The Greenville Journal, July 25, 1912

CENTERED ON OHIO

ARE EYES OF WORLD ANENT THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.


Buckeye State Is Considered the Pivotal Point by Suffragettes Who Oppose Anti Movement.

The eyes of the world are centered on Ohio when it comes to the suffrage question.

This statement no longer needs to be preached as it is admitted by either side of the contending parties.

 “I believe that the people outside of the state are more fully awake to the tremendous undertaking before us than are own people,” says Mrs. Hermon Hubbard, president of the Ohio Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage. One of the leading New York papers made the discovery a few days ago that the center of the suffrage fight had been moved from London, England, to Ohio. The truth of this statement is reinforced by a telegram from Mrs. Arthur M. Dodge, president of the national association. Mrs. Dodge says: “Suffragettes evidently consider Ohio the pivotal state, as they are concentrating their efforts there because the constitutional amendment is to be voted on before the referendum in five other states can be taken, and the result will have an important effect on these. The great danger with constitutional amendments, as I see it, is that a full vote may not be cast. If voters will realize the seriousness of the question and the vote can be brought out, I am sure suffrage will be defeated.”

 The judgement of the national headquarters is reinforced by every mail that reaches the state office at Columbus. There is growing evidence that the thinkers of Ohio are awakening to the seriousness of the problem, and that when the constitutional convention adjourns there will be such opposition to the extension of suffrage to women as will insure its defeat at the special election to be called.

The Greenville Journal was founded in the 1830s and lasted until 1918. This newspaper published articles with more conservative views. The majority of the articles were written towards the audience of women and children during the early 1900s. 

This article discusses the importance Ohio played for the upcoming constitutional suffrage amendment that would be voted on in Ohio in September. This amendment was also known as the Ohio Women’s Suffrage Amendment (Amendment 23), which would have granted women the right to vote if the amendment won in the September 1912 election. However, when the September election was held, this amendment was rejected by the male voters in Ohio. 

Also, at this time, not all women were in favor of women’s suffrage. There were a growing number of anti-suffragists present in Ohio at this time which made the 23rd Amendment difficult to pass in Ohio. Groups like the Ohio Association Opposed to Woman’s Suffrage was composed of women that advocated against women’s suffrage. Mrs. Hermon Hubbard was the president of this anti-women’s suffrage organization. In The Ohio Journal of Commerce, Susan P. Hubbard stated specific reasons why she was against women’s suffrage, including the claim that granting women the right to vote would not solve the unequal pay gap between men and women. She also said that most women didn’t support suffrage and that the Susan B. Anthony amendment was an attempt to control the majority with the minorities opinion. Hubbard further declared that the women who were suffragists were not mothers and if they were they needed to be at home and not out supporting suffrage.

Some reasons why women did not advocate for suffrage is because some women were mocked when they publicly supported women’s suffrage, some were uneducated on political issues, and some women thought voting would be an added expense. Women in Ohio who supported suffrage faced adversity from anti-women suffrage groups located in Ohio as well as nationally. 

The national association was organized by Mrs. Arthur Dodge who believed that suffrage was not necessary for women. Dodge was an anti-suffrage activist who served as president of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS) for six years. Dodge was often the target of threats from pro-suffrage groups. The NAOWS created a newsletter in 1918, called Woman’s Protest, which later changed to Woman Patriot, and in 1918 they moved their headquarters to Washington, D.C. until they closed in 1920 due to the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment