History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 84

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998

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The growth of the church was slow in the early years, though quite as rapid as the settle- ments, and by August 12, 1879, when Rt. Rev. Martin Marty came as Prefecto Apostolic, hav- ing the power of an administrator of a diocese, during the vacancy of the seat, there were but twelve priests and twenty churches in all of Dakota. No other church established had nearly so many. Mgr. Marty established his seat at Yankton where the sisters soon established a large convent and a bishop's residence was erected upon the eminence west of the city, which was named Mount Marty. In February, 1880, Bishop Marty was consecrated. In 1889 he removed his episcopal seat to Sioux Falls, and Dakota Terri- tory was divided and the diocese of Sioux Falls created to embrace the present state of South Dakota.

Bishop Marty continued to administer the af- fairs of the diocese until 1894, when, owing to some differences which had grown up among his clergymen, he was transferred to St. Cloud, where he died September 19, 1896. Bishop Marty had lived a life devoted singly to his church. In his Dakota work he labored unceasingly for the upbuilding of the church in the hearts of the people. Among the Indians he traveled over wearisome paths to live in their tepees and teach them the consolations of religion. He possessed their affection in a wonderful degree, as he did that of every one, white or red, who came within the sphere of his influence. During the interim following the transfer of Bishop Marty, Rev.

Henry Mensing, of Webster, was administrator of the diocese.

On January 24, 1896, Rt. Rev. Thomas O'Gorman, then professor of history in the Uni- versity of Washington, was elected Bishop of Sioux Falls, his consecration occurring at Wash- ington on April 19, 1896, and he was installed at Sioux Falls, on May 2, 1896.

Bishop Marty was administrator during the wonderful boom period, and saw the church under his jurisdiction expand and take root in every village and town of the state. From the dozen priests who performed its ministrations in 1877 he saw it grow to sixty-eight settled pastors, withı one hundred forty-three churches and many pa- rochial schools. Bishop O'Gorman came just when the state was lifting its head from the great reactionary period following that boom and un- der his direction it has broadened and deepened its roots, extended its activities and vastly in- creased its usefulness hoth among the whites and Indians.

Six important hospitals are conducted under . its auspices as follows: Aberdeen, Cascade Springs, Deadwood, Pierre, Webster and Yank- ton. Academies are established at Aberdeen, Elkton, Marion, Sturgis, Vermillion, Jefferson, Tabor, Watertown and Zell. All of these institu- tions are doing splendid work. The hospitals are great public utilities, the importance of which is daily becoming more recognized and appreciated by the laity. The hospital at Pierre is absolutely indispensable. The people living in the widely extended range country have absolutely no con- veniences for the care of the sick and are as a rule so far remote from physicians that it has become the practice, as soon as symptoms of ill- ness are apparent, to hasten the patient to the hospital, where excellent care is guaranteed. These hospitals are attended by all the physicians of the towns where located regardless of relig- ious tenets. Each of these hospitals has acquired a fine standing, both for the care bestowed upon patients and the skill of attending physicians. The plan has by the natural law of selection de- veloped one or more surgeons of great profi- cieney at the seat of each institution and opera-

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tions of the utmost gravity and delicacy are performed constantly with a success not sur- passed anywhere. The percentage of radical cures is as great as in the best hospitals in the land.

At the latest report there are in the state fifty- five thousand five hundred Catholics, worshipping in one hundred fifty-nine churches, to which nine- ty-eight priests minister. The following orders are represented : The Benedictine, Mercy, St. Joseph and St. Vincent de Paul, Presentation and St. Frances Sisters. These orders are repre- sented in sufficient numbers so that every section is provided with their ministrations in all of the good offices which they so cheerfully perform, in teaching, nursing, care of hospitals and other benevolent activities.

In 1902 the diocese of Sioux Falls was di- vided and the diocese of Lead created for the Black Hills section, and Mgr. John Stariha was chosen bishop. His consecration and installation, an event of great interest and circumstance, was celebrated at Lead, on October 2, 1902.

