Volume IV Part 124 (1/2)

CHAPTER LXII.

RHODE ISLAND.[422]

Rhode Island was one of the pioneer States to form a woman suffrage a.s.sociation. On Dec. 11, 1868, in answer to a call signed by a large number of its most distinguished men and women, a successful meeting was held in Roger Williams Hall, Providence, and Mrs. Paulina Wright Davis was elected president of the new organization.[423] Many series of conventions in different parts of the State were held between 1870 and 1884, at which the officers and special speakers presented pet.i.tions for signatures and prepared for legislative appeals.

In 1884, by unanimous vote of the a.s.sembly, the State House was granted for the first time for a woman suffrage convention. Four sessions were held in the Hall of the House of Representatives, and Frederick Dougla.s.s, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, Henry B. Blackwell, William Lloyd Garrison, Mary F. Eastman and others addressed great throngs of people who filled the seats, occupied all the standing room and overflowed into the lobbies.

Up to the present date this a.s.sociation has held an annual convention in October, a special May Festival with social features in the spring, and from one to four meetings each intervening month. These have been rendered attractive by papers and addresses from the members and by public speakers of ability from different parts of the United States and from other lands. In addition to this active propaganda special organizers have been secured from time to time to canva.s.s the State and win intelligent support for the cause.

The a.s.sociation has had but three presidents--Paulina Wright Davis for the first two years, Elizabeth Buffum Chace from 1870 until her death in 1899, aged ninety-two, and Ardelia C. Dewing, now serving. When Mrs. Chace was unable longer to be actively the leader, Anna Garlin Spencer, who returned in 1889 to reside in Rhode Island, as first vice-president acted for her about seven years and Mrs. Dewing for the remainder of the time. Mrs. Davis was an exquisite personality with soul ever facing the light; Mrs. Chace, a woman of granite strength and stability of character, with a keen mind always bent upon the reason and the right of things, and with a single-hearted devotion to the great principles of life.[424]

The vice-presidents of the a.s.sociation number ”honorable names not a few.”[425] Among them was the Rev. Frederick A. Hinckley, who during the eleven years of his ministry in Providence, 1878-1889, acted as the first vice-president and did the greatest possible service to the a.s.sociation in all ways, ever championing the principle of equality of rights. The secretaries of the a.s.sociation always have been among the leaders in the movement. At first Rhoda Anna Fairbanks (Peckham) was the single officer in that capacity. In 1872 Anna C. Garlin (Spencer) was added as corresponding secretary but resigned in 1878 when her marriage required her removal from the State.[426] Mrs. Ellen M.

Bolles served from 1891 to 1900 when Mrs. Annie M. Griffin was elected. There have been but three treasurers--Marcus T. Janes, Mrs.

Susan B. P. Martin and Mrs. Mary K. Wood.[427] The chairman of the Executive Committee has always shared the heaviest burdens. Mrs.

Chace was the first chairman. Mrs. S. E. H. Doyle succeeded her and continued in the office until her death in 1890. Mrs. Anna E. Aldrich then served to the end of her life in 1898. The a.s.sociation has done a great deal of active work through its organizers, the brilliant and versatile Elizabeth Kittridge Churchill, Mrs. Margaret M. Campbell, Mrs. Louise M. Tyler, and others. Mrs. Ellen M. Bolles, from 1890 to 1898, acted as organizer as well as secretary.

The State Society affiliated with the New England Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation from the first; with the American in 1870 and with the National-American in 1891. It was incorporated in 1892 and has been the recipient of legacies from James Eddy, Mrs. Rachel Fry, Mrs. Sarah Wilbour, Mrs. Elizabeth B. Chace and others. It raised and expended for the woman suffrage campaign of 1887 more than $5,000 and has had some paid worker in the field during most of the years.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION: From the first year of its existence, 1869, the State a.s.sociation pet.i.tioned the Legislature for an amendment to the const.i.tution abolis.h.i.+ng s.e.x as a condition of suffrage, and hearings were held before many committees.

In 1885, through the influence of Representative Edward L. Freeman, a bill for such an amendment actually pa.s.sed both Houses, but failed through some technicality.

In 1886 it pa.s.sed both Houses again by the const.i.tutional majority of two-thirds. It was necessary that it should pa.s.s two successive Legislatures, and the vote in 1887 was, Senate, 28 ayes, 8 noes; House, 57 ayes, 5 noes. The amendment having been published and read at the annual town and ward meetings was then submitted to the voters.

It was as follows: ”Women shall have the right to vote in the election of all civil officers and on all questions in all legal town, district or ward meetings, subject to the same qualifications, limitations and conditions as men.”

