Wheeling Register

STATE WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE CLUB

Formed at Grafton This Week—A Club Organized at Fairmont—The Movement in West Virginia.

Special to the Register.

Fairmont, W. Va., November 28.—On Monday and Tuesday, in Grafton, a call-convention of the women of West Virginia met to form a State Woman's Suffrage Club. About fifty women responded. Miss Mary Garrett Hay and Rev. Henrietta Moore, of the National Woman's Suffrage Club, met with the attending women to assist them with their advice and long experience, in the best way to work for the enfranchisement of women. Two letters were read to the club by Miss Hay, one from Miss Susan B. Anthony and the other from Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, both giving words of cheer and welcome to the women of the last Southern State to form a suffrage club, and the last State in the Union, except little Delaware, without a State Woman's Suffrage Club. This last State will, before the closing of this year, have her State woman's suffrage organization also.
A constitution was adopted by the convention and officers chosen as follows: President, Mrs. Jesse Manley, of Fairmont; vice president, Mrs. Harvey Harmer, of Clarksburg; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Annie Caldwell Boyd, of Wheeling; recording secretary, Mrs. I. M. Fay, of New Cumberland; treasurer, Mrs. K. H. DeWoody, of Grafton; auditors, Mrs Caswell, of Parkersburg, and Mrs. Louise Harden, of Wellsburg.
Member of the Executive Committee of the National American Woman's Suffrage Association, Mrs. Annie Caldwell Boyd.
Able and interesting addresses were given during the meeting by different persons. The address of welcome by Mrs J. B. Thompson, of Grafton, was unusually bright and original, many of her remarks calling smiles from her hearers. Miss Mary G. Hay gave an address on the Need of the Hour, and of course, as she always does, held the closest attention of the audience. In the evening Miss H. Moore, Mr. Harvey Harmer, of Clarksburg, a member of the State Legislature, and Rev. Evans, of Clarksburg, each gave interesting addresses. Mr. Harmer touched the heart of every woman present, when, in speaking of his mother, he said if every man had such a mother as he was blessed with, no woman would ask or knock at the door of the Legislature, asking for suffrage in vain. And would any man dare to say that his mother would not and could not cast a vote as intelligently as her son? Mr. Harmer said he had been sneered at and ridiculed as belonging to the woman's party but "that a strong faith in anything raises one above the sense of ridicule"
Tuesday's addresses were on woman's suffrage Does the Wife Need It? by Mrs. M. M. Love, of Grafton. Does the Unmarried Woman, Need it? by Miss Shinn, of Clarksburg. Does the Working Woman Need It? by Mrs Beulah Boyd Ritchie, of Fairmont Does the Professional Woman Need It? by Dr. Harriet B. Jones of Wheeling. Does the Senate Need It? by Rev. H Moore.
Miss Grace Braun, of Fairmont, the youngest member of the club, gave a young girl's views on the question of suffrage for her sex and why she desired it. Her paper delighted all who heard it. Miss Shinn not being able to be present owing to professional duties, sent her paper to the convention, where it was read by Miss Hay for her.
Mrs Ir Post, of Clarksburg, sent a telegram with greetings to the convention and regret at not being able to be present. Miss Hay and Miss Moore told the convention of their success in the promotion of woman suffrage clubs in West Virginia during this month.
Seven Woman's Equal Suffrage clubs have been started one each at Wheeling, Benwood, Wellsburg, New Cumberland, New Martinsville, Clarksburg and Grafton. In all these places the greatest interest was manifested, but especially the three last places where the membership is large. In Clarksburg numbering thirty-nine members
Wednesday evening Rev. Henrietta Moore addressed a meeting of the citizens of Fairmont on Woman's Suffrage, in the State Normal School hall. The hall was crowded to hear her, and after her address a Fairmont Woman's Suffrage club was formed. Miss Moore's address aroused the greatest enthusiasm in the cause she represented. Fifty persons, leading citizens of Fairmont, men and women, signed as members of the new club.