Extraordinary Session, 1920.
[February 28, 1920]
The President directed the Clerk to read the following: A great number of telegrams in favor of the ratification of the Women's Suffrage Amendment have been received by the President from prominent citizens, women's clubs, local W. C. T. U. organizations, and business and commercial bodies of Parkersburg, Fairmont, Charleston, Wheeling, Grafton, New Martinsville, Williamson, Mannington, Morgantown and Bluefield.
Also, from the Governors of the States of California, Maine and Arizona; from United States Senators and various members of the legislatures, prominent citizens, professional men, leagues, committees. State W. C. T. U. organizations, from the state of Colorado, Maryland, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri. Ohio, Iowa and Washington, D.C.
Communications opposing the ratification of the Suffrage Amendment have been received from the "West Virginia Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage", the "Women Voters' Anti-Suffrage Party", of New York, the "National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage", and from Waitman H. Conway, of Fairmont, West Va., D. H. Morton, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Mrs. James Bennett. of Richmond, Kentucky, and Mr. Arthur S. Dayton, of Philippi, West Va.
Mr. Gribble presented the following telegram which was read by the Clerk: "CLARKSBURG, W. VA., Feb. 28, 1930.
"Hon. Wallace B. Gribble,
State Senate,
Charleston, W. Va.
We, the undersigned, assert that we express the sentiment of the majority of the women of Clarksburg when we say that we are opposed to the ratification by the legislature of this state of the Women's Suffrage Amendment to the Federal Constitution. Certain names appended hereto also appear to the petition presented by the advocates of Woman Suffrage in the Senate and the House today, but these names were signed under a misapprehension of the nature of the petition and we desire to withdraw such names from the petition. We commend the stand taken by you in carrying out the expressed wish of the people of West Virginia as demonstrated by the 96,000 majority against Woman Suffrage and in attempting to protect the true mission of women in the country.
MRS. JOHN KOBLEGARD,
MRS. H. C. COOPER,
MISS HATTIE HOFFHEIMER,
MRS. S. C. ALLEN,
MRS. J. J. EVANS,
MRS. PAUL S. HORNER,
MRS. E. S. WALLACE,
MRS. R. L. ROBERTS,
MRS. CARL HORNER,
MRS. W. P. GOFF,
MRS. CHAS. A. HORNER,
MRS. JAMES F. ALLEN,
MRS. WM. A. VANCE,
MRS. HENRY HAYMOND,
MRS. L. L. LOAR,
MRS. ELLA WHITE,
MRS. MARY B. TEMPLEMAN,
MRS. H. W. THRASHER,
MRS. L. C. ALLEN,
MRS. C. O. FINDLAY,
MISS LILLY KOBLEGARD,
MRS. HORNER DAVIS,
MRS. M. L. SHELBY,
MRS. J. N. HESS,
MRS. A. W. RAPP,
MRS. BOYD HORNER,
MRS. D. R. POTTER,
MRS. ROBERT COOK,
MRS. HARRY WADE,
MRS. A. B. BOGGESS,
MRS. JNO. W. STEWART,
MRS. M. A. CUPPETT,
MRS. MAUDE LEWIS,
MRS. LEE HAYMOND."
. . .
[March 1, 1920]
Mr. Harmer presented the following letter, which was read by the Clerk:
"CHARLESTON, W. VA.,
March 1, 1920.
"Hon. C. A. Sinsel,
President of the Senate.
Sir:
In presenting this petition from one thousand seven hundred and nine women of Clarksburg, praying for the ratification of the Federal Suffrage Amendment, we respectfully desire to call the attention of the Senate to the fact that a telegram signed by thirty-four women of Clarksburg, declaring that they were opposed to such ratification, dated February 28, 1920, addressed to Hon. Wallace B. Gribble, and presented by him to the Senate, stated that certain names signed to said telegram, were also appended to this petition but had been placed there under a misapprehension as to its purport.
We hereby declare that the names signed to the telegram have been compared, in the presence of the Clerk of the House of Delegates, with those signed to this petition, and only four of the names on the two documents are identical. The names of the four women who have changed their minds have been. stricken from this petition, which is herewith presented, signed by one thousand seven hundred and nine instead of one thousand seven hundred and thirteen women of Harrison county.
We will let the Senate judge whether the thirty-four persons who signed the said telegram or the one thousand seven hundred and nine women who signed said petition are better able to express the sentiment of the majority of the women of that district as to whether they wish the Federal Amendment ratified or not by the Legislature.
Respectfully submitted,
WEST VIRGINIA EQUAL SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION
By JULIA W. RUHL, President."
The petitions referred to in the foregoing communication were referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. Harmer presented the following, telegram, which was read by the Clerk:
"CLARKSBURG, W. VA.,
March 1,1920.
