ANTI-WOMAN-SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, THE. 



17 



courtesy, but a grave social and political question 

 (foreboding much and threatening more). Massa- 

 chusetts has joined hands with us in offering en- 

 couragement and assistance to those other States 

 where the desire is felt to arrest this retrogressive 

 movement, and from all over the land come words 

 of thanks, of help, of indorsement." 



The following document, which was addressed 

 to the Senators and Representatives of the Massa- 

 chusetts Legislature of 1898, will show that the 

 antisuffrage sentiment of that Commonwealth 

 was organized about the same time with that of 

 New York, and will explain their methods and 

 indicate their progress: 



" We the undersigned, members of the Execu- 

 tive Committee of the Massachusetts Association 

 Opposed to the Further Extension of Suffrage to 

 Women, beg leave to bring to your attention a 

 brief statement of the work of this association, 

 which has 18 branch committees, representing 146 

 cities and towns. The association was organized 

 in May, 1895, after the passage of the Wellman 

 bill. It took the ground that ' municipal suffrage 

 would involve a danger to the State for which 

 no compensating advantages were shown; that 

 the present division of labor between the sexes 

 was founded on the laws of Nature and reason, 

 and it affirmed that a higher standard of public 

 duty for both men and women must be brought 

 about by advance in education and civilization, 

 and would be impeded by the complications aris- 

 ing from municipal suffrage for women.' 



" Acting on this belief, a standing committee 

 of more than 100 representative women from Bos- 

 ton and other parts of the State was organized. 

 This committee forms the basis of the association, 

 and chooses annually an Executive Committee. 

 From the Executive Committee as a center radiate 

 the branch committees. Each branch committee 

 forms a center for neighboring towns, and keeps 

 in frequent correspondence with the Executive 

 Committee. Our growth has been rapid, although 

 our methods are quiet. 



" We aim to give an opportunity to women 

 who agree with us to express their convictions; 

 to arouse an interest in the subject among those 

 who have not considered it, or who, perplexed by 

 statements and appeals from suffragists, which 

 do not convince them, are in an undecided condi- 

 tion of mind. All are included in our member- 

 ship professional women, wage-earners, home- 

 keeping wives, and mothers. We all have the 

 same needs for good government, for higher stand- 

 ards of public life, and for a deeper recognition 

 of the fact that ' the family remains the most 

 sacred, durable, and potent of human institutions, 

 and through it must be sought the replenishment 

 and improvement of society.' By lectures and in- 

 formal meetings, by the circulation of literature 

 expressing our convictions, and by giving a con- 

 stant and cordial support to whatever encour- 

 ages the true progress and welfare of women, we 

 try to do our part in the great educational move- 

 ment of the day. 



" We believe that it should not be thought 

 solely women's work to study this question of 

 suffrage, but that its serious consideration is a 

 duty which men owe to their families and to the 

 State. 



" We gratefully acknowledge the support given 

 by previous Legislatures to the claims represented 

 by this association, and we earnestly request a 

 continuance of careful consideration of the views 

 of the opponents of the further extension of suf- 

 frage to women." [Signed by the Committee.] 



The progress of the opposition movement can 

 be best traced by quoting from the next annual 

 VOL. xxxix. 2 A 



report of the Central Association, in New York, 

 April 1, 1897: 



" The appeals for help from the women of other 

 States, who are just awakening to the fact that 

 in order to defeat they must oppose woman suf- 

 frage in their own States, have been constant 

 and earnest during the year. The most earnest 

 demand for assistance has been from Illinois, and 

 your Executive Committee has decided that an 

 association in Chicago should be started immedi- 

 ately. If the suffrage question is gaining strength 

 anywhere, it is in the West. 



" The first important matter undertaken by 

 this association during the summer was accom- 

 plished by the presence of Mrs. Crannell, of Al- 

 bany, at the national conventions at St. Louis 

 and Chicago, in opposition to the suffragists who 

 were petitioning for suffrage planks in the plat- 

 forms of the Republican and Democratic parties. 

 Mrs. Crannell represented not only New York 

 State, but Massachusetts and 14 other States. 



" During tne summer our secretary was busy 

 with correspondence with people in various 

 States, who, learning that New York had a large 

 organization opposed to suffrage, desired infor- 

 mation, pamphlets, and advice. The most impor- 

 tant part of this correspondence came from Cali- 

 fornia, the only State which during the year has 

 sent the question of suffrage to the people. It 

 was defeated at the November elections by a 

 large majority 83,000 to 57,000 after a regular 

 campaign organized and carried on by some of 

 the best known suffragists, w r ho stumped the 

 State in every county, and brought every private 

 and political influence to bear that they could 

 command. The Legislature has since defeated, 

 by a vote of 25 to 2, a bill to resubmit the ques- 

 tion. The other States that have defeated woman 

 suffrage during the year are Montana, by the 

 Legislature, 41 to 27 ; Nevada, by the Senate, 

 9 to 5; Nebraska, by the Legislature, 56 to 36; 

 Arizona, by the Assembly, 13 to 9; Oklahoma 

 Territory, by the House, 13 to 11; Massachusetts, 

 by the House, 86 to 53; Delaware, by the Legis- 

 lature, 17 to 7; Maine, by the Judiciary Commit- 

 tee, unanimous against; Iowa and Missouri 

 both defeated the question; Connecticut in both 

 houses; Indiana, the question of the right of 

 women to vote under the present Constitution 

 taken to the Supreme Court and defeated ; in Kan- 

 sas, where women vote in municipal elections, 

 the lower house killed the bill giving them the 

 right to vote for presidential electors. Outside of 

 our .own country, in Nova Scotia, the House voted 

 23 to 5 against it; in England, the House of Com- 

 mons 228 to 157; and in South Australia, where 

 women are allowed to vote on most questions, 

 the Federal Convention rejected, by a vote of 

 23 to 12, an amendment to allow women to vote 

 for members of the House of Representatives. 

 The suffragists have gained their point in Idaho 

 by a vote of the State, 12,126 to 6,282. The ques- 

 tion went to the Supreme Court on the ground 

 that only one half the people voted, but the vote 

 was upheld. 



" Within our own State our work has pro- 

 gressed more slowly than we could have wished, 

 owing to changes "in the Executive Committee, 

 the work done for other States, and the feeling 

 that there was no need for anxiety this winter, 

 owing to the avowed intention of the suffragists 

 to do nothing here until next year. In May 

 Auxiliary No. 4, Schenectady, was organized, and 

 in February the sixth branch of the central or- 

 ganization. 



" The Committee on Publications has had the 

 more important pamphlets and leaflets bound in 



