Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
1910. The resolution for submitting an amendment was framed by Etta H.
Maddox, introduced by Delegate William Harry Paire, the Republican
floor leader, and referred to the Committee on Constitutional
Amendments. The hearing was held in the House of Delegates at
Annapolis on February 24 before the committee and an audience that
taxed the chamber's capacity. Miss Maddox presided and introduced the
speakers--Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, president of the National Suffrage
Association; the Rev. John Roach Straton, the Rev. Peter Ainslie,
Attorney John Grill, Dr. Flora Pollack, Mrs. Mary Badders Holton, Mrs.
Funck, the Rev. Olympia Brown of Wisconsin, Dr. J. William Funck and
Miss Belle Kearney of Mississippi. An evening meeting also was held in
the same place in the interest of the amendment. On March 24 Carville
D. Benson of Baltimore county moved to lay it on the table which was
done by a vote of 61 ayes, 18 noes. No action was taken by the Senate.
1912. All the suffrage societies united in asking for the submission
of a State amendment for full suffrage. Their best speakers appeared
before the committees. A petition was presented to both Houses, signed
by 30,000 voters, but it polled only 22 affirmative votes in the
House. Soon after a limited suffrage bill, sponsored by the Equal
Suffrage League, failed by a vote of 16 noes, 9 ayes in the Senate.
1914. The amendment resolution was introduced in the House by Charles
H. McNab of Harford county and in the Senate by William Holmead of
Prince George county. It was supported by all the suffrage societies,
and ably advocated but lost by 34 ayes, 60 noes in the House and
defeated in the Senate. A resolution introduced in the Senate asking
for the full suffrage for women with an educational and property
qualification, endorsed only by the Equal Suffrage League, failed to
get a hearing. One in the Senate requiring a literacy test only was
not reported.
1916. The constitutional amendment for full suffrage was introduced in
the House by Lloyd Wilkinson (Democrat) of Baltimore and in the Senate
by Sydney Mudd (Republican) of Charles county and strongly supported.
House vote was 36 ayes, 64 noes. The Senate committee reported
favorably and the vote stood 17 ayes, 7 noes, William F. Chesley the
only Republican who voted no. The lobbyists were Mrs. Hooker, Mrs.
Dora Ogle, Mrs. Robert Moss, Miss Lucy Branham, Miss Maddox, Miss
Gwendolyn Willis, the Rev. Olympia Brown, Mrs. Charles E. Ellicott,
Mrs. Ross Thompson, Miss Emma Weber, Mrs. William H. Maloy, Mrs.
Calvin Gabriel, Mrs. Timanus, Mrs. Howard Schwartz, Mrs. Funck. This
was the last time a State amendment was asked for.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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