The History of Woman Suffrage Volume IV Part 131

The average monthly salary of the men is $61.42; of the women, $41.19.

Women in Utah always have been conspicuous in organized work. The National Woman's Relief Society was established at Nauvoo, Ills., in 1842, and transferred to Salt Lake City in 1848. It is one of the oldest a.s.sociations of women in the United States--the oldest perhaps of any considerable size. It has over 30,000 members and is one of the valuable inst.i.tutions of the State. The National Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement a.s.sociation has 21,700 members and in 1900 raised $3,000 partly for building purposes and partly to help the needy.[450] There are also a State Council of Women, Daughters of the Pioneers, Daughters of the Revolution, Council of Jewish Women, etc.

Thirty-three clubs belong to the National Federation but this by no means includes all of them.

FOOTNOTES:

[441] The History is indebted for this chapter to Mrs. Emmeline B.

Wells of Salt Lake City, editor of the _Woman's Exponent_, and president of the Territorial a.s.sociation during the campaign when Full Suffrage was secured. Valuable a.s.sistance has been rendered by Mrs.

Emily S. Richards of that city, vice-president during the same period.

[442] Committee: Lillie Devereux Blake of New York, Virginia L. Minor of St. Louis, Harriet R. Shattuck of Boston, May Wright Sewall of Indianapolis and Ellen H. Sheldon of Washington, D. C.

[443] Committee: Lillie Devereux Blake, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Caroline Gilkey Rogers and Mary Seymour Howell, of New York; Clara B. Colby, Nebraska; Sarah T. Miller, Maryland; Elizabeth Boynton Harbert, Illinois; Harriet R. Shattuck, Ma.s.sachusetts, and Louisa Southworth, Ohio.

[444] The officers elected were: President, Margaret N. Caine; vice-presidents, Lydia D. Alder, Nellie R. Webber, Priscilla J. Riter; secretary, Cornelia N. Clayton; corresponding secretary, Charlotte I.

Kirby; treasurer, Margie Dwyer; executive committee, Maria V. Dougall, Nettie Y. Snell, Ann E. Groesbeck, Phoebe Y. Beatie and Jennie Rowe.

[445] Vice-presidents, Mrs. Richards, Ann D. Groesbeck and Caroline E.

Dye; recording secretary, Rachel Edwards; corresponding secretary, Julia C. Taylor; treasurer, Margie Dwyer; executive committee, Cornelia H. Clayton, Margaret Mitch.e.l.l, Nellie Little, Theresa Hills and May Talmage.

[446] Mesdames Richards, Young, Bennett, G. S. Carlton, J. S. Gilmer, Romania B. Pratt, Phebe Y. Beatie, Amelia F. Young, Martha H. Cannon, C. E. Allen, Emma McVicker, Ruth M. Fox, Priscilla Jennings, Lillie Pardee and Martha Parsons.

[447] Hon. J. F. Chidester, chairman; A. S. Anderson, Joseph E.

Robinson, Parley Christianson, Peter Lowe, James D. Murdock, Chester Call, Andreas Engberg, A. H. Raleigh, William Howard, F. A. Hammond, S. R. Thurman. In addition to this committee those who sustained the women and pleaded their cause were Messrs. Richards, Whitney, Evans, Cannon, Murdock, Rich, Hart, Ivins, Snow, Robinson, Allen, Miller, Farr, Preston, Maeser and Wells. There were others, but these were the foremost.

[448] Mr. Roberts was elected to Congress on the Democratic ticket in 1900, although strenuously opposed by the women of Utah, irrespective of politics, but largely owing to the vigorous protests of the women of the whole United States, he was not permitted to take his seat.

[Eds.

[449] See Appendix--Testimony from Woman Suffrage States.

[450] In 1889 Mrs. Susa Young Gates established the _Young Woman's Journal_, a monthly magazine, as the organ of this a.s.sociation, although it was for eight years financially a private enterprise. The president, Mrs. Elmina S. Taylor, was her constant help and inspiration. The first year Mrs. Lucy B. Young, mother of the editor, then past sixty, took her buggy and traveled over Utah explaining the venture and securing subscriptions. Two thousand numbers a year were published. Of late years the business managers have been women. In 1897 Mrs. Gates made over the magazine to the a.s.sociation without any consideration, but was retained as editor. There were at this time practically no debts and 7,000 subscribers, which later were increased to 10,000.

