Washington Legislature Rejects Women's Suffrage
A bill to submit the question of equal suffrage to the voters of the state fails to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the House.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Olympia, Feb. 7.—This has been the busiest day so far during the session of the legislature. The house disposed of two very important matters. It defeated the proposition to submit for constitutional amendment the woman suffrage question to the voters of the state. Cline's equal suffrage bill was reported back to the house from the committee on constitutional revision with a majority report in favor of its passage and a minority report against it. The majority report was adopted by viva voce vote. Baker, of Pierce, moved that the bill be read the third time and placed on its final passage. The motion to indefinitely postpone was lost by a vote of 23 to 47. Baker then renewed his motion to suspend the rules and place the bill on its final passage. The roll call was demanded and the motion prevailed by a vote of 50 to 19. On its final passage the bill was defeated by a vote of 49 ayes, 21 nays, 8 not present or not voting. It having failed to receive the necessary two-thirds of all the members elect, Baker gave notice of reconsideration.
“It having failed to receive the necessary two-thirds of all the members elect, Baker gave notice of reconsideration.”
Washington Territory had granted women the right to vote in 1883, only for the territorial courts to strike it down in 1887. This 1895 legislative defeat highlights the long, grinding struggle for suffrage that would not be permanently secured in Washington until 1910, eight years before the 19th Amendment.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.