The History of Woman Suffrage Volume VI Part 21

Women thronged the capital. On June 2 the House pa.s.sed the Upton bill for State suffrage by 93 ayes to 17 noes. That same night a hearing before the Joint Committees on Federal Relations was held, which lasted five hours, with some notable speeches. S. O. Shattuck, Phanor Breazeale, Percy Saint, Judge Rufus E. Foster, Congressman Jared Y.

Sanders, Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Ba.s.s, Mrs. E. J. Graham, Miss Florence Huberwald, Mrs. Joseph Devereux and Mrs. M. R. Bankston appeared for the Federal Amendment, while the opposition was voiced by Senator Stewart, ex-Governor Pleasant, Miss Kate Gordon, and Miss Charlotte Rowe. On June 4, the Federal Amendment was reported favorably in the Senate. "Get suffrage out of the way" became the slogan, but neither side was ready to risk a vote. The Federal bill was pa.s.sed to third reading. On June 8 former Speaker of Congress Champ Clark addressed the General a.s.sembly and urged its ratification as an act of justice to women and a great benefit to Louisiana and the Democratic party.

The next day the vote on ratification was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 22 to 19 in the Senate while the Upton bill was returned to the House calendar.

On June 14, Homer c.u.mmings, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, wired Behrman urging his help on the ground of party advantage, to which the Mayor replied that he was doing all he could.

On June 15 the ratification of the Federal Amendment was defeated in the House by a vote of 67 noes to 44 ayes, and Representative Jordan then introduced a resolution definitely rejecting it, which was pa.s.sed by 60 ayes to 29 noes. The House declined to hear Congressman John E.

Raker of California on the ground that they had heard enough on woman suffrage. The Upton bill for a State amendment was defeated in the Senate by 23 noes to 16 ayes on June 17.

On June 18, Representative Conrad Meyer sought to re-introduce the Federal measure but permission was refused by 61 to 18, while a motion to re-consider the Upton bill pa.s.sed the Senate by 18 to 12. Every possible pressure was brought to bear by the Governor's forces to secure its pa.s.sage. All kinds of tactics and tricks were employed but on July 7 it was again defeated, lacking one vote of the necessary two-thirds. Those who were making the fight for the Federal Amendment finally appealed to Governor James M. c.o.x of Ohio, Democratic nominee for President, to use his influence. On July 7 he sent a telegram urging the ratification and saying that "the Legislature owed such action to the Democratic party." A strong effort was made to obtain another vote but it failed by 46 ayes, 52 noes, and the Legislature adjourned on July 8 with the record of having defeated both ratification and a resolution to let the voters decide on amending the State const.i.tution for woman suffrage. Senator Williamson issued a statement saying: "There was never a time during the entire session when Governor Parker could not have had the Federal Amendment ratified and he is the only man in the State who could have done it.

He had control of both House and Senate and when he went after anything with all his force he did not fail to get it."

The last day of the session Mrs. Holmes, chairman of the Joint Ratification Committee, went to Governor Parker and told him that she would place the blame where it belonged; that the women had helped put him in office and he had not stood by them, to which he answered: "Go to it." She therefore issued a statement on July 15 saying in part: "The responsibility for the failure of this Federal Amendment to enfranchise 27,000,000 women, including those of Louisiana, rests on Governor John M. Parker. This a.s.sertion is borne out by every woman who lobbied at Baton Rouge and by all the fair-minded men. It was in his power to secure ratification the day the session opened; it was in his power the day Woodrow Wilson wired and asked his support; it was in his power when Governor c.o.x sent his request. The women, who, in their zeal for a broad-visioned progressive leader of clean, honest characteristics, did all in their power to elect him Governor--those are the women who in sorrow today must realize that it is the only thing he stood for that he did not 'put across.'" ...

FOOTNOTES:

[57] The History is indebted for this chapter to Miss Kate M. Gordon, corresponding secretary of the National American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation from 1901 to 1909; president of the State Suffrage a.s.sociation from 1904 to 1913; president of the Southern States Woman Suffrage Conference from its founding in 1914 to its end in 1917.

[58] The gaining of partial suffrage for taxpaying women and this campaign are fully described in the Louisiana chapter in Volume IV of the History of Woman Suffrage.

[59] For full report see Chapter III of Volume V.

[60] Among the accomplishments of the Era Club were the following: Publication of the a.s.sessment rolls of New Orleans; admission of women to the School of Medicine in Tulane University; first legislation in the State against white slavery; the Southern States Woman Suffrage Conference; equalized division of Tulane scholarships between boy and girl students.

[61] Further matter on the Conference will be found in Vol. V, Chapter XXI.

[62] Among those specially identified with legislative work were Mrs.

