LEADING THE WAY
Washington
“There shall be no denial of the elective franchise at any election on account of sex”
“Suffrage Special” On June 29, 1909, the Northern Pacific Railroad train dubbed the “Suffrage Special” arrived at King Station in Seattle. The train carried more than 250 leaders of the suffrage movement. The suffragists were in Seattle to hold the 41st annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Among those on board were Emma Smith DeVoe, then president of the Washington Equal Suffrage Association. The Suffrage Special paused in Tacoma for five hours. Members of Tacoma women’s clubs entertained the visitors, taking them through Point Defiance Park and receiving them at the Tacoma Commercial Club.
On November 8, 1910, men in Washington State voted nearly 2 to 1 for a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, making Washington the 5th state to do so. The 6th Amendment states: “There shall be no denial of the elective franchise at any election on account of sex” but retained the following language: “That Indians not taxed shall never be allowed the elective franchise.” The vote count for suffrage in Washington was:
Yes – 52,299
No – 29,676
Washington Women’s Cook Book A common argument against women receiving the right to vote was that women would not be able to take care of their homes and families if they became involved in politics. To address this concern the Washington Equal Suffrage Association published the Washington Women’s Cook Book. Recipes were submitted by suffragists from around the state. Each chapter began with a pro-suffrage quotation. Entrees, for example, began with Abraham Lincoln’s “I go for all sharing the privileges of the government who assist in bearing its burdens—by no means excluding women.” The Cook Book was sold throughout the state of Washington, including at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Voting machine used in the late 1920’s to early 1930’s in Washington state.
Frances M. Haskell Among many notable accomplishments, Representative Haskell introduced the Federal Suffrage Amendment upon ratification on March 22, 1920 at an extraordinary session of the Washington State legislature. Washington State Capitol Building 1920
Dr. Cora Smith Eaton Dr. Cora Smith Eaton was instrumental in securing the right to vote for women in several states, including Washington. Receiving a degree in medicine from Boston University School of Medicine, she was the first woman licensed to practice medicine in North Dakota in 1892. After moving to Seattle she became treasurer of the Washington Equal Suffrage Association and within a short time was heralded as being a “leading suffragist.” A founding member of the Mountaineers, she was proud to be one of the summiting members of the Mount Rainier 1909 expedition where she planted a Votes for Women pennant at the summit. She was also a co-author of the Mountaineers’ chapter of the Washington Women’s Cook Book.
In 1871 suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Abigail Scott Duniway toured several towns in Washington to promote women’s voting rights. On October 19, 1871 Susan B. Anthony addressed the Washington Territorial Legislature. Nine days later at a convention convened by the two women, the Washington Woman Suffrage Association was formed. Abigail Scott Duniway
“October 19 Thursday. Olympia Wash Ter Addressed Legislature at 2 P.M. Assembly room packed — Made pretty good argument’” Excerpt from Susan B. Anthony’s 1871 diary
Susan B. Anthony
Virginia Mason Virginia Wilson Mason was a suffragist from Tacoma, Washington. She and her husband, John Mason, a civil war veteran and manager with the Northern Pacific Railway, built a large home in the North End of Tacoma. Mrs. Mason designed much of the house, specifically planning large, grand rooms for suffragist meetings. From 1905 to 1910 her home was regularly used for meetings with suffragists from the western states to spread awareness of the fight for women’s right to vote. Mrs. Mason was elected vice president and later president of the Women’s Equal Suffrage Association. She also played a large role in the national movement for womens right to vote. Coincidentally, Mrs. Mason was one of the first women in Washington State called to jury service when women obtained that right in 1911.