Winning the right to vote alongside male counterparts didn’t come easy for New Jersey women. The 1776 New Jersey Constitution had enfranchised men and women who were worth fifty pounds. But, this brief period of inclusivity came to an end in 1807 when the Assembly passed a law limiting suffrage to white male taxpayers ((Lewis, J. E., Rutgers Law Review, Rethinking Women’s Suffrage in New Jersey, 1776 – 1807, (2011) )). Consequently, by the 1840s the ladies had started petitioning lawmakers, demanding the restoration of their former right ((E. R. Turner, “Suffrage in New Jersey, 1790 – 1807. Smith College Studies in History, Vol. 1. No. 4: (July 1916): 165-187))
Statewide and local activism grew in harmony with the national movement, after the Civil War. As determined activists pressured lawmakers in Trenton, the Assembly granted limited privileges to women in 1897, allowing them to vote in some local school elections. So as New Jerseyians continued crusading to gain the broader franchise, Elmer and Pittsgrove Township held historic votes, ladies going to the polls six years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment created a universal franchise.
The question that faced Pittsgrove taxpayers was whether the school district should spend $14,500 to buy land and erect a four-room brick schoolhouse. At this election on April 28, 1914, at the Pole Tavern School, the proposition was defeated by a significant majority. All but 40 of the 230 voters opposed the outlay ((Penns Grove Record, “Public School Proposition Defeated,” May 1, 1914)). A month earlier, Elmer’s ladies cast over half of the 257 ballots in favor of a $20,000 appropriation for enlarging and remodeling the Main Street school. “There was considerable local interest in the special election, especially because of the activity of the women,” the Woodstown Monitor Register observed ((Woodstown Monitor Register, “Elmer Women Voe in School Election,” March 20, 1914)).
During this period, Equal Suffrage League’s remained active across the county. In Woodstown, the group offered prizes for the best essay on “Why Women Should Vote” — The first prize was $5. The judges were Mayor E. S. Fogg, Supervising Principal Shimer, Benj. Patterson, and Mrs. Joel Borton, the president of the League ((Penns Grove Record, “Woodstown Whisperings,” April 5, 1914)).
By 1913, suffragists in nine states had won battles, while in other places, they were slowly converting indecisive politicians. Spurred on by these successes, New Jersey suffragists got a statewide referendum on the ballot, putting the decision in the hands of men at a special election on October 19, 1915.
As the summer of 1915 slipped peacefully by, campaigning for and against the amendment grew intense, and the women’s suffrage army marched across the Garden State. That July, Salem County became the center of attention as the activist stepped sprightly into the area. In Woodstown, members of the Equal Suffrage Association in gaily decorated automobiles arrived, seeking to find converts.
A few weeks later, in Woodstown, the Rev. William Tatlack spoke about the justness of women voting. And Mrs. Laura G. Cannon of California addressed the need for a lady’s influence to get good laws passed for better sanitation and conditions for working women. The principal speaker, Mrs. Jennie C. Laws Hardy of Michigan, told about the success of equal suffrage in Australia, her native country ((Penns Grove Record, “Vote for Women Wanted: Equal Suffrage a Success Elsewhere, July 2, 1915)).
With a rallying cry of “votes for women,” Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery, of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association and Mrs. Cannon were on a two-day tour around the county ((Philadelphia Inquirer, “Suffragists Tour Salem County,” Oct. 5, 1915)). Masterfully piloting their automobile, the “Adelaide Victory,” along country roads there were “no delays or mishaps” as they visited “every town and almost every country store.” Mrs. Aldona L. Dickeson of Woodstown, Chairman of the Salem County Equal Suffrage League, accompanied them. Everywhere men assured the party they would vote favorably. Daretown was out in full force to greet the tour, and Friesburg gave a hearty greeting, people coming out in various conveyances to attend the meeting. ((Woodstown Monitor Register, “Tour of Adelaide Victory,” Oct. 8, 1915))
At the Salem Courthouse, on a Tuesday in October Mrs. Robert Irving of Haddonfield made a convincing speech, capably handling questions fired at her. That was followed on Friday by a speech by Mrs. Cannon, who had been here twice, winning the hearts of Salem people and converts to the cause, the Sunbeam remarked. ((Salem Sunbeam, “Votes for Women Draws Crowd: Dr. Anna Howard Shaw Addressed Large Audience,” September 10, 1915))
Dr. Annna H. Shaw, National President of the Woman’s Suffrage Party, arrived in Salem on the evening train from Pittsburg. She was driven through the principal streets by several automobiles accompanied by many local Salem County Suffrage League members. Afterward, she was taken to the home of Mrs. Robert Clarke Berry, who entertained Dr. Shaw during her stay in Salem. While here, she delivered an impressive address on granting the franchise to women in New Jersey. It was an appreciative audience that taxed the capacity of the historic courthouse on a Tuesday in September. When she referred to men in laugh-provoking words that pleased many ladies present she received hearty applause. ((Woodstown Monitor Register, News at the County Seat., Oct. 8, 1915))
“You object that politics are so dirty, ‘keep the women out of it,” she said. “When our houses, clothes, or children are dirty, do you send the women away? It is the first time I have heard of women being kept out of anything because it is dirty. Women have cleansed the world since the beginning of time. Give them the ballot and they will clean up politics. . . . . Wherever women have had the ballot they have brought in laws safeguarding workers in dangerous occupations, they have worked to shorten the hours of labor not only of women but the man as well,” she continued ((Salem Sunbeam, “Votes for Women Draws Crowd: Dr. Anna Howard Shaw Addressed Large Audience,” September 10, 1915)) .