CHAPTER LXVII.

VERMONT.[451]

Much credit is due to the New England Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation for the life and efficiency of the Vermont society. In 1883 this organization secured the services of Mrs. Hannah Tracy Cutler of Illinois for a series of lectures. At the close of these, and pursuant to a call signed by twenty-five citizens, a convention was held at St.

Johnsbury, November 8, 9, when, with the aid of Lucy Stone and Henry B. Blackwell, editors of the _Woman's Journal_, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe of Ma.s.sachusetts, and Mrs. Cutler, the State W. S. A. was formed.[452]

In over seventy towns and villages local committees have been appointed to distribute literature, circulate pet.i.tions and further the general plans of work. For the past two years the editors have been supplied with suffrage papers weekly or fortnightly.

Lecture trips have been arranged for the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, vice-president-at-large of the National a.s.sociation, Mrs. Zerelda G.

Wallace of Indiana, the Rev. Ada C. Bowles, the Rev. Louis A. Banks, Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, Miss Diana Hirschler, Miss Ida M. Buxton, of Ma.s.sachusetts, and Mrs. M. L. T. Hidden. Eighty appointments have been filled by Miss Mary N. Chase, A. B. Thirty conventions have been held at which valuable aid has been rendered by Mr. and Miss Blackwell, Miss Shaw, Mrs. Howe, Mrs. Mary A. Livermore and Mrs.

Carrie Chapman Catt, chairman of the national organization committee.[453]

LEGISLATIVE ACTION AND LAWS: Harvey Howes of West Haven was the only man in a convention called to amend the State const.i.tution in 1870, who voted to grant full political rights to women; 233 voted in opposition.

To secure to taxpaying women the right of Munic.i.p.al Suffrage, has been the special line of legislative work for the State a.s.sociation.

Pet.i.tions asking for this, with signatures varying in number from 1,225 to 3,616, and bills to grant it, have been presented in both Houses of the Legislature at nine biennial sessions, beginning with 1884. In every instance save one these have been referred to the Judiciary Committees.

In 1884 a Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill was introduced into the House by O.

E. b.u.t.terfield and supported by himself and Messrs. Adams, Henry, Stickney and others, but was lost by 69 yeas, 113 nays.

In 1886 a bill to permit all women to vote who paid taxes was introduced and strongly advocated in the House by Luke P. Poland. It was amended without his consent to require that they should pay taxes on $200 worth of property, and pa.s.sed by 139 yeas, 89 nays. In the Senate it was championed by Messrs. Bates, Blake, Bunker, Clark, Cushing, Foster, Pierce, Smith, Stanley and Swain, but was lost by 10 yeas, 18 nays.

In 1888 a Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill was introduced into the House by C.

P. Marsh, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, that gave a hearing at which the State W. S. A. was represented. Later, at a public hearing in Representatives' Hall, Henry B. Blackwell, Prof. W. H. Carruth of Kansas, Col. Albert Clarke, Mrs. Mary W. Foster and Miss Laura Moore urged the pa.s.sage of this bill. It was reported to the House "without expression of opinion." The friendly members on the committee were Messrs. Marsh, Ballard and Mann. In the debate which followed, these three, with Messrs. Southworth and Dole, supported the bill; and a letter was read from Amasa Scott, presenting arguments in its favor.

It was lost by 38 yeas, 192 nays.

Still later in this session a pet.i.tion signed by the officers of the State a.s.sociation asking that "property owned by women be exempt from taxation," was presented in the House; as was also a bill by Hosea Mann providing that, "The property, both real and personal, owned by women shall be exempt from taxation, except for school purposes." This was defeated without debate.

In 1890 a Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill was introduced into the House by Mr.

Mann and favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee, with reasons given "why the bill ought to pa.s.s," signed by Messrs. Thompson, Darling, Enright, Mann, Robinson and Smith of St. Albans. It was advocated by them, Smith of Royalton and others, but was lost by 99 yeas, 113 nays.

