Show U C W S A oil wednesday COUNTY A TION EFFECTED alie eloquent address ly mary J tanner pursuant to the call in the ENQUIRES some of tho representative women of utah county assembled at the provo meeting bouso on wednesday for tho purpose of organizing gan izing a comans womans suffrage association in utah county the attention of the meeting was called at 1020 10 20 by mrs mary J tanner mrs D john announced the object of the meeting mrs emeline B wells was elected chairman of the meeting with mrs susie young gates as secretary america was then sung after which prayer was offered by the chaplain mrs daniels the secretary read the call and the following officers were elected mary J tanner president mrs electia bullock mrs devora billings mrs johanna patten vice presidents susie young gates secretary mrs adelade snow corresponding secretary mrs jane P jones treasurer caroline BP ratty chairman isabelle thurman alice M wilkins berecca H doolan teenie S taylor lizzie S gillespie sarah E cluff L azie delia Maeser executive committee mrs wells stated it was customary to appoint vice presidents in tho adjoining towns and the following were selected mrs sarah ann boyer springville Spring ville mrs agnes lewis spanish fork mrs millie stark payson mrs fannie grove mrs minnie P grant american fork the secretary then read tho following constitution adopted by the national comans womans Wo mans suffrage association at washington which were anani adopted constitution aar 1 this organization shall be called the national woman suffrage association ART 2 the object of this association shaa be to secure national protection for women in the exercise of their citizens right to vote aar 3 all citizens of the united states subscribing to this constitution nad contributing not lees than one dollar annually shall be considered members of this association 4 the officers of this association shall be a president vice president from each of the states and territories corresponding and recording secretaries a treasurer and an executive committee of not less than five 5 A quorum of the executive committee consist shallot nine and all officers of this association should be ex officio members of this committee with power to vote 6 all woman suffrage societies throughout the country shall be welcomed as auxiliaries and their accredited officers or duly appointed representative shall be national association BYLAWS BY LAWS AND ARTICLE I 1 this association shall be called the woman suffrage association of utah co ARTICLE II 11 the object of the association shall be to work for tho enfranchisement of all women without regard to party sect or creed and to take such steps from time to time as shall seem to be wise and expedient for the political advancement of the women of this territory III the officers of this association shall be a president three vice presidents a secretary corresponding secretary and treasurer with an executive committee of not less than seven and as many vice presidents in the county as shall be deemed necessary to secure membership and assist in enlarging the interests of the association all these officers to be elected annually ARTICLE IV all persona wishing to become members of this association must pay an initiation fee of 25 cents annually and must give or send their names with the money to the secretary who will present them in the order of business to the next regular meeting for admission v i the officers of this association with the executive committee shall have power to change or amend the bv laws and regulations at any ex cestive see sion and shall then submit them to the regular meeting where they may be adopted by a majority vote ARTICLE VI the executive committee shall de aise plans of work suited to the development and progress of the mem tiers of the association and operate cooperate co loftier with the members in encouraging people to speak write essays nd discuss questions upon political matters and civil government and such other subjects as relate thereto and invite those not already interested in suffrage and encourage them to become acquainted with the objects of tho organization VII the names of debates to tho annual convention of the N W S A at washington shall be presented and voted upon at tho annual meeting of the association previous to said convention ven tion or a special meeting called for the purpose the credentials of the delegates shall be prepared by the executive committee and proper y signed by the officers of the As ARTICLE VIII all official papers and documents shall be signed by the president and secretary or in the absence of the president vico president next in order and all official correspondence must bo signed by the chairman of the executive committee and tho corresponding secretary ARTICLE IX meetings of this association shall be held once a month and such business transacted as shall be brought to the attention of the meeting by the executive committee or the secretary or other officers after which miscellaneous business or discussion will be in order ARTICLE X A punctual attendance of tho members is particularly requested in or der to further the interests of the whole and to promote harmony in all plans and methods of organized work ARTICLE i this suffrage association may by adopting these rules