Celeste Claiborne Carruth, Mrs. McBride, Mrs. Hackenjos, Mrs. Fred W.

Price, Mrs. Wooten, Mrs. Wallace Sylvester, Mrs. George Wesley Smith, Mrs. Lawless.

[63] The History is indebted for this part of the chapter to Miss Ethel Hutson, chairman of publicity for the State Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation from its organization in 1913 to its close in 1920.

[64] Other workers were Mrs. Lydia, Wickliffe Holmes, Professor W. O.

Scroggs, Mrs. C. C. Devall, Mrs. C. Harrison Parker, Mrs. Horace Wilkinson, Mrs. Elmo Bodly, Mrs. D. R. Weller, Alma Sabourin, Nellie Spyker.

[65] Among charter members of the Woman Suffrage Party were Mrs. E. C.

G. Ferguson, Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Chamberlain, Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Myers, Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Graham, Mrs. Rosella Bayhi, Mrs. M. M. Reid, Mrs.

Margaret Hunt Brisbane, Miss Florence Huberwald, Edward Wisner, Marshall Ballard, James M. Thomson, Lynn d.i.n.kins, Mr. and Mrs. J. E.

Edmonds, Trist Wood, Ethel Hutson, Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Cosu, all of New Orleans; Mrs. J. R. Mouton, of Jennings, Katherine Channelle and W. E.

Krebs, of Lake Charles, Mrs. M. M. Bodenbender of Covington.

[66] Among other officers and workers were: Mrs. H. Aschaffenburg, Mrs. Eva C. Wright, Mrs. J. G. Skinner, Mrs. C. A. Meissner, Mrs. C.

G. Robinson, Mrs. Lee Benoist, Miss E. J. Harral, Mrs. W. W. Van Meter, Miss Anna Morrell, Mrs. L. B. Elliott, Mrs. J. E. Friend, Mrs.

J. E. Wilkinson, Mrs. A. F. Storm, Mrs. James M. Thomson, Mrs. Reuben Chauvin.

[67] For their further efforts see Tennessee chapter in this volume.

CHAPTER XVIII.

MAINE.[68]

There were meetings and some organized work for woman suffrage in Maine from the early '70's but little activity until toward the close of the century. In August, 1900, a convention of the State a.s.sociation with a "suffrage day" was held at Ocean Park, Old Orchard Beach, attended by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the National American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation. This year under the presidency of Mrs. Lucy Hobart Day, organized work was systematically begun, with meetings in eight or ten towns. State conventions were held annually for the next twenty years, in October with but four exceptions.

In 1901 special attention was given to enrollment and new sections of the State were reached in this way. The literature and press departments also extended their work. The summer a.s.sembly at Ocean Park made "suffrage day" a part of its regular program. At the convention held at Saco in 1902 plans were made to ask the next session of the Legislature to grant Munic.i.p.al suffrage to taxpaying women. The State Grange pa.s.sed a resolution in favor of this measure, placed woman suffrage on its convention program and from that time gave active support to the movement.

The State convention took place at Auburn in 1903 and the a.s.sociation became an incorporated body that year. The organization of county leagues was begun in 1904 and a successful convention was held in Portland. In 1905 after eight years of efficient service, Mrs. Day retired from the presidency. She had organized several departments in the a.s.sociation and was in charge of the campaign to secure Munic.i.p.al suffrage for taxpaying women. Mrs. Fannie J. Fernald was elected as her successor at the convention held at Old Orchard Beach. She travelled extensively over the State, speaking before Granges and other organizations and securing their interest and endors.e.m.e.nt. She also had charge of the legislative work.

In 1906 woman suffrage was endorsed by the Maine Federation of Labor, an important accession. The annual convention again was welcomed in Saco. At the convention of 1907 in Farmington it was voted to support the National American a.s.sociation in its efforts to secure a Federal Suffrage Amendment. A department of church work was established. In 1908 at the convention in Portland it was arranged to pet.i.tion Congress for the submission of this amendment. In 1909 and 1910 the usual propaganda work was continued under the presidency of Mrs.

Fernald and the usual State conventions were held at Old Orchard and Portland. In 1911 Mrs. Fernald left the State and the Rev. Alfreda Brewster Wallace was elected president at the convention in Portland.

The a.s.sociation increased in size and interest and at the convention of 1912 in Portland Miss Helen N. Bates of that city was elected president with a very capable board. At this time the a.s.sociation began to do more aggressive work in personally urging the members of Congress to support the Federal Amendment. Miss Bates acted as chairman of the Congressional Committee until the submission of the amendment, when the favorable vote of every member of the Maine delegation had been secured.

