friction of the new regime smoothed away and the general public oblivious to the fact that there ever had been a'struggle to bring all this about. The present generation has not the slightest conception of the conditions which existed at the time when the first demand was made that the ballot should be placed in the hand of woman. The wife who to-day rests secure In the ownership of the home and of all the property which .comes to her, who manages It herself and enjoys the profits r the other one who, compelled to work for wages to support her children, collects and uses them according to her judgment; the mother who, widowed by death or divorce, rejoices in the possession of her children; the women who, in every possible vocation, are earning a livelihood and often a competence—all of these are in utter ignorance of the efforts which wore made by the women of the past to secure for them these privileges.Into the union, In 1890, with this provision in its constitution.Colorado m 1893 submitted to the voters the question of full enfranchisement, and it was carried by a majority of 6.237.In the territory of Utah the women voted on all mattera from 1870 to 1887, when they were arbitrarily disfranchised by act of congress. In 1895 full suffrage was incorporated In the constitution which was submitted to male voters only and received a, large majority. Utah therefore was admitted as a state In January, 1896, with women fully enfranchised.In Idaho, at the general election of 1896, a constitutional amendment giving women full suffrage was submitted to the voters. It was Indorsed by all four ot the political parties- and carried by a majority of 5,884.. •In Kansas ta 1887 the legislature passed a bill by a vote of 25 to 13 in the senate, and 90 to 21 in the house, conferring the municipal .franchise upon the women of the state.In Michigan In 1893 the legislature by a large majority gave municipal suffrage to women, but the’law was declared unconstitutional by the supreme court.In Montana in 1889 women property owners were granted a vote on all questions submitted to taxpayers. This same right was incorporated in the new constitution of Louisiana in 1898. Women can exercise thlB privilege atoo in seven' third-class cities in New York.In Iowa they may vote on questions of bonding the municipality; in Minnesota for library trustees; in Delaware in four towns for commissioners; in Mississippi on several unimportant matters. In Arkansas they have a voice in local option.No one who examines these statistics can fail to see a steady advance In the direction of woman suffrage, with no retrogression. In only one single Instance has the ballot been taken awuy from women after it was granted —viz., in the territory of Washington. This was done, after Its legality had been three times declared by different legislature, through a despotic and most unjust decision of the supreme court, which was In direct contradiction to the organic act under whfcj the territory was organized.The only logical conclusion must be that the advance will continue, and this is the more Irresistible because women themselves are developing so rapidly in education, business ability, organized' work, self-reliance and knowledge of public affairs. They are also becoming large property holders and taxpayers, and as such are demanding a voice in questions directly affecting their financial interests—a claim which public, sentiment is largely inclined to grant. The continued liolicy of om government has been to extend the suffrage, until now. all classes of citizens are enfranchised, with the one and only exception of women. In natural sequence they must be the next to receive the ballot. As has been shown above, the line is already broken in many places, and I ho movement under headway which must inevitably result in making ail women—subject only to such restrictions as apply to men—a part of the electoral body.But.” the question will be asked, “can you find any encouragement in (he defeats which the suffrage amendment has met when it hns been voted on in the different states? Yes, decidedly.In 1S67 such an amendment received in Kansas 9.070 affirmative and 19,857 negative votes. In 1894 it was again submitted and received 95,302 affirmative and 130.139 negative votes, a very considerable decrease in the percentage of the opposition.In Colorado in 1877 the vote stood 6,612 yeas, 14,1)55 nays; defeated by 7,441. In 1893 it stood 35,698 yeas, 29.-461 nays: nmajority of 6,237 in favor— women were enfranchised.In Oregon in 1884 the vote Btood 11.223 yeas. 28,176 nays; opposing majority. 16,953. In 1900 it stood 26,265 yeas. 28.402 nays; the opposing majority only 2.137.In 1S89 the vote on a suffrage amendment in Washington-was 16,527 yeas. 35.913'nays; majority against. 19.3S6. In 1898 the vote was 29.171 yeas, 30,497 nays; majority against reduced to 10,326. -Sout.li Dakota In 1890 gave 22.972 votes in favor and 45.fi39‘in nnnnsitinn:a majority' against''of 22,660. In 18981 It gave 19,698 In favor. 22.983 against, the opposing majority being brought ■ down to 3,285.'Is ■ there- anything discouraging In these figures? Do they not show be-, yond all question by the- very great reduction of the opposing majority at each election the j gradual melting J. away pf what Hon. -John D. Long calls “the glacier of bourbonism and oppression?”