and the constitution of the N W S A be considered an auxiliary to the N VYSA and representatives or delegates will be expected to attend a territorial suffrage convention should one be called and entitled to the privileges pertaining thereto mrs M J tanner then delivered the following address mrs chairman ladies and gentlemen it is with much diffidence that I 1 stand before you on this occasion it is new work for me to speak in a political capacity ana as none of us have made politics a study I 1 think I 1 shall be readily excused if I 1 show myself incapable 0 entertaining you with a learned exposition on matters pertaining to suffrage the object of our meeting is to organize an association and to agitate the question of woman suffrage while we may not at present gain any material advantage from this movement we desire to give the weight of our labors toward strengthening the hands of those who have so long and valiantly fought the good fight in behalf of the women of this nation that many improvements have been made in the general condition of women during the latter part of the present century no reading or thinking person can reasonably deny that much yet remains to be done and that much can certainly be done by her own efforts for her enfranchisement is evident to all A band of niblo bomon have been working for years to raise her to a more exalted standard to cultivate her ideas and give her aspirations a securer basis to work from how much sorrow and wretchedness might be averted if woman could understand der stand her own true value in the commonwealth of the nation when she asserts her rights and man lecog cizes them sho will cease to become his plaything a shuttlecock for his amusement fit only to pander to his vanity or his vices she was created for a companion and helpmeet to man no one will attempt to denv that her weakness makes her dependent on him to a certain degree is evident that mans strength constitutes utes his weakness and he is to a certain de gree dependent on her is quite as evident when we admit that neither is capable of independent action that wealth happiness and station in society connects them indissolubly dis then should we not admit that politically and socially they should be stronger than another then let the stronger carry the heavier burden it is so in the economy of nature all men are not equal in strength education or intelligence li gence but we would not infer that their rights or liberty of action were not equal or that their political rights should be curtailed that woman might not use the ballot intelligently we will not deny neither does man in all cases that women are not posted on political matters is a question of no moment all men are not sufficiently acquainted with matters of vital interest to the country they are sometimes easily enlightened by the judicious use of money or whisky for sake of argument we might say that perhaps women might be as easily instructed but for the sake of woman we would scorn the assertion while reflecting on these things my mind reverts to utah in her infancy it ia less than half a century since she was born as an integral part of the union my feet were among the first to tread the barren land of her desolation not a field under not a fence nor a cabin met ao eyeball was barren and desolate solitude and silence reigned supreme A few small streams of water made their passage through the mountain gorges and on those silvery stream lets sparkling in the sunshine hung ehe destiny of a people isolate 1 from home and friends from laws and humanity these fainting and weary pilgrims suffered from abe rigors of the climate and the barrenness of abe desert crops were devoured by abe insects from abe mountains and their lives endangered from abe squal lid barbarians who eked out a scanty existence by competing with the starving wolves for the little game that survived in this forbidding district such was utah in her infancy honest toil and preservation through every trial and difficulty has raised her to the position she now acquires as one of the most thriving territories in the union and is abig the work of man alone not by any means comans womans courage skill and labor have been here comans womans con and encouragement in abe hours f sorrow and disappointment womans comans heroism and devotion in time of danger and death her tenderness and love her happiness and smiles when success crowned their labors why then should she be held a vassal tobia power a slave whims and ca prices god never made her so ho gave her to man for a comfort and a helpmeet should she then not join with him in making and sustaining the laws of the country of bs country of her country are not their responsibilities equal their interests identical Is not her head as clear her heart as true and her judgment as sound as his but says OLO women should not be dragged aiuto politics thero is too much that is bourse and degrading in the she is liable to come in contact with wherever woman goes her influence refines and puri ties in the backwoods in the mining camp wherever she cornea ahe brightens with her presence and the ruffian will stay the oath upon his lips rathe than offord might she not then be able to still the turbulence of political discussion disc and purify the atmosphere of the ballot