The churches of New Jersey observed Sunday, Oct. 17, 1915, as Woman Suffrage Day, the Elmer Times reported. “Societies standing for reform and the betterment of mankind have lined up for woman suffrage. All the viscous forces, such as the liquor traffic, white slavers, gamblers, and exploiters of youth and virtues are arrayed against the measure,” The Elmer Times added. At the Elmer M. E. Church that Sunday evening, Rev. George T. Billman spoke on Woman Suffrage as a moral issue. The Equal Suffrage League of Elmer, Daretown, and Monroeville attended. ((Elmer Times, “Suffrage Day,” Oct. 15, 1915)). The Elmer editor also remarked that the “Times stood for full democracy and gave the cause of suffrage full support, keeping its columns open to the advocates of woman suffrage ((Elmer Times, “Timely Topics,” Oct. 22, 1915)).
As election day neared, questions centered on whether Oct. 19, was a holiday, so Governor Fielder sought an opinion from Assistant Attorney General Theodore Backes. The Attorney General’s Office ruled that a special election to consider constitutional amendments was not a general election so since it wasn’t a holiday the saloons weren’t required to close. “The decision will be very displeasing to the suffragist because they are being bitterly opposed by the liquor men, and there will be a fear that wide-open saloons on this date may mitigate against a victory for the suffrage cause.” ((Salem Sunbeam, “Special Elections Not a Holiday,” Oct. 1, 1915))
The week before the election, some county papers assessed the situation. The women in favor of equal suffrage have stirred up the county from end to end, and they gave very favorable reports of the outlook, the Woodstown Monitor Registered wrote. However, the antis, chiefly located in Salem City, were confident the amendment would fail locally and in the state. One of the enthusiastic antis declared that his side had canvassed Elsinboro, Quinton, Lower Creek, and Alloway and only found two women who wanted to vote, while the men said they didn’t believe in women voting. ((Woodstown Monitor Register, “Tour of Adelaide Victory,” Oct. 8, 1915))
The Salem County Standard and Jerseyman reminded voters that this was a critical question so “every man should make it his business to vote yes or no on the subject.” The editor said the paper had not taken any side of the controversy believing it was the proper course to allow the voters to express themselves upon this subject without any outside influence other than that put forth by the friends or opponents of the propositions. ((Salem Standard and Jerseyman, “Get Out a Full Vote,” Oct. 13, 1915))
To ensure there were no dirty tricks, the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association conducted schools for poll watchers and workers across the state. Several were held in the county, one on Sept. 21st at the Borough Hall in Woodstown.
The men of New Jersey decided not to grant women the right to vote by a big majority across the state on October 19, 1915. In Salem County, the women lost by 395 votes (1626 to 1231). Of the twenty precincts in the county, those favoring suffrage were: Alloway, Upper Penn’s Neck, Oldmans, Upper Pittsgrove’s 1st district, Upper Pittgrove’s 2nd district, Old Pittsgrove, Pennsgrove north, and Pennsgrove south. Salem City’s majority against the amendment was 290 (Salem Standard & Jerseyman, Oct. 22, 1915). “New Jersey was the first state in the Union to have female suffrage and will be the last one to re-adopt it, because the liquor and other interest fear the vote of women, remarked the Penns Grove Record ((Penns Grove Record, “Women Failed to Win: Penns Grove, Upper Penns Neck and Oldmans Voted for Women,” Oct. 22, 1915))
After its defeat, state law didn’t permit the amendment to be reintroduced into the Legislature for five years. Since it had to be submitted to two successive legislatures for approval, an amendment was at least seven years off. But women in the Garden State didn’t t have to wait seven years. In 1919, Congress passed the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which declared no citizen could be denied the right to vote based on sex. The New Jersey Legislature ratified the amendment in February 1920, making the state the 29th to do so.
The 19th Amendment became part of the Constitution on Aug. 26, 1920. Thus, the presidential election of 1920 marked the first time the women of Salem County “had the experience of standing up alongside their men folks and voicing their sentiments as to who shall be the president of the United States,” the Salem Sunbeam observed. Registration showed that there was nearly a doubling of the number of voters. ((Salem Sunbeam, “Big Vote,” Sept. 24, 1920)) In Pennsville, Mrs. Charles Casperwod had the distinction of casting the first vote in the ballot box, and Mrs. William Kennedy the second vote. ((Salem Sunbeam, “Pennsville,” Nov. 6, 1920))
Notes: From an article originally published in the Salem County Historical Society Newsletter, Summer 2018 — “The Suffrage Army Marches in Salem.”
Also see
Delaware Treated to a Spectacle as Suffragists March Across Delaware