News Articles

SUFFRAGISTS ARE ACTIVE
REPORTS OF COUNTRY WORKERS REASSURING
Big Meeting Planned in Honor of Mrs. Duniway, October 22, Will Have Important Speakers

With the purpose of impressing upon one and all of the workers in the equal suffrage cause the necessity for redoubled energies during the closing weeks of the campaign, an extraordinary meeting of the state equal suffrage organization was held in the auditorium of the Journal building yesterday, under the presidency of Mrs. Henry Waldo Coe. Dates of future meetings were arranged, speakers settled and reports of organizers in the country received and commented upon.

Mrs. Olive Enright, of Salem, and Mrs. Stephen A. Lowell, of Pendleton, gave encouraging reports of the progress of the work in their respective spheres, while Mrs. Edythe Weatherred gave and account of the work she had accomplished in the past ten days in Wasco and Umatilla counties.

It was announced during the meeting that the Gipsy Smith Auditorium had been secured definitely for holding great suffrage rally on the birthday of the leader of the state organization. Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway, who will be 78 years of age October 22.

In addition to Senator Chamberlain and ex-Senator Fulton, Governor West has promised to speak, and Mrs. Coe announced that she was busy endeavoring to obtain four more important men.

Under the auspices of the College Equal Suffrage League a meeting will be held at 8 o’clock tomorrow night at Kenilworth, in Miller Hall, corner of Twenty-ninth and Gladstone streets.

The principal speaker of the evening will be A. C. Newill, while among the others to give addresses are: Mrs. C. B. Woodruff, Mrs. Helen Miller Senn and Mrs. John Tomilson.

Today there is to be a meeting on suffrage at Jennings Lodge, and tomorrow the Milwaukie and Oak Grove Association has planned for a rally at which W. C. Brownell will deliver the principal address.

Under the auspices of the Oak Grove and Milwaukie Equal Suffrage Society, one of the most successful meetings in favor of the cause that has ever been held at Oak Grove and that which took place yesterday. Addresses were given by Mrs. M. L. T. Hidden and Mrs. Helen Miller Senn.

Mrs. Senn read for the first time a poem on suffrage, which was received with applause.

MRS. OLIVE GABRIEL TALKS
Oregon Native Daughter Speaks on
Equal Suffrage.

Mrs. Olive Stott Gabriel, a native daughter of Oregon, but who has been a resident of New York for several years, and is associate editor of the Women Lawyers’ Journal, New York, addressed the Stenographers’ Equal Suffrage League, Monday night.

“In speaking of the value of cooperation of women I wish to remind you of the small percentage of labor represented in labor unions, yet their demands are always met by legislation and politicians, as is seen by laws enacted for their protection both in regard to safety of machinery, the matter of wages and sanitation,” she said. “Women, not having the ballot, have no force to use in presenting a petition to remedy conditions under which they labor.  The status of woman is greatly due to the prejudice that has grown out of her position under the old common law, which prevails with slight changes in all of our states.  Whatever liberty women now posses (sic.) is held only by courtesy, as the power to remove any of the enabling statutes is wholly within the voter’s province.  In only 14 states in the Union does a woman hold joint guardianship in the person of her child.  This does not give her a voice in the management of its property.”

Civic Duties Versus The Political Game

Ida M. Tarbell says one of her chief objections to woman suffrage is that “it will take the attention of women from what I believe to be their real civic duties by interesting them in the political game, when they should be concentrating their attention on specific civic work.”
All right minded women want this work done, but they differ as to the method. The suffragist thinks the ballot the panacea for all ills of society. The anti-suffragist believes that the constant and effective influence now exerted by women on legislation and public affairs is due to the character and intelligence of the women who advocate good causes. A woman now interested in a matter of public welfare is known to be unselfish and to have only the interest of her cause at heart. The same woman under woman suffrage is only one of many political units, with ignorant and indifferent women voters added to the other elements arrayed against her success.
A few women today are idealizing the ballot, while what will really solve Juvenile delinquency intemperance, the white slave traffic, and the social evil is education, education and more education in the homes and from the earliest hour of childhood, and therein lies the civic duty of women, bigger than the casting of any ballot, and absorbing enough to occupy all the women of Oregon for all time.
It is to keep the women of this state out of the ‘political’ game and leave them free for this greatest of all their duties that we ask you to vote against the woman suffrage amendment at the coming election.
The Oregon State Association Opposed to the Extension of the Suffrage to women.
Mrs. Francis James Bailey,
President.

College Suffragists    
                  Working Fervently

One of the most busy bodies of organized women in Portland just now is the College Suffrage League, with headquarters in the Selling building. The prime idea of this league is the education of people along suffrage lines and to this end the women are distributing thousands of pieces of literature, are daily sending out many letters and have in the field many organizers, for the college women are staunch believers in the strength of organization.
Just now Clackamas, Yamhill and Washington counties are being “covered” by organizers, both paid and voluntary, there being two of the former and about a score of the latter. These are the more thickly populated counties and everywhere the workers are meeting with encouragement. In some places the W. C. T. U. has preceded them and through its efforts the people have been educated to a point that it makes them ready for the heavier arguments. These people are favorable to suffrage in almost all instances. In places where they know nothing of the movement the people are passive and it is among these that much good work is being accomplished. The meetings are largely attended and the literature is eagerly sought.

The league has been represented at every fair held in the state this fall, including the state fair at Salem, Eugene, Greshma[sic], La Grande, Clatskanie, Albany, Corvallis, Nehalem, Baker county, Pendleton, Round-up, Canby, Ashland, Medford, The Dalles, Condon, tri-county fair at Prineville, McMinnville, Hillsboro, Dallas, Harrisburg. In all of these places headquarters were established, addresses were made, information was given and literature was distributed. Unlike much printed matter distributed at such places, it was noticed by the suffrage workers that their documents were really wanted and were taken home and read. 

SUFFRAGE WORKER
APPEALS FOR BALLOT

Mrs. Olive Stott Gabriel, associate editor of the Woman Lawyer’s Journal of New York city, addressed the Stenographers’ Equal Suffrage club last evening at suffrage headquarters in the Selling building.  Mrs. Gabriel is a woman of brilliant mind, strong personality and wide knowledge of matters social and politic.  She is a native daughter of Oregon, and is indefatigable in her efforts to bring about equal suffrage. Mrs. Gabriel said in part:

“I want first to remind you of the value of cooperation among women as well as among men.  Note the minimum number of men in the labor unions of today, yet see what they have accomplished by organized effort in enacting laws for protection, both in regard to safety of machinery, wages, sanitation, etc.  Women, not having the ballot, have no force to use in presenting a petition to remedy conditions under which they labor.  The status of woman is due to the prejudice that has grown out of her position under the common law, which prevails with but slight changes in all the states. 

“Whatever liberty women now possess is held only by courtesy, as the power to remove any of the enabling statutes is wholly within the voters’ power.  In only 14 states in the Union do women hold join guardianship in the persons of their children.  This does not give them a voice in the management of their property.  In New York city there are 100,000 school children that are on half time, while in Boston, where women vote on school questions and in Chicago, where Ella Flagg Young is school superintendent, a seat is provided for every child.  These are a few of the advantages which will accrue from suffrage.  The ballot is a responsibility, but it is also a privilege, and one which I feel sure the women of Oregon are anxious to accept.”