“Men Meet to Urge Woman Suffrage,”Oregonian, January 04, 1912, 14.
-Transcription
MEN MEET TO URGE WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Campaign Inaugurated to Get Electors to Support Vote for Women.
PROMINENT MEN SPEAK
First Meeting of Kind Ever Held in United States Is Marked by Addresses by Men in Many Different Professions.
“This is the first meeting of its kind that has ever been held in this country,” said Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway at the opening of the meeting for men favoring woman suffrage at the Commercial Club convention hall last night. “We are inaugurating a movement that I hope will spread throughout the United States—the organization of men, who have a vote, for the systematic work to secure a vote for women, who do not have it.”
W.M. Davis was introduced by Mrs. Duniway as the originator of the movement, and presided over the meeting, with Eugene Brookings acting as temporary secretary. Mr. Davis outlined the purpose for which he had called the meeting, saying that he purposed to organize with the assistance of other Portland citizens who favor woman suffrage, what might become the nucleus for clubs of men throughout the state to work actively for the passage of the woman suffrage amendment at the next election.
Many Professions Represented.
Members of the bar, judges, delegates from labor organizations and from the branches of the Socialist party in Portland took part in the discussion. Mrs. Duniway and Mrs. Sarah E. Commerford, of the Washington Suffrage Association, were the only women who gave addresses, although about 75 women were present. About the same number of men attended.
So long was the list of speakers that Mr. Davis announced about the middle of the session that he would postpone the actual work of organization until next week and would devote the remainder of the evening to discussion. C.B. Merrick, however, objected to this and his motion was carried to have a committee of five immediately appointed to draw up by-laws and constitution to report at a meeting next week.
In the appointment of his committee Mr. Davis named the following: C.B. Merrick, chairman; Eugene Smith, of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; F.C. Ramp, of branch 1 of the Socialist party; Dan J. Malarkey and C.W. Fulton. Mr. Ramp and Mr. Smith declined the appointment and in their place were named William Daly, president of the State Federation of Labor, and Alex Sweek.
Those who spoke were J.C. Mullen, C.W. Fulton, Dan J. Malarkey, D. Solls Cohon, F.C. Earp, representing the Socialist party; John Morganthaler, of Seattle, representing the labor organizations of that city; Judge C.U. Gantenbeln, E.E. Smith, vice-president of the Electric Workers’ Brotherhood; Judge T.J. Cleeton, M. Murdock, Rev. Albert Ehrgott, C.B. Merrick and Julius Kniespel, organizer for the German Socialists of Portland, and E.W. Carter, of Ashland. W.S. U’Ren, F.W. Mulkey and Judge Gatena were on the programme, but were unable to attend.
Campaign to Be Made.
After the close of the meeting the following men signed the lists for membership in the new organization for a men’s campaign in support of woman suffrage: W.M. Davis, C.A. Jordan, Eugene Brookings, Alex Sweek, P.H. Sherman, P.C. Nealand, Drewey Whinton, P.A. Trullinger, R.W. Trullinger, W.G. Courter, C.B. Merrick, J.D. Stevens, W.G. MacLaren, T.K. Ruddy, J.G. Arnold, W.C. Schnitt, D.C. Callicrate, R.N. Covantry, Paul Turner, Albert Ehrgott, F.M. Dempsey, W.C. Johnson, J.S. Lauer, W.J. Smith, Julius Kniespel, N.R. Landis, N.H. Bird, A.C. Black, W.H. Graves, E.E. Smith, E.W. Carter, of Ashland, and Wilbur Henderson.
Mr. Davis was assisted in calling and conducting the meeting by W.G. Henderson and I.B. Thompson, attorneys of Portland.