During this session a bill to incorporate the Vermont W. S. A., was introduced into the Senate by S. E. Grout. It was favorably reported from the General Committee, but was refused pa.s.sage without debate by 8 yeas, 10 nays.

In 1892 Wendell Phillips Stafford introduced the Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill into the House; it was made a special order and was championed by Messrs. Stafford, Booth, Darling, Enright, Martin, Taylor, Weston and others, and was pa.s.sed by 149 yeas, 83 nays. When it reached the Senate it was reported from the Judiciary Committee with a weighty amendment, and a third reading was refused by 18 yeas, 10 nays.

At this session Gov. Levi K. Fuller in his address, under the heading of Munic.i.p.al Suffrage, called attention to this question and advised "giving the matter such consideration as in your judgment it may warrant."

In 1894 the bill was introduced again into the House by Hosea Mann, who advocated and voted for this measure in four sessions of the Legislature. Four members of the Judiciary Committee were favorable--Messrs. Ladd, Lord, Lawrence and Stone. Its champions were Messrs. Mann, Burbank, Bridgeman, b.u.t.terfield, Fuller, Peck, Paddock, Smith of Morristown, Vance and others. It was defeated by 106 yeas, 108 nays.

In 1896, for the first time, a Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill was introduced into the Senate, by Joseph B. Holton. It was reported favorably by the committee; ordered to a third reading with only one opposing voice; advocated by Messrs. Holton, Hulburd, Merrifield and Weeks, and pa.s.sed without a negative vote. When the bill reached the House it was reported from the Judiciary Committee "without recommendation." It was supported by Speaker Lord, Messrs. Bates, Bunker, Childs, Clark, Haskins, McClary and others, but a third reading was refused by 89 yeas, 135 nays.

In 1898 pet.i.tions for Munic.i.p.al Suffrage signed by 2,506 citizens were presented to the Legislature and a bill was introduced into the House by E. A. Smith. This was reported by an unfriendly chairman of the Judiciary Committee at a time when its author was not present, and was lost without the courtesy of a discussion.

In 1900, pet.i.tions for Munic.i.p.al Suffrage for Women Taxpayers were presented to the Senate; a bill was introduced by H. C. Royce, and at a hearing granted by the Judiciary Committee Henry B. Blackwell, L. F.

Wilbur, the Hon. W. A. Lord and Mrs. E. M. Denny gave arguments for it. Adverse majority and favorable minority reports were presented by the committee. By request of Messrs. Royce and Brown, the bill was made a special order, when it was advocated by Messrs. Royce and Leland; but a third reading was refused by 13 yeas, 15 nays. Later in this session, a pet.i.tion signed by the officers of the State W. S. A., asking that "women, who are taxpayers, be exempt from taxation, save for school purposes," was presented to the Senate. This was, by the presiding officer, referred to the Committee on the Insane.

The names of all members voting for suffrage bills have been preserved by the State a.s.sociation. The names of the opponents pa.s.s into oblivion with no regrets.

In 1900 a bill was presented, for the second time, by the Federation of Clubs, providing for women on the boards of State inst.i.tutions where women or children are confined, but it was killed in committee.

In 1884 the law granting to married women the right to own and control their separate property and the power to make contracts, was secured through the efforts of the Hon. Henry C. Ide, now United States Commissioner in the Philippines. Since 1888 their wages have belonged to them.

Dower and curtesy were abolished by the Legislature of 1896. Where there are no children the widow or the widower takes in the estate of the deceased $2,000 and one-half of the remainder, the other half going to the relatives of the deceased. If there are children, the widow takes absolutely one-third of the husband's real estate (homestead of the value of $500 included) and one-third of his personal property after payment of debts; the widower takes one-third of the wife's real estate absolutely, but does not share in her personal property.

The Court of Chancery may authorize a wife to convey her separate property without the signature of her husband. The husband can mortgage or convey all his separate property without the wife's signature, except her homestead right of $500.

The law equalizing the division of property to the fathers and mothers of children dying without wills, was secured by Representative T. A.

Chase in 1894.