-- The. Idea of woman suffrage has to encounter the opposing'prejudice and-..custom of the . centuries. These are particularly strong In the case of foreign men to whom the thought of liberty and equality for women is a revelation which they are not prepared to accept- by their votes. The bitter hostility of those classes who may be described under the general term of enemies of good government, always must be counted as solidly against this measure. The third line of opposition is found in the natural conservatism' of even the Intelligent and respectable classes among ’.a native born. That all these adverse conditions, in the brief space of a few years, have been overcome to the extent Indicated by the above figures, Is as sure a guaranty as lt;could ask that In a few years more, counting upon the same ratio ot decrease, they will entirely disappear and the majority be transferred from the negative to the affirmative side of this question.Do I feel disheartened at the series of defeatB which this measure encounters in the various state legislatures? Not in the least. When the agitation for equal rights first began It waa almost impossible to have the question considered at all by legislative bodies. However, there always has existed among civilized men a greater or leas sentiment of Justice and chivalry toward women. When the latter would present their bills for suffrage, and also for the modification of some especially unjust law, the former would be thjown aside without debate and the latter eventually granted as a sort ot concession. When I remember that I myself and the small handful of women who were associated with me went up to the New York legislature, petition it\ hand, for ten years before we could get a law giving married women control of the wages they earned; when I recollect that a little band of women, headed by Lucy Stone and Rev. Anna Shaw, besieged the Massachusetts legislature ten years before they were successful in getting the legal right for a wife to be burled in her husband’s cemetery lot; and when I recall many other instances quite as outrageous I am not surprised that the yielding of the great fundamental power of the suffrage has been so long delayed.At first, as has befen said, legislatures refused any consideration whatever of.this question. Then it progressed to the stage of being taken up and made tho subject of ribaldry and abuse which seem incredible at the li resent day. Now It has reached the plane of dignified argument and It Is seldom that any legislature rejects such a bill without a certain amount of discussion. This question has occupied a full day’s session of the United States congress on several occasions. It was debated a few years ago for two days in a respectful manner in the Massachusetts house of representatives; it has been the subject of serious discussion in half a dozen legislatures within a rec period. At every session of the New York legislature a woman-suffrage bill In some form receives careful consideration and seldom falls to pass either the senate or the assembly by a largo majority. In all legislatures it Is no uncommon occurrence for the bill pass one house and frequently to be defeated in the other by a b margin. Sometimes only a vote for a reconsideration saves it from « plete success; sometimes It does carry and goes to the voters for ratification. Eleven legislatures have thus submitted the question and five have taker * this action twice, with an Increased affirmative vote, as has been shown.Is there any other logical conclusion to be drawn from these facts than that this progress will continue, and that, as public sentiment becomeB more enlightened, the justice and the need of woman’s vote more evident, and women themselves more importunate, one state after another will fall into line and grant their full enfranchisement?Wendell Phillips used to say: “When not only congress and the state legislatures, but alt the crossroads schoolllouses are debating the question of slavery, I know tbat~the cause will succeed.” The question of woman suffrage has now reached I point. There is seldom a day in the year that I do not receive requests, ranging froiy the great universities .of the country to the intermediate departments of the public schools, and from clnbs and societies of every description. for literature and other Information to be. used In debates upon this subject. The most casual reader must observe that there is scarcely an edition ot any of the great or small dally papers, or of the numerous monthly, periodicals, which d not contain articles bearing directly or indirectly upon this matter. This must be regarded as an Indication that it is a live, practical issue and one of general interest.These are the principal reasons, and an infinite number of minor ones might be given, why its advocates find ample ehcouragement in the outlook for woman suffrage.
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Big Timber Pioneer
Big Timber, Montana, US
Thu, Oct 03, 1907
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MT, USA 26 Jan 2024
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