Volume VI Part 38 (1/2)

In March, 1919, the National a.s.sociation sent one of its best organizers, Miss Edna Wright, to interest the leagues in ratification and the State a.s.sociation retained her for the remainder of the year.

Invitations for a Citizens.h.i.+p School at Durham, July 8-12, were sent out by the a.s.sociation and President Hetzel of the State College, the first time in history that a State College had cooperated with women in such an undertaking. The school was organized by Miss Wright and presided over by Mrs. Wood, with the publicity and press conference in charge of Miss Marjorie Shuler, sent by the National a.s.sociation.

RATIFICATION. The Federal Suffrage Amendment had been submitted by Congress to the Legislatures in June and the vital question now was ratification. A ma.s.s meeting was held in Manchester at which Governor Bartlett announced that he was willing to call a special session to ratify. Realizing from past experience that the a.s.sociation could have little influence with it, the board appointed Huntley N. Spaulding, a prominent citizen, chairman of a Men's Committee for Ratification, and he called to his aid Dwight Hall, chairman of the State Republican Committee, and Alexander Murchie, chairman of the State Democratic Committee. The Governor can not call a session without the consent of his Council, which consists of five men. It met on August 13 and the Governor arranged to have a hearing for the women. Mrs. Olive Rand Clarke, Mrs. Winfield Shaw of Manchester, Mrs. Charles Bancroft of Concord and Mrs. Vida Chase Webb of Lisbon made short speeches. After the hearing the Council voted to call a special session for September 9.

Mr. Hall and Mr. Murchie immediately got in touch with the members of the Legislature belonging to their respective parties. Under the direction of Mr. Spaulding a remarkable publicity campaign was inaugurated and the leading men of the State, many of whom had been extremely opposed to woman suffrage, gave interviews in favor of ratification. The Manchester _Union_ devoted its front pages to these interviews for three weeks. Marked copies were sent not only to members of the Legislature but to the 750 committeemen of each of the parties. James O. Lyford, dean of the Republicans, put his political knowledge at the disposal of the committee. Miss Betsy Jewett Edwards came from the National Woman's Republican Committee and did splendid work among the Republicans, who made up a large majority of both Houses. Miss Kimball, State president, gave devoted service and much financial a.s.sistance. Miss Wright had entire charge of the office work, publicity, organization, etc.

The special session met on September 9 and the Governor sent a strong message calling for ratification. The House voted on the opening day, 212 ayes to 143 noes. The real test was in the Senate, which on September 10 gave forty minutes to outside speakers. Mrs. Mary I. Wood spoke for the suffragists and Mrs. F. S. Streeter of Concord, Miss Charlotte Rowe and two Senators for the opponents. The Senate ratified by 14 to 10 and Governor Bartlett signed the bill without delay.

The last meeting of the State a.s.sociation, its work accomplished, took place in Manchester, November 21, 22, 1919. Mrs. Nettie Rogers Shuler, national corresponding secretary, described the aims of the League of Women Voters, and, after discussion, it was decided to merge the a.s.sociation into a State League. Miss Kimball was elected chairman.

The National a.s.sociation had contributed to New Hamps.h.i.+re during the last year about $3,000.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION: 1905. A bill for Munic.i.p.al suffrage was introduced in the House by William F. Whitcher of Haverhill, a hearing granted and it was reported out of the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7 to 2 but got no farther.

1907. The bill was introduced by Mr. Whitcher but the House Judiciary Committee reported against it 8 to 7. An attempt to have the minority report subst.i.tuted was defeated February 20 by a vote for indefinite postponement of 224 to 77.

1909. The chairman of the Legislative Committee, Mrs. Barton P. Jenks, conducted an energetic campaign for the bill and a hearing was held before the Judiciary Committee, which reported 8 to 7 against it, and in the House on the question of subst.i.tuting the minority report the vote was 86 ayes; 115 noes.

1911. Bills for Munic.i.p.al suffrage were introduced by Mr. Whitcher and George S. Sibley of Manchester. The large committee room was crowded for the hearing. The speakers were Mrs. Jenks, the Rev. John Vannevar, Mrs. Wood and Miss Chase, the latter presenting a pet.i.tion of 1,100 names headed by Governor and Mrs. Quinby and Clarence E. Carr, recent candidate for Governor. The committee reported the bill favorably but on January 26 the House voted to postpone indefinitely by 160 to 121.

1913. The a.s.sociation had two bills, one for Munic.i.p.al and one for Presidential and County suffrage. The latter, introduced by Raymond B.

