Volume IV Part 101 (1/2)

Jones, William E. Judd, Alfred F. Kinney, John Larrabee, Mahlon R.

Leonard, Frederic O. MacCartney, Samuel W. McCall, James H. Mellen, John M. Merriman, Charles H. Miller, Daniel L. Milliken, Charles P.

Mills, Bushrod Morse, James J. Myers, H. Heustis Newton, Herbert C.

Parsons, George W. Penniman, Francis C. Perry, Albert Poor, Josiah Quincy, Francis H. Raymond, Alfred S. Roe, (Judge) Thomas Russell, Thomas E. St. John, Howard K. Sanderson, Charles F. Shute, George T.

Sleeper, Frank Smith, Metcalf J. Smith, George L. Soule, Eugene H.

Sprague, Ezra A. Stevens, Hazard Stevens, Stephen S. Taft, George F.

Tucker, John E. Turtle, O. W. H. Upham, Horace G. Wadlin, Jesse B.

Wheeler, Frederick L. Whitmore, John W. Wilkinson, John A. Woodbury, Charles L. Young.

[325] In 1847 Lucy Stone began to advocate giving the mother equal guardians.h.i.+p of the children with the father. During the past thirty years the State Suffrage a.s.sociation has repeatedly pet.i.tioned the Legislature to this effect. In 1902 many other organizations joined in the effort, and the pet.i.tion for equal guardians.h.i.+p was indorsed by 34,000 women. The Committee on Probate and Chancery reported adversely. Representative George H. Fall's Equal Guardians.h.i.+p Bill was debated on two days and finally pa.s.sed both Houses and was signed by Gov. W. Murray Crane in June.

The only society of women that has ever ranged itself publicly on the opposing side of this question is the Ma.s.sachusetts Anti-Suffrage a.s.sociation. For years it circulated with its official imprint a leaflet in defense of the law which excluded mothers from the custody and guardians.h.i.+p of their children.

[326] For information in regard to the laws the History is indebted to Mrs. Anna Christy (George H.) Fall, a practicing lawyer of Malden.

[327] This was purely cla.s.s legislation, as the woman who had paid property tax was not required to pay poll-tax, and poor women could not vote without paying two dollars each year. The law was not asked for by the Suffrage a.s.sociation.

[328] The History is indebted for this chapter to Miss Lavina Allen Hatch of East Pembroke, recording secretary of the a.s.sociation from its beginning in 1882, and also corresponding secretary from 1892.

[329] In 1884 the Boston Political Cla.s.s was formed as an auxiliary.

While the idea of such an educational scheme originated with Sara A.

Underwood, its successful development is due to Harriette Robinson Shattuck, who became president of the cla.s.s. Lavina Allen Hatch kept its records, and Dora Bascom Smith gave the use of her parlors for its fortnightly meetings.

CHAPTER XLVI.

MICHIGAN.[330]

From the time of the defeat of the suffrage amendment to the State const.i.tution in 1874 there was no central organization in Michigan for ten years, although a few local societies maintained an existence.

Through a conjunction of these forces a convention was called at Flint, May 21, 1884, which resulted in the forming of a State Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation, officered as follows: President, Mary L. Doe; vice-president, Gov. Josiah W. Begole; corresponding secretary, Nellie Walker; recording secretary, Fannie Holden Fowler; treasurer, Cordelia F. Briggs.

The second State convention was held in Grand Rapids, Oct. 7-9, 1885, with Lucy Stone and Henry B. Blackwell in attendance. Letters were received from Susan B. Anthony, president of the National a.s.sociation, and Thomas W. Palmer, U. S. Senator from Michigan. The latter said: ”I hope that you will put forward the economic aspect of the question--its effect upon taxation. Women are the natural economists.”

In lieu of the annual meeting in 1886 four political State conventions--Prohibition, Greenback, Republican and Democratic--were memorialized for a plank indorsing a Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill. Sarah E.

V. Emery appeared before the Prohibition convention, which adopted the plank. She also attended the Democratic, where she was invited to the platform and made a vigorous speech, which was received with applause, but the suffrage resolution was not adopted. Emily B. Ketcham attended the Republican convention but was refused a hearing before the Committee on Resolutions. After its report had been accepted friends obtained an opportunity for her to address the meeting, but she was received with considerable discourtesy. Mrs. Fowler secured the adoption of the plank by the Greenback convention.

The a.s.sociation met in the State House at Lansing, Jan. 13, 14, 1887.

Miss Anthony, vice-president-at-large of the National a.s.sociation, gave an address in Representative Hall. She was introduced by Gov.

Cyrus G. Luce, and many senators and representatives were in the audience.[331]

The convention of 1888 took place in Bay City, June 6-8. The Rev. Anna Howard Shaw and Helen M. Gougar of Indiana addressed large audiences in the opera house on successive evenings. Immediately afterward a series of two days' meetings was held by Mrs. Gougar, a.s.sisted by May Stocking Knaggs, at Saginaw, Flint, Port Huron, Detroit, Battle Creek and Grand Rapids, societies being organized at several places.

In November the a.s.sociation for the Advancement of Women met in Detroit. Many suffragists were in attendance and the State president, Mrs. Doe, called a council in the parlors of the Church of Our Father.

Fifty responded and it was unanimously decided to renew the effort for Munic.i.p.al Suffrage.

The annual meeting was held in the State House at Lansing, Jan. 19-21, 1889. A letter was received from Senator Palmer, enclosing a draft for $100 and saying: ”Equal suffrage in munic.i.p.al affairs means better statutes, better ordinances, better officers, better administration, lower taxation, happier homes and a better race.” This generous gift enabled the a.s.sociation to keep a committee--Helen Philleo Jenkins, Harriet A. Cook, Mrs. Ketcham and Mrs. Knaggs--at the capital for several weeks, where they worked systematically to convert members and to secure victory.

The convention met at Detroit, Feb. 13, 14, 1890. Mrs. Doe, who had been the leader of the State forces since their organization, declined renomination and Mrs. Jenkins was chosen president.

The a.s.sociation convened at Lansing again Feb. 10-12, 1891; and its speakers were given a joint hearing in Representative Hall on the Munic.i.p.al Suffrage Bill, which was then before the Legislature.