The story of this campaign can be compressed into a few sentences, but it was a great struggle in which heroic qualities were displayed and was led by the woman whose life has meant so much for Rhode Island, Mrs. Elizabeth Buffum Chace, who had as her able lieutenant the Rev.

Frederick A. Hinckley, and as her body-guard all the faithful leaders of the suffrage cause in the State and helpers from other States.[428] Headquarters were established immediately in the business center of Providence. These rooms were opened each morning before nine o'clock and kept open until ten at night throughout the contest. The campaign lasted twenty-nine days, during which ninety-two public meetings were held, some in parlors but most in halls, vestries and churches. Miss Cora Scott Pond came at once into the State to organize the larger public meetings and Miss Sarah J. Eddy and Mrs. C. P.

Norton arranged for parlor meetings. The regular speakers were Henry B. Blackwell, William Lloyd Garrison, the Revs. C. B. Pitblado, Louis A. Banks, Frederick A. Hinckley, Ada C. Bowles; Mesdames Mary A.

Livermore, J. Ellen Foster, Zerelda G. Wallace, Julia Ward Howe, Katherine Lente Stevenson, E. S. Burlingame, Adelaide A. Claflin; Miss Mary F. Eastman and Miss Huldah B. Loud.[429] Miss Susan B. Anthony was invited to make the closing speech of the campaign but declined as she considered the situation hopeless.

The cities and towns were as thoroughly canva.s.sed by these speakers as the short time permitted. A special paper, _The Amendment_, was edited by Mrs. Lillie B. Chace Wyman, a.s.sisted by Miss Kate Austin and Col.

J. C. Wyman; the first number, issued March 16, an edition of 20,000, and the second, March 28, an edition of 40,000. They contained extracts from able articles on suffrage by leading men and women, letters from Rhode Island citizens approving the proposed amendment, and answers to the usual objections.

The princ.i.p.al newspapers of Providence, the _Journal_ and the _Telegram_, both led the opposition to the amendment, the former admitting in an editorial, published March 10, ”the theoretic justice of the proposed amendment to the const.i.tution conferring suffrage upon women,” but hoping it would be rejected because ”whatever may be said for it, the measure has the fatal defect of being premature and impolitic.” The opposition of the _Telegram_ was more aggressive and even of a scurrilous type. To offset this hostility if possible the suffrage a.s.sociation hired a column of s.p.a.ce in the _Journal_ and half a column in the _Telegram_ and kept this daily filled with suffrage arguments; toward the end of the campaign securing s.p.a.ce also in the _Daily Republican_. The papers of the State generally were opposed to the measure, but the Woonsocket _Daily Reporter_, Newport _Daily News_, Hope Valley _Sentinel-Advertiser_, Pawtuxet Valley _Gleaner_, Providence _People_, Bristol _Phenix_, Central Falls _Visitor_ and a few others gave effective a.s.sistance. The a.s.sociation distributed about 39,000 packages of literature to the voters.

In the Providence _Journal_ of April 4 the names of over ninety prominent voters were signed to this announcement: ”We, the undersigned, being opposed to the adoption of the proposed Woman Suffrage Amendment to the Const.i.tution, respectfully urge all citizens (!) to vote against it at the coming election.”

The next day the _Journal_ contained in the s.p.a.ce paid for by the a.s.sociation the signatures of about the same number of equally prominent men appended to this statement: ”We favor the pa.s.sage of the Woman Suffrage Amendment which has been submitted to the voters of Rhode Island for action at the coming election.” The same issue contained a list of many of the most distinguished men and women in this and other countries, beginning with Phillips Brooks and Clara Barton, and headed, ”Some Other People of Weight Who Have Indorsed Woman Suffrage. Match This if You Can.”

The election was held April 6, 1887, and at the sixty-two polling places men and women were on hand to urge the electors to vote for the amendment. The result was 6,889 ayes, 21,957 noes--the largest defeat woman suffrage ever received.

Many of the ablest lawyers having decided that no extension of franchise, not even a school vote, could be secured in Rhode Island through the Legislature (except possibly Presidential Suffrage) and the amendment to the const.i.tution having been defeated by so heavy a vote, it was deemed best not to ask for another submission of the question for a term of years. Therefore other matters, involving legal equality of the s.e.xes, formed for a while the chief subjects for legislative work.

In 1892 a special appeal was made to the General a.s.sembly to confer upon women by statute the right to vote for presidential electors.

Three hearings were had before the House committee but the bill was not reported.