The Catholics of South Dakota have contrib- uted some substantial additions to literature. Bishop O'Gorman is the author of "The Catholic History of America." Father Peter Rosen is the author of "Paha Sapha," a large and authorita- tive history of the Black Hills. Chief Justice Peter C. Shannon was one of the revisers of the Revised Laws of Dakota in 1877 and at his death was engaged in preparing a Catholic History of South Dakota, which he was not permitted to complete.

CHAPTER CII

HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

The territory of Dakota was created in 1861, but in 1889 it entered the Union divided into two separate states, North and South Dakota. As early as 1872 the territorial legislature lacked only one vote of conferring full suffrage on women. The sparsely settled country and the long distances made any organized work an im- possibility, although a number of individuals were strong advocates of equal suffrage. In 1879 women were given the right to vote at school meetings. In 1883 a school township law was passed requiring regular polls and a private ballot instead of special meetings, which took away the suffrage from women in all but a few counties.

At the convening of the territorial legislature in January, 1885, Major J. A. Pickler (after- wards member of congress), without solicitation, early in the session introduced a bill in the house granting full suffrage to women, as under the organic act the legislative body had the power to prescribe the qualifications for the franchise. The bill passed the house, February IIth, by twenty- nine aves, nineteen noes. Soon afterward it passed the council by fourteen aves, ten noes, and its friends counted the victory won. But Gov- ernor Gilbert A. Pierce, appointed by President Arthur and only a few months in the territory, failed to recognize the grand opportunity to en- franchise fifty thousand American citizens by one stroke of his pen, and vetoed the bill. Not , only did it express the sentiment of the repre- sentatives elected by the voters, but it had been

generally discussed by the press of the territory and all the newspapers but one were outspoken for it. An effort was made to carry it over the governor's veto, but it failed.

In 1887 a law was passed enlarging the school suffrage possessed by women and giving them the right to vote at all school elections and for all school officers, and also making them eligible to any elective school office. At this time, under the liberal provisions of the United States land laws, more than one-third of the land in the ter- ritory was held by women.

In the same legislature of 1887 another effort was made to pass an equal suffrage bill, and a committee from the franchise department of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, consist- ing of Mesdames Helen M. Barker, S. V. Wil- son and Alice M. A. Pickler, appeared before the committee and presented hundreds of petitions from the men and women of the territory. The committee of both houses reported favorably, but the bill failed by thirteen votes in the house and six in the council.

It was mainly through women's instrumen- tality that a local option bill was carried through this legislature, and largely through their exer- tions that it was adopted by sixty-five out of the eighty-seven organized counties at the next gen- eral election.

In October. 1885, the American Woman Suf- frage Association held a national convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was attended by a number of people from Dakota, who were

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greatly interested. The next month the first suf- frage club was formed in Webster. Several local societies were afterwards started in the southern part of the territory, but for five years no attempt was made at bringing these together in a con- vention.

At the New Orleans Exposition, in 1885, the displays of Kansas, Dakota and Nebraska taught the world the artistic value of grains and grasses for decoration, but it was exemplified most strik- ingly in the Dakota's Woman's Department, ar- ranged by Mrs. J. M. Melton, of Fargo. Among the industrial exhibits was a carriage robe sent from a leading furrier to represent the skillful work of women in his employ. There were also bird fans, a curtain of duck skins and cases of taxidermy, all prepared and cured by women, and a case of work from women employed in the printing office of the Fargo Argus. Four thou- sand bouquets of grasses were distributed on Dakota Day and carried away as curious and beautiful memorials. All were made by women in the territory.

The long contention as to whether the ter- ritory should come into the Union as one state or two, was not decided until 1889, when congress admitted two states. Thenceforth there were two distinct movements for women suffrage, one in North Dakota and one in South Dakota.

SOUTH DAKOTA.

[The editor is indebted to Mrs. Alice M. A. Pickler, of Faulkton, president of the State Woman Suffrage Association, for the material contained in this part of the chapter.]

In June, 1883, a convention was held at Huron to discuss the question of dividing the territory and forming two states, and a conven- tion was called to meet at Sioux Falls, Septem- ber 4th, and prepared a constitution for those in the southern portion. The suffrage leaders in the East were anxious that this should in- clude the franchise for women. Mrs. Matilda Joslyn Gage, of New York, vice-president-at- large of the National Suffrage Association, lec- tured at various points in the territory during the stimmer to awaken public sentiment on this ques-

tion. On September 6th a petition signed by one thousand Dakota men and women, praying that the word "male" should not be incorporated in the constitution, was presented to the convention, accompanied by personal appeals. There was some disposition to grant this request, but the opponents prevailed and only the school ballot was given to women, which they already pos- sessed by act of the legislature of 1879. How- ever, this constitution never was acted upon.

The desire for division and statehood became very urgent throughout the great territory, and this, with the growing sentiment in congress in favor of the same, induced the legislature of 1885 to provide for a convention at Sioux Falls, composed of members elected by the voters of the territory, to form a constitution for the pro- posed new state of South Dakota and submit the same to the electors for adoption, which was done in November, 1885. Many of the women had become landholders and were interested in the location of school houses, county seats, state capitals and matters of taxation. As their only organization was the Woman's Christian Tem- perance Union, a committee was appointed from that body, consisting of Alice M. A. Pickler, superintendent of the franchise department, Helen M. Barker and Julia Welch, to appear before the committee on suffrage and ask that the word "male" be left out of the qualifications of elect- ors. They were helped by letters to members of the convention from Lucy Stone, Henry B. Black- well, Susan B. Anthony, Lillie Devereux Blake and others of national reputation. Seven of the eleven members of the committee were willing to grant this request, but there was so much op- position from the convention lest the chances of statehood might be imperiled, that they . com- pelled a compromise and it was directed that the first legislature should submit the question to the voters. They did incorporate a clause, however, that women properly qualified should be eligible to any school office and should vote at any elec- tion solely for school purposes. This applied merely to school trustees, as state and county superintendents are elected at general and not special elections.

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

The constitution was ratified by the voters in 1885, with a provision that "the legislature should at its first session after the admission of the state into the Union, submit to a vote of the electors at the next general election, the question whether the word 'male' should be stricken from the article of the constitution relating to elections and the right of suffrage."

Congress at that time refused to divide the territory and thus the question remained in abeyance awaiting statehood.

In 1889, an enabling act having passed by congress, delegates were elected from the differ- ent counties to meet in convention at Sioux Falls to prepare for the entrance of South Dakota into statehood. This convention reaffirmed the constitution adopted in 1885, and again sub- mitted it to the voters, who again passed upon it favorably, and the territory became a state November 2, 1889.

The first legislature met at once in Pierre and, although they were required by the consti- tution to submit an amendment for woman suf- frage, a vote was taken as to whether this should be done. It stood in the senate, forty yeas, one nay; absent or not voting, four; in the house, eighty-four yeas, nine nays, twenty-one absent.

On November II, 1889, Miss Anthony, in response to urgent requests from the state, made a lecture tour of twelve cities and towns and ad- dressed the Farmers' Alliance at their conven- tion in Aberdeen, when it officially indorsed the suffrage amendment. On her return home she sent fifty thousand copies of Senator T. W. Palmer's great woman suffrage speech to in- dividual voters in Dakota under his frank.

A State Suffrage Association had been formed, with S. A. Ramsey, president; Alonzo Wardall, vice-president ; the Rev. M. Barker, sec- retary, and Mrs. Helen M. Barker, treasurer and state organizer; but the beginning of this cam- paign found the women with no funds and very little local organization. Mr. Wardall, who was also secretary of the Farmers' Alliance, went to Washington and, with Representative and Mrs. J. A. Pickler, presented a strong appeal for as- · sistance to the national suffrage convention in

February, 1890. It was heartily responded to and a South Dakota campaign committee was formed, with Miss Anthony chairman. The of- ficers and friends made vigorous efforts to raise a fund and eventually five thousand five hundred dollars were secured. Of this amount California sent one thousand dollars; Senator Stanford personally gave three hundred dollars; Rachel Foster Avery, of Philadelphia, the same amount ; Mrs. Clara L. McAdow, of Montana, two hun- dred and fifty dollars ; a number gave one hun- dred dollars, among them United States Senator R. F. Pettigrew, of South Dakota, and different states sent various sumns. The speakers raised about one thousand four hundred dollars, which went towards paying their expenses. Over one thousand dollars were secured by other means. Most of the state workers donated their expenses.