Stevens of Landaff, Congressman-elect, had a hearing February 19, at which one of the chief affirmative speakers was Dean Walter T. Sumner of Chicago, later Bishop of Oregon, who was in town for the Conference of Charities and Corrections. The Judiciary Committee reported the bill favorably but six out of fifteen members signed an adverse report. The debate in the House on March 18 was particularly acrid.

Among the speakers in favor were Levin J. Chase of Concord and Edward C. Bean of Belmont, later Secretary of State. The saloon element as usual was prominent in the opposition. The roll call showed 98 ayes; 239 noes.

1915. The bill for Munic.i.p.al suffrage was unfavorably reported by the Committee on Revision of Statutes. On March 17 when the vote to subst.i.tute the minority report was taken the State House was crowded with eager throngs from all parts of the State. Mr. Chase, Benjamin W.

Couch and James O. Lyford spoke in favor. Dr. Thomas Manley Dillingham of Roxbury represented the ”antis.” The vote was 121 ayes; 230 noes. A bill for Presidential suffrage had previously been killed in committee.

1917. Bills for Presidential and for County and Munic.i.p.al suffrage were introduced into both Houses. The former was favorably reported by Joseph P. Perley, Daniel J. Daley and Clarence M. Collins of the Senate Committee with a minority report by Obe G. Morrison and Michael H. Shea, which was subst.i.tuted February 7 by a vote of 16 to 7. The favorable report of eight of the fifteen members of the House Committee was submitted by John G. Winant, afterward vice-rector of St. Paul's School, Concord. The struggle came on March 7 when it was debated for several hours with galleries crowded and finally defeated by 205 to 152. On March 16 the bill for Munic.i.p.al suffrage was defeated without debate or roll call.

FOOTNOTES:

[115] The History is indebted for this chapter to Miss Frances M.

Abbott, treasurer of the State College Equal Suffrage League, writer and genealogist.

[116] Mr. Drew and Mr. Moses as U. S. Senators in 1918 were able to defeat the pa.s.sage of the Federal Suffrage Amendment, which lacked just two votes. Mr. Churchill afterwards became an earnest advocate of woman suffrage.

[117] It has been impossible to obtain a complete list of those who have served as officers but the following is a partial list of those not mentioned elsewhere. Vice-presidents: Mrs. Ella H. J. Hill, Concord; Mrs. Frank Knox, Manchester; secretaries: the Rev. Olive M.

Kimball, Marlboro; Mrs. Henry F. Hollis, Concord; Dr. Alice Harvie, Concord; Mrs. Edna L. Johnston, Manchester; Mrs. Arthur F. Wheat, Manchester; treasurers: Henry H. Metcalf, Harry E. Barnard, Frank Cressy, Miss Harriet L. Huntress, all of Concord; auditors: Mrs.

Charles P. Bancroft, Concord; the Rev. H. G. Ives, Andover; members National Executive Committee: Mrs. Ida E. Everett and Dr. Sarah J.

Barney, Franklin; Witter Bynner, Cornish; Mrs. Churchill.

CHAPTER XXIX.

NEW JERSEY. PART I.[118]

The first women in the United States to vote were those of New Jersey, whose State const.i.tution of 1776 conferred the franchise on ”all inhabitants worth $250.” In 1790 the election law confirmed women's right to the suffrage and in 1807 the Legislature illegally deprived them of it. In 1867 Lucy Stone, then a resident of New Jersey, organized a State society, one of the first in the country, which lapsed after her removal to Ma.s.sachusetts a few years later. In 1890 a new State a.s.sociation was organized, which held annual meetings and was active thereafter, although interest diminished after women lost their School suffrage in 1897. [See New Jersey chapter Volume IV.]

Mrs. Florence Howe Hall, a daughter of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, was president from 1893 until 1900, when she declined re-election. Mrs.

Minola Graham s.e.xton of Orange was elected president at the annual meeting in Moorestown in November. At that time there were but five local societies, which she soon increased to fifteen. With her during the five years of her presidency were the following officers: Vice-presidents, Mrs. Susan W. Lippincott of Cinnaminson; Catherine B.

Lippincott, Hartford; corresponding secretaries, Dr. Mary D. Hussey and Mrs. Bertha L. Fearey, East Orange, Mrs. f.a.n.n.y B. Downs, Orange; recording secretaries, Miss Jennie H. Morris, Moorestown, Miss Helen Lippincott, Riverton; treasurer, Mrs. Anna B. Jeffery, South Orange; auditors, Mrs. Mary C. Ba.s.sett and Mrs. Emma L. Blackwell, East Orange; Mrs. Anna R. Powell and Mrs. Louise M. Riley, Plainfield. Mrs.

Riley had started the first woman's club in the State in Orange in 1872.