Transcribed from the Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer, March 3, 1887. Microfilm #A329 at UW library.

Pursuant to a published call, inviting all friends of equal suffrage to attend a public meeting of the Equal Rights Association, about a dozen strong minded women and two harmless men assembled at Pythian Hall yesterday afternoon, to discuss the woman suffrage question. Two o'clock was the advertised hour, but the mass meeting was not called to order till after three o'clock. Mrs. Lyman Wood, President of the Association, took her place, and after pounding on the table with her gavel to procure order she proceeded to state the object of the meeting. One of the sisters arose and raised the point of order that there was not a quorum present, and business could not be transacted. "We must be above such trifles" said the President, as she continued her statement of the object.

Mrs. DeVoe - I move we have no reporters present.

Mrs. Lyman Wood - I second the motion.

Here followed a general and rambling discussion in regard to reporters, newspapers, Judge Langford, the Supreme Court and half a dozen other topics, until the reporter flattered himself that they had forgotten their evil intentions toward him.

Mrs. Laura E. Hall - I see there is only one reporter here. Now, Mrs. President, I am going to

make a motion. My motion is that if that reporter will agree to submit his report to this Association before adjournment, and allow the members of the association to strike out anything that may be objectionable to any member, he may stay. I am willing that a report be made of the proceedings providing it be such a report as will be satisfactory to us all. Now, since that report of our last meeting was published in the POST-INTELLIGENCER I have received letters from Chicago, New York and other places, and while I could not be called a very sensitive person, I don’t like so much notoriety. Now I was reported as saying, "My goodness gracious!" and I don't believe I used that expression.

Mrs. Wood - Oh, yes, you did, Mrs. Hall, I remember that very distinctly, you were discussing the indignation meeting very earnestly, when you used those words. The paper was right about that.

Mrs. DeVoe - If a reporter stays, I'll leave.

Mrs. Laura E. Hall - I move to reconsider my motion, as we can better spare the reporter than Mrs. DeVoe.

Mrs. Kenworthy - Sisters, let us be reasonable, I don't believe the POST-INTELLIGENCER will give anything in its report which would be against us, and I think it wrong to put the reporter out.

Mrs. DeVoe - All right; I'll go home and let the reporter and Mrs. Kenworthy run this meeting.

Mrs. Kenworthy - I thrust the insinuation back to its source. The reporter and Mrs. Kenworthy do not want to run this or any other meeting. We do not wish a reporter to report us incorrectly to be sure, and I know he will not do it. If we are suffragists we must act a little big - with some dignity - and not be children. We are women suffragists. I would like to hear from the reporter.

Reporter - Ladies of the Association, I have listened to your dignified debate in regard to my remaining with you with more than ordinary interest. I have only heard one practical proposition made, and that has many objections. I refer to Mrs. Laura E. Hall's proposition to submit my report to this Association for its indorsement before it is published. As I said before, this proposition has many objectionable features, and if I must submit my report to your censorship I would suggest that the society designate some intelligent member, or a small committee, to revise the report. Reading it in its rough shape to so large a concourse of ladies would not only be embarrassing to the reporter, but would be contrary to the rules of the office, which require that the work of the reporters and editorial writers shall first appear in the paper before being read in public. This looks to me like a deep-dyed and darkly laid conspiracy against the public press, but, ladies, I am in your hands; do with me as you will. Remember, the responsibility lies with you.

At the conclusion of this speech the modest reporter sat down and gasped for breath, as the eyes of half the audience, fully six irate females, glared on him.

Mrs. Roswell Scott - If the reporter refuses to read his report before he goes I am in favor of making him go now.

Mrs. DeVoe - I'll try once more to get rid of these two men, and if I don’t succeed, I'll go home. Now, I move that we have only women present in this meeting, and that all the men be requested to leave immediately.

Mrs. R. Scott seconded the motion, and when it were put all the women except one was afraid to vote for fear of getting their names in the paper. One squeaky aye was heard, but nary a nay.

The President decided the motion carried and requested that the two men retire, and they did.

The fun would not have ended here had not Mr (unclear) Jones, with a subpoena from the court, appeared on the scene to summon the reporter to Tacoma at once, just in time to prevent him being (unclear) from the third story of the opera house by a dozen irate women.

Submitted by Stacey

Back to Clallam County