"Hon. H. W. Harmer,
State Senate,
Charleston, West Va.
We, the undersigned, solemnly declare we polled the women of Clarksburg on the question of the ratification of the Woman Suffrage Amendment. Only four of the thirty-four women whose names are published on the list as having signed under misapprehension, signed as favoring ratification. We further declare that in no instance did we misrepresent the issue.
MRS. CHAS. S. SMILEY,
MRS. M. F. SNIDER,
MRS. FRANK REYNOLDS,
MRS. MORGAN PARSONS,
MRS. CECIL GARRET,
MRS. A. J. DISHART,
EDNA HAYMAKER,
MRS. ROSS F. STOUT,
MRS. F. B. HAYMAKER,
LOUISE JARVIS CURRENCE, M. D.
MRS. B. F. ROBINSON,
MRS. L. E. HOLMES,
MRS. WILL CHEUVRONT,
MRS. RANSEL ROMINE,
GRACE HAYMAKER,
CORA M. ATCHINSON,
MARY E. WILSON."
Mr. Gribble presented the following telegram, which was read by the Clerk:
"CLARKSBURG, W. VA.,
March 1, 1920.
"Hon. Wallace Gribble,
State Senate,
Charleston, W. Va.
We, the undersigned, assert that we express the sentiment of the majority of the women of Clarksburg when we say that we are opposed to the ratification, by the legislature of this state, of the Woman Suffrage Amendment to the Federal Constitution. Certain names appended hereto also appear on the petition presented by the advocates of Woman Suffrage in the Senate and House today, but these names were signed under a misapprehension of the nature of the petition and we desire to withdraw such names from the petition. We commend the stand taken by you in carrying out the expressed wish of the people of West Virginia as demonstrated by the 97,000 majority against Woman Suffrage, and in attempting to protect the true mission of women in. the country.
MRS. C. W. LEGGETT,
MRS. E. D. NEWLON,
MRS. CLYDE CRIST,
MISS EDITH NEWLON,
MRS. B. DAVIS,
MRS. B. O. BOOTH,
MRS. W. C. MCKEEHAN,
MRS. JOHN NEWLON,
MRS. BLAIR WILLISON,
MRS. WM. MCGOWAN,
MISS JENNIE WILSON."
Mr. Stewart presented the following telegrams, which were read by the Clerk:
. . .
"FAIRMONT, W.VA.,
February 26, 1920.
"Hon. Edgar B. Stewart,
State Senate,
Charleston, W. Va.
The State Federation of Women's Clubs and the State Woman's Christian Temperance Union have repeatedly declared for equal suffrage. Will you support the women of these organizations and the declarations of your party by voting for the amendment?
MRS. J. WALTER BARNES,
President Women's Club of Fairmont,
and State President Woman's Christian Temperance Union."
. . .
Mr. Cobun presented the following letters and telegrams, which were read by the Clerk:
"WEST VIRGINIA FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS.
"CHARLESTON, W. VA.,
February 25,1920.
"Hon. S. L. Cobun,
Member State Senate.
Dear Sir:
The West Virginia Federation of Women's Clubs, consisting of sixty-six clubs with a membership of between three and four thousand, at its annual meeting in Clarksburg last October, passed a resolution urging the West Virginia Legislature to ratify the Federal Suffrage Amendment "at the earliest' possible moment."
Sixteen and a half million women in the United States have already been granted the vote, and the women of this state are looking to you to bestow upon them the same privilege.
Women of all classes are asking for the vote - the women in industry, the teachers, the housewives, the professional women, the rich, the poor, and most of all the mothers are asking that you ratify the suffrage amendment.
Do it now that West Virginia may bravely take her stand with
the thirty-six required states.
Yours respectfully,
COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION:
MRS. H. D. RUMMEL, Chairman, Charleston,
MRS. JOHN L. RUHL, Clarksburg,
MRS. JAMES B. MORAN, Grafton,
MRS. JOHN A. PURINTON, Morgantown,
MRS. JAMES RALSTON, Weston,
MRS. T. I. BRETT, Fairmont,
MRS. CHARLES MORRISON, Wheeling,
MRS. JAMES E. WILKINSON, Parkersburg,
MRS. W. E. BAKER, Elkins,
MRS. G. T. FOGEL, St. Albans,
MRS. CHARLES F. HICKS, Welch,
MISS ELIZABETH ANDERSON, Beckley,
MRS. J. J. WARWICK, Charleston,
MRS. C. E. RUDESILL, Charleston,
MRS. J. W. DAWSON, Charleston,
MRS. J. E. CANNADAY, Charleston,
MRS. J. A. DEGRUYTER, Charleston,
MRS. LOUISE G. JEFFRIES, Charleston,
MRS. A. M. FINNEY, Charleston."