work for "the party" as a means of enabling
them to hold places in which they may get bread for their mothers
and for their children if necessity requires.

Miss JESSIE T. WAITE of Illinois said: _Mr. Chairman, and
Gentlemen of the Judiciary Committee_: In the State of Illinois
we have attained to almost every right except that of the ballot.
We have been admitted to all the schools and colleges; we have
become accustomed to parliamentary usages; to voting in literary
societies and in all matters connected with the interests of the
colleges and schools; we are considered members in good standing
of the associations, and, in some cases, the young ladies in the
institutes have been told they hold the balance of power. The
same reason for woman suffrage that has been given by the
delegate from Indiana [Mrs. McRae] holds good with reference to
the State of Illinois. Women must have the ballot that they may
have protection in getting bread for themselves and their
families, by giving to the party that looks for their support
some substantial evidence of their strength. Experience has
demonstrated, especially in the temperance movement, how
fruitless are all their efforts while the ballot is withheld from
their hands. They have prayed; they have petitioned; they have
talked; they have lectured; they have done all they could do,
except to vote; and yet all avails them nothing. Miss Frances
Williard presented to the legislature of Illinois a petition of
such length that it would have reached around this room. It
contained over 180,000 signatures. The purpose of the petition
was to have the legislature give the women of the State the right
to vote upon the question of license or no license in their
respective districts.

In some of the counties of our State we have ladies as
superintendents of schools and professors in colleges. One of the
professors in the Industrial University at Champaign is a lady.
Throughout the State you may find ladies who excel in every
branch of study and in every trade. It was a lady who took the
prize at "the Exposition" for the most beautiful piece of
cabinet-work. This is said to have been a marvel of beauty and
extraordinary as a specimen of fine art. She was a foreigner; a
Scandinavian, I believe. Another lady is