In 1913 the College Equal Suffrage League was formed to help the a.s.sociation in its legislative work, with Mrs. Leslie R. Rounds as president. The annual convention took place at Portland this year and the next, and in 1915 at Kennebunk. Many newspapers in the State had become favorable to suffrage and propaganda was carried on through fairs, moving pictures, street speaking, etc. In 1914 the Men's Equal Suffrage League was formed with Robert Treat Whitehouse of Portland president and Ralph O. Brewster secretary. Many leading men of the State joined this League, which helped in the legislative and campaign work. The Methodist Episcopal Church endorsed woman suffrage at its state conference.

In February, 1916, a Congressional conference was held in Portland in the interest of the Federal Amendment, with Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt in attendance and speaking at public meetings with Mrs. Maud Wood Park and Mrs. Glendower Evans. It was attended by women from all parts of the State and as a result of the great interest aroused many new leagues were organized. Miss Bates resigned on account of ill health in March and her term of office was finished by Mrs. Augusta M. Hunt of Portland, who had always been deeply interested in the suffrage cause. The National a.s.sociation sent Mrs. Augusta Hughston, one of its field directors, to put into operation a state-wide plan of organization. At the State convention in Portland in October Mrs.

Katharine Reed Balentine, daughter of the Hon. Thomas B. Reed, was elected president. The outlook seemed favorable for securing the submission of a suffrage amendment to the voters. This year Mrs.

Deborah Knox Livingston of Bangor was appointed State organizer and legislative chairman and work begun for this purpose.

From January 8th to 20th, 1917, the National American a.s.sociation held a suffrage school in Portland to prepare for the expected campaign.

The instructors were Mrs. Nettie R. Shuler and Mrs. Halsey W. Wilson, its corresponding and recording secretaries, and Mrs. T. T. Cotnam.

The subjects taught were Suffrage History and Argument, Organization, Publicity and Press, Money Raising and Parliamentary Law. This school was attended by suffragists from different sections of the State.

Later Mrs. Edward S. Anthoine and Mrs. Henry W. Cobb of the State a.s.sociation carried on suffrage schools in other towns and cities. On February 9, 10, Mrs. Catt went to Portland to attend a board meeting of the a.s.sociation at the home of the president, Mrs. Balentine, to confer on the approaching campaign.

CAMPAIGN. In February, 1917, urged by the suffrage leaders, the Legislature submitted the amendment. This had been done against the urgent advice of Mrs. Catt, the national president, who knew of the slight organization there, and she wrote to them Oct. 9, 1916: "If Maine goes into a campaign for 1918 with the chances largely against success, we feel that it would be a general damage to the cause and a waste of money. If it would plan instead to go into a campaign in 1919, taking three years for preparation, we should feel that it was far more certain of victory. Let us look at the resources you need to get and which you have not yet secured: (1) a fund to begin with of at least $5,000 or $6,000; (2) at least five State officers who can give practically all of their time, with the determination to win as many other people to the same sacrifice as they are making themselves. I most earnestly recommend that you ask your Legislature this year for Munic.i.p.al and Presidential suffrage, making a good strong campaign for this, which it can grant without referring it to the voters."

A copy of this letter was sent to the president of the a.s.sociation and at its annual convention held in October it was read and a long discussion followed. A delegate thus reported it: "Only a few delegates agreed with her. Many women never having been in a campaign declared that victory was sure. The convention almost unanimously voted for the referendum and when the vote had been taken and the cheers had subsided, the grand sum of $500 was raised for the campaign...." Nevertheless the National a.s.sociation at its next convention (still believing that the referendum would not be submitted until 1918), voted to back the Maine campaign, although against the judgment of Mrs. Catt.[69]

At the request of the Maine a.s.sociation the National a.s.sociation made it possible for Mrs. Deborah Knox Livingston to take the position of campaign manager. Through her extensive work for the Woman's Christian Temperance Union she was widely acquainted in church, club and suffrage circles, was experienced in campaigning and an eloquent speaker. In her report after the election she said: "Maine presented as difficult a field for the conducting of a suffrage campaign as has ever been faced by any group of suffragists in any part of the country. The referendum was submitted the very last of February and as the election came so early in September only about six months' time was given us for the campaign. Deducting from this time the months of April and May, on account of the almost impossible condition of the roads, and June with its heavy rains, there was left but little more than three months for active work. Early in the campaign our country entered the World War, and the whole thought and attention of the people were given to securing support for the Liberty Bonds, Red Cross, Navy League and other patriotic and preparedness work. This greatly handicapped us in the raising of finances and the creating of organization, the two foundations upon which the structure of a successful campaign must be built, and the two things which more than anything else the State of Maine needed, so far as the amendment was concerned."

