Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
The evening meeting was held in the Crawford Theater and many were
unable to gain admission. Mrs. Johnson presided, Mayor W. W. Winnick
gave the address of welcome and Mrs. Stubbs responded. The Rev.
Olympia Brown of Wisconsin, a pioneer suffragist, and Miss Jane Addams
of Chicago were the principal speakers. During the convention
encouraging reports were made by chairmen of the three departments
and eight congressional districts and many county presidents. The
State officers were all re-elected; Mrs. C. W. Smith was made
president of the sixth district and Mrs. Babb of the eighth. The
afternoon features were an automobile ride by courtesy of the Commerce
Club and a street meeting where Miss Addams made her first outdoor
speech, standing on the rear seat of an automobile. An evening
reception at the Masonic Temple was a delightful finale to the
biggest, most enthusiastic suffrage convention ever held in the State.
An executive board meeting and a conference took place May 9, at which
date the State, district and county officers of the organized forces
numbered more than 2,000 women. These with the men in favor and most
of the newspapers created a suffrage sentiment which reached every
corner of the State. Nearly all of the forty field workers were
Kansans, but assistants and money came from other State organizations
and individuals. The National Association contributed in literature
and money $2,076. Mrs. Laura M. Johns, now of California, and other
"formerly of Kansas" women sent counsel and gifts. Kansas people gave
most of the money which the campaign cost, and some of the $6,000
expended was so sacred that it was handled with tearful eyes and
reverent touch. For instance, one letter enclosed a check for $100,
representing "the life savings of Mary," who wanted it used in a
campaign State. In another was $10 "from mother's money, who wanted
this justice for women, but it did not come while she lived." Another
woman wrote: "This is my sainted mother's birthday and I want this $5
used in her memory." One had made provisions in her will to leave $200
for the next campaign, but thanked God it had come while she could
work as well as give. There were the widows' mites, many times meaning
sacrifice and toil, and single dollars came from women who were too
old or too ill to work but wanted to have a part. There were also a
few surreptitious dollars from women whose husbands were boasting that
their wives did not want to vote, and "joy dollars" for sons and
daughters or the new-born babe. All these gifts were thrice blessed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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