The Women's Suffrage Fight at Washington's Constitutional Convention
Delegates at the 1889 constitutional convention engage in a fierce debate over including women's suffrage, ultimately voting to put the question to the voters instead of enshrining it in the state constitution.
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Olympia, Aug. 12—The convention went into committee of the whole to consider the article on elections and elective rights. Eldridge moved that the word 'male' be stricken from the section. He then spoke on woman suffrage, saying he would regret if the state of Washington should take a 'backward step' in this matter. He reminded members that they had taken an oath to do what had never yet been done by any state—grant equal rights to all. The speaker went on to narrate the history of the woman suffrage movement in Washington, claiming that the law was still on the statute books. After an hour of debate, the motion to strike out the word 'males' was lost. Later, the convention voted on an amendment to allow women to vote, but the measure was defeated 39 to 15. The convention ultimately decided to submit a proposal to the voters in 1889 to strike the word 'male' from the constitution, allowing the public to decide the question at the ballot box.
“The women of Washington for the last quarter of a century have been petitioning for their rights.”
This debate highlights the contentious path to suffrage in Washington, which did not fully secure women's right to vote until 1910. The struggle over who defines the 'consent of the governed' remains a foundational tension in state civic life.
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