The first of May Miss Anthony returned to South Dakota and established campaign head- quarters in Huron. A mass convention of men and women was held and an active state organiza- tion formed, with Mrs. Philena Everett John- son, president, and Mr. Wardall, vice-president. which co-operated with the national committee and inaugurated an active campaign. The new state had adopted as its motto, "Under God the People Rule," and the suffragists wrote upon their banners, "Under God the People Rule; Women are People." A large number of national speak- ers came in the summer. Local workers would organize suffrage clubs in the schoolhouses and these efforts would culminate in large rallies at the county seats where some noted speakers would make addresses and perfect the organization.

Those from the outside who canvassed the state were Henry B. Blackwell, editor Woman's Journal, Boston ; the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, national lecturer ; Mary Seymour Howell, of New York; the Rev. Olympia Brown, of Wis- consin ; Matilda Hindman, of Pennsylvania ; Carrie Chapman Catt, of Washington ; Laura M. Johns, of Kansas; Clara Berwick Colby, of Ne- braska; the Rev. Helen G. Putnum, of North Da- kota, and Julia B. Nelson, of Minnesota. Miss Anthony was always and everywhere the moving spirit and contributed her services the entire six

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months without pay. When three hundred dol- lars were lacking to settle the final expenses she paid them out of her own pocket. Mr. Black- well also donated his services. Most effective state work was done by Mrs. Emma Smith De- Voe, of Huron, and the home of Mr. and Mrs. De Voe was a haven of rest during the campaign.

Among the other valuable state workers were Dr. Nettie C. Hall, Mrs. Helen M. Barker, and Mrs. Elizabeth M. Wardall, superintendent of press. A large number of ministers indorsed the amendment. Two grand rallies of all the speak- ers were held, one at Mitchell, August 26th and 27th, during which time Miss Anthony, Mr. Blackwell, Miss Shaw and Mrs. Pickler ad- dressed the Republican state convention ; the other during the state fair in September. The 17th was "Woman's Day," and the fair association invited ladies to speak. Miss Anthony, Miss Shaw and Mrs. DeVoe complied. The sum- ming up of the superintendent of press was as follows: Total number of addresses by national speakers, 789; state speakers, 707; under the auspices of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 104; total, 1,600; local clubs of women organized, 400 ; literature sent out to every voter.

It would be difficult to put into words the hardships of this campaign of 1890, in a new state through the hottest and dryest summer on record. Frequently the speakers had to drive twenty miles between the afternon and evening meetings and the audiences would come thirty miles. All of the political state conventions de- clined to indorse the amendment. The Repub- licans refused seats to the ladies on the floor of their convention, although Indians in blankets were welcomed. The Democrats invited the ladies to seats, where they listened to a speech against woman suffrage by E. W. Miller, land receiver for Huron district, too indecent to print, which was received with cheers and applause by the convention. The minority committee report, presented by Judge Bangs, of Rapid City, ask- ing for an indorsement, was overwhelmingly voted down. A big delegation of Russians came to this convention wearing yellow badges lettered,

"Against Woman Suffrage and Susan B. An- thony."

The greatest disappointment of the campaign was the forming of an independent party by the Farmers' Alliance and the Knights of Labor. The Alliance at its convention the previous year, four hundred and seventy-eight delegates present, at the close of Miss Anthony's address, had de- clared that they would do all in their power to carry the suffrage amendment, and it was prin- cipally on account of their assurances of support and on the invitation of their leaders that she un- dertook the work in South Dakota. The Knights of Labor at their convention in January of the present year had adopted a resolution that said : "We will support with all our strength the amendment to be voted on at the next general election giving women the ballot-believing this to be the first step toward securing those reforms for which all true Knights of Labor are striv- ing." But the following June these two or- ganizations formed a new party and absolutely refused to put a woman suffrage plank in their platform, although Miss Anthony addressed their convention and implored them to keep their promise, assuring them that their failure to sup- port the amendment would be its death blow. The previous summer H. L. Loucks, president of the Farmers' Alliance, had made a special jour- ney to the state suffrage convention at Minne- apolis to invite her to come to South Dakota to conduct this canvass. He was a candidate for governor on this new party ticket and in his speech of acceptance did not mention the pend- ing amendment. Before adjourning the conven- tion adopted a long resolution containing seven or eight declarations, among them one that "No citizen should be disfranchised on account of sex ;" but so far as any party advocacy was con- cerned the question was a dead issue.