A campaign committee was formed from members of organizations in the State in favor of suffrage, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Federation of Women's Clubs, Men's Suffrage League, Civic League, Referendum League, the Grange and the State Suffrage a.s.sociation, and headquarters were established in Bangor. There were only fourteen suffrage societies in the State, not all active. Eleven of the sixteen counties had an organizer in charge for the last six weeks and 269 local committees were formed in the different towns but many of them were ineffectual, as they were made up of untrained women and the time was too short to train them. The argument for suffrage, however, was put before the voters very thoroughly. One hundred thousand were circularized with the convincing speeches of U. S. Senator Shafroth of Colorado and later with a leaflet Have You Heard the News? which carried the strong appeal of the suffrage gains over the entire world.

House to house distribution of "fliers" was made in many communities.

Altogether 1,500,000 leaflets were distributed, ten to every voter in the State. In hundreds of towns there was absolute ignorance on the subject. The clergy were circularized three times--over a thousand of them--the State Grange twice, committees of the political parties and members of the Legislature twice.

As soon as a committee was organized pet.i.tion blanks were sent to it and in this short s.p.a.ce of time the names of over 38,000 women of voting age asking for the suffrage were obtained, nearly all by volunteer canva.s.sers. The names from each county were sent to the voters from that county and 100,000 received these lists. The pet.i.tions did a vast amount of educational work among the women and answered the men who insisted that the women did not want to vote.

The newspapers on the whole were favorable. Especial mention should be made of the valuable a.s.sistance continued throughout the campaign of the Lewiston _Journal_, Portland _Argus_, Kennebec _Journal_, Brunswick _Record_ and Waldo County _Herald_. The Portland Express gave editorial support. The Bangor Commercial, owned and edited by John P. Ba.s.s, made a bitter fight against the amendment and refused generally to publish even letters on the other side. It would not publish President Wilson's letter even as a paid advertis.e.m.e.nt. From July 1 to September 10 Mrs. Rose L. Geyer, a member of the staff of the _Woman Citizen_, official organ of the National Suffrage a.s.sociation, conducted the publicity work in connection with Miss Florence L. Nye, the State press chairman. On August 18 the Lewiston _Journal_ issued a supplement for the State a.s.sociation, edited by Miss Helen N. Bates, of which 65,000 copies were distributed through twenty-two newspapers.

President Wilson sent a letter to Mrs. Livingston on September 4 appealing to Democratic voters as follows: "May I not express through you my very great interest in the equal suffrage campaign in Maine?

The pledges of my party are very distinct in favor of granting the suffrage to women by State action and I would like to have the privilege of urging all Democrats to support a cause in which we all believe." On September 8 former President Roosevelt sent the following telegram addressed to the Campaign Committee: "I earnestly hope that as a matter of plain justice the people of Maine will vote 'yes' on woman suffrage."

The letter and telegram were put on the moving picture screens, which were also used in other ways for propaganda. The poster sent by the National a.s.sociation and those printed by the Campaign Committee, fastened on trees, fences, windows and every available s.p.a.ce, carried the message to all pa.s.sers by. Mrs. Livingston said in her report: "We can not express too gratefully our appreciation of the value of the work accomplished by the experienced organizers sent to us by the National a.s.sociation and by Ma.s.sachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island; of that of Mrs. Mary G. Canfield of Vermont, who gave her services for one month; and of the untiring and successful labors of Mrs. Augusta M. Hunt, who had charge of York and c.u.mberland counties."

The entire State was thoroughly covered by public meetings, over 500 being held during the last three months. It would be impossible to give the names of all who spoke at these meetings but among the more prominent were Governor Carl E. Milliken, U. S. Senator Bert Fernald, former Senator Charles F. Johnson, Representative Ira G. Hersey, former Representative Frank E. Guernsey; among the members of the Legislature and other influential men, former Attorney General W. R.

Pattangall, Judge Robert Treat Whitehouse, Ralph O. Brewster, Frank W.

Butler, Daniel A. Poling, the Rev. Arthur L. Weatherly. On July 23, 24, in Augusta, and July 25, 27, in Bangor, Mrs. Catt and Mrs. Shuler addressed ma.s.s meetings in the evenings and held conferences with the workers through the days. In September Mrs. Catt gave a week to speaking at public meetings in various cities. Other speakers were Mrs. Lucia Ames Mead, Miss Elizabeth Upham Yates, Dr. Lee Anna Starr, Mrs. Sara A. Gilson, Miss Emma L. McAlarney, Miss Anne E. Coughlin and the Misses Loitman. The members of the Men's League were active and helpful. The ma.s.s meetings were well attended and in all the cities and many of the towns street meetings were very successful. Mrs.

Livingston travelled more than 20,000 miles in the State, delivered 150 addresses and raised over $4,000.