The New Board of Trade rooms in the handsome new auditorium were fittingly opened with the first Woman’s meeting on Wednesday afternoon, when a large and enthusiastic audience greeted Dr. Harriet B. Jones and Mrs. Annie Boyd, who were in attendance at the Suffragette parade in Washington, during the innaugural [sic] ceromo[n]ies. They were introduced by Mrs. Robert Tener and during the afternoon the ladies related interesting incidents which tool place. Mrs. Boyd spoke of the educated women in the world and their ability to be classed with men in a business way. She spoke of Miss Maud Younger in her wonderful campaign for Womans Suffrage and the number of prominent women interested in the work. Many are women of culture and relatives of the most prominent Senators and other politicians of the west. She told of the meeting held in the capitol city and the amount of money, $3,000,000 contributed in the name of Roosevelt; Champ Clark and other prominent men. She said there were twenty women fro[m] West Virginia and three of them, Dr. Harriet B. Jones, Dr. McCune and Dr. Evers marched with the doctors, and how proud they were while marching through the streets, despite the abuse they received in the way of ridicule. Mrs. Boyd and her daughter were among the leaders of the State delegation. The West Virginia banner was carried by the daughter of the principal of the Fairmont High school. Miss Hoge and Miss Lottie Johnson, who has been in the Government service for years, joined the West Virginia parade. Mrs. Boyd said she did not feel proud for herself and daughter alone, but felt they were marching for every woman of the United States to uplife [sic] the cause everywhere.

When Dr. Harriet Jones appeared she was greeted with applause, and kept unusual interest throughout the meeting. She spoke of the prominent old women marching in the parade, such as Mrs. Belva S. Lockwood, writer, and the D. A. R. official of the District of Columbia, aged 83; Miss Emily Howland, 87, the first woman bank director; Mrs. Judith Smith, of Boston, aged 92; Mrs. C. V. Waite, wife of Judge Waite, of Chicago and Denver, who began the work with Susan B. Anthony; also such prominent young women as Genevieve Clark, daughter of Champ Clark; Fola LaFollette, daughter of Senator LaFollette; Dr. Anna Shaw and Carrie Catt took prominent parts in the parade. There were not less than a thousand college women, and eighty women lawyers, and the doctors followed the lawyers. All the business women and the women of the government turned out, and the foreign women and their floats attracted a great deal of attention. Such banners as “Women of the World United,” “Nine States of Light Among Thirty-nine of Darkness,” and others were effective.

Dr. Jones states: “We help prepare our children for our states; we should help prepare our states for our children.” She spoke of meeting Margaret Geist, a German girl, traveling in the interest of the suffrage movement, and had an interview with her. She joined the “hikers” on their parade. She spoke of Miss Younger, of California, who worked in factories just to learn the conditions, and of her excellent addresses. She told of the eight-hour law in that state, and out of the ninety-nine women registered, ninety-five of them voted. And she says women want to get down off the pedestal and vote for their rights, as their advice is asked in many public affairs, and they are willing to give it, but not allowed the right to vote. She spoke of the men who defeated the suffrage movement, and how they regretted it after they reached their homes.

The idea is to get women organized and make speeches throughout the state, but they don’t intend to be revengeful. Dr. Jones says there is nothing in that “what will happen at home” statement made by men, as in states where women vote there is the most domestic scene. Their families are with them at the polls, and one woman cares for her babes while the other votes. She spoke in favor of the working women, many of whom are compelled to support her children, and how she is deprived of her rights also; of the women property owners.

Dr. Jones advocates the woman’s industrial parade for the centennial in June, and women all over the state, both working women, club women and all, will participate. This will ge [be] an industrial parade, and not a suffragette parade, and all women will anxiously look forward to the date.

During the afternoon cards were distributed in the audience and signed by most every one present. The idea is to become an associate or active member of the club. There were a number of men present, and before the meeting was over they decided in favor of women’s suffrage.