A bitter contest was being made between Huron and Pierre for the location of the state capital, and the woman suffrage amendment was freely used as an article of barter .. There were thirty thousand Russians, Poles, Scandinavians and other foreigners in the state, most of whom

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opposed woman suffrage. The liquor dealers and gamblers worked vigorously against it, and they were reinforced by the women "remonstrants" of Massachusetts, who sent their literature into every corner of the state.

At the election, November 4. 1890, the amend- ment received 22,072 ayes, 45,862 noes, majority opposed, 23.790. The Republicans carried the state by 16,000 majority.

At this same election an amendment was sub- mitted as to whether male Indians should be en- franchised, it receiving an affirmative vote of forty-five per cent .; that for women suffrage re- ceived thirty-five per cent. Of the two classes of voters it secmed the men preferred the Indians. It was claimed by many, however, that they did not understand the wording of the Indian amend- ment and thought they were voting against it. (A graphic account of this campaign, with many anecdotes and personal reminiscences, will be found in the "Life and Work of Susan B. An- thony." chapter XXXVIII.)

As the school suffrage possessed by women applied only to trustees and did not include the important offices of state and county superintend- ents, and as it was held that the franchise for this purpose could be secured only by a constitu- tional amendment, it was decided to ask for this. Through the efforts of Mrs. Anna R. Simmons and Mrs. Emma A. Cranmer, officers of the state association, a bill for this purpose was se- cured from the legislature of 1893. As there scemed to be no objection to women voting for school trustees, it was not supposed that there would be any to extending the privilege for the other school officers. It was submitted at the regular election in November. 1894, and defeated by 17,010 ayes, 22,682 noes, an opposing majority of 5.672.

In 1897 the above ladies made one more effort and secured from the legislature the submission again of an amendment conferring the full suf- frage on women. The campaign was managed almost entirely by Mrs. Simmons and Mrs. Cranmer. The national association assisted to the extent of sending a lecturer, Mrs. Laura A. Gregg, of Kansas, who remained for two months

preceding the election ; and one hundred dollars' worth of literature also was furnished for dis- tribution. The Dakota women raised about one thousand five hundred dollars, and every possible influence was exerted upon the voters. The re- turns of the election in November, 1898, gave for the amendment 19,698; against 22,983; adverse majority, 3,285.

In 1890, the amendment had received thirty- five per cent. of the whole vote cast upon it; in 1898, it received seventy-seven per cent. The figures show unmistakably that the falling off in the size of the vote was almost wholly among the opponents.

Petitions have been presented to several legis- latures to grant municipal suffrage by statute, but a bill for this purpose has been brought to a vote only once, in 1893, when it was passed by the senate, twenty-seven ayes, eleven noes; and defeated in the house by only one vote.

ORGANIZATION .- After the defeat of the suffrage amendment in 1890, a more thorough state organization was effected and a convention has been held every year since. That of 1891 met in Huron and Mrs. Irene G. Adams was elected president. Soon afterwards she compiled a leaf- let showing the unjust laws for women which disgraced the statute books.

In 1892 a successful annual meeting took place at Hastings and Mrs. Mary A. Grosebeck was made president. In September. 1893. the convention was held in Aberdeen during the Grain Palace Exposition. The state president and the president-elect, Mrs. Emma A. Cranmer, had charge of the program for woman's day, and Mrs. Clara Hoffman, of Missouri, gave ad- dresses in the afternoon and evening.

In 1894 Mrs. Anna R. Simmons was elected president and continued in office for six years. This year one hundred dollars was sent to aid the Kansas campaign. During 1894 and 1895 she made twenty public addresses and held ten parlor meetings. At the convention in Pierre in September, 1895, she was able to report fifty clubs organized, with seven hundred members. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, chairman of the national

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History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 84

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 998

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998