box and the jury room in all the years that the women of utah held the franchise were they ever accused of unseemly conduct or of voting inconsistently with their own interests or what they believed to be the best interest of the country T did not the gentile woman vote for her gentile friends and the mormon woman for her mormon friends without fear or favora and was ever the ballot corrupted or the laws because women took part in it it is not thought degrading for women to labor to sustain herself and her family her services may be the most menial her association the most questionable and no fault is found on the score of her womanhood her taxes are as acceptable and her conduct as amenable to tha laws as if she had helped to make them woman in politics should be a power unto herself she should cultivate and enlarge her that she may influence in wisdom those by whom she is surrounded if she cannot vote she can teach her children the principles of republican government and in her sens and brothers an ambition to guard the best interests of the commonwealth by choos ing men of honest principles and sound judgment as guardians of the laws and liberties of the people let us then fulfill our destiny whatever it may be and bear off our part honorably as wives as mothers and as daughters and sustain every good and wise law that is made for this the grean dest and best government that exists in the present age of the world and all to the noble women who are striving in the face of opposition and discouragement to plant on this honored soil the feet of freeborn women as citizens of this great republic this constitution was unanimously adopted mrs E B wella stated that the bylaws by laws adopted by the national association were subject to amendment by the associations of utah honah Hon WH king recounted his first experience in politics and the pride with which he cast his first ballot the same experience characterizes women in her duties to her country mr king very beautifully depicted the progress women had made during the last decade showing good reasons why shirld be permitted to exercise political rights equal with made women equal with men and endowed her with eions indispensable to the welfare of our government mr kings was a very eloquent plea for toe enfranchisement of women mrs wells said she well bared the first ballot she cast and was quite sure she was fully as proud of the right as a boy of twenty one could be mr king said the woman of utah have voted as intelligently as many men I 1 belieka the women of utah vote intelligently as all men she spoke of thu ambition of mrs lockwood and mis stanton for the presidency of tha united stales and said a great future is before the women of america mr A 0 smoot said his sentiments were on record in the legislature that passed the suffrage act he advocated the principle before the governor at that time and believes his sentiments had some effect he believes it only a question of time when the whole nation will yield to comans womans suffrage those who have been instrumental in constructing and passing the laws have acknowledged that they were unconstitutional the convention then adjourned until 2 p m rpm president mrs tanner then called the meeting to order singing 0 say what is truth the vice presidents were called to the stand the secretary called the roll of officers mrs east of arizona said I 1 am reminded of the first lecture on wo mans suffrage I 1 heard by mrs C stanton in Salt Lako city she said that when in conversation with horace greely in washington the great editor said if you women vote you must fight mrs stanton replied we will do as yon did in war we will send a substitute she spoke forcibly on the liberty of the ballot the spirit of patriotism is as vivid in the hearts of women as in men strange that borne men of science should speak against the enfranchisement of women when the spirit of patriotism that is in woman is given to her son what we want is the liberty our forefathers and mothers fought bled and died for the part women played in the war was not less important than that of men we want the freedom granted to all human beings why should the african bo allowed to vote and we toe denied that privilege I 1 am glad the day has come when this subject is being agitated women do not want j slavery and when man advocates that women should be denied political privileges he but advocates the slavery of women Mr sPratt expressed her willingness to do her part in the furtherance of and fill the office ae signed her to the best of her ability mrs joa simons was pleaded with the name the women of utah county were making 1 I believe women 1 should bare th right to vote I 1 am y a property hivnor and pay my taxes and as I 1 told the assessor I 1 should in justice have a light to vote as well as men who do no more than L mrs susie young gates said I 1 am in hearty sympathy with every movement for the welfare of onion I 1 believe in women rage and citizenship but am in favor of leaving the question of office holding aside for the present though there aro some women who would make good presidents of the united states it is rather soon for a move of that nature the questions sew are our liberty and emancipation I 1 am glad the clouds of darkness that have boon hovering over women are |