The San Francisco call., 1896-08-02
WOMAN SUFFRAGE MUST BE
NON.PARTISAN.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, July 3l.-The dlnerent Ieisn
woman suifrage committees of southern Califor-
ma t Is understood are m heha1 Of the eleventh
amendment by forming allied women ,, etuus t s ~
the old parties he plan It Is argoeo M w ,be sa
fectly consistent, owing TO the iact tnat Tue NC
publicans, Populists aDd Prohibitlonists al put
an-suffrage plank In their S.a.e i. .,
the delegates this END OF the state lhVoIeu
it and are 81 anch supporters OF the moVemen.. II
is considered sgooa politics. to work In connec-
tion with Instead independents Of the presenter
ganized political parties.
The plan of action proposed in the above
item from Los Angeles in yesterdays CALL
would be most disastrous 10 the woman's sui
frage amendment. Every one must see that
for part OF the suffrage women TO thus ally
themselves with the Republican party, another
portion with the Democratic party, another
with the Populist, another with the Prohibi-
ton, another with the Nationalist, and yet
another with the Socialist Labor party, would
be to divide and ditract public thought from
women as suffragists to women as Republi-
cans, PopuIists, etc. To do this may be "good
politics." for the different political parties, but
it would surely be very "bad politics" for
Amendment No. XII. 1t doesn't need prophet
to see that "allied clubs to the old parties"
will turn the thought of the women themselves
to proselyting for members to their respective
political party clubs instead OF each ana every
one holding herself non-partisan, or better
all-partisan, pleading with every man OF every
party to stamp "yes'' at amendment No. XI,
not for the purpose of insuring success to his
party ut the coming election, or to win the
good will of the women of the State for future
partisan ends, but instead, pleading with
every one to thus vote that he may help to Sc
cure to all the women OF California who can
''read the constitution in the English Ian
guage" their citizens right to vote to help the
political party OF their choice in all elections
in the good times to come.
OF course each of the political parties, old
and new, would be glad OF the help of the
women throughout this fall campaign, but
who can fail to see that the women who
should join one alliance would thereby lose
their influence with the men OF each of the
other parties. They would at once be adjudged
partisans, working for the interest OF the party
with which or to which they were allied.
Women of California, you cannot keep the
good win and win the good votes of all the
good men of all the good parties of the State
by ailying yourselves with one or the other or
all OF them! You must stand as disfrsnchised
citizens = outlaws - shut out of ''the body
polite" humble suppliants, veriest beggars at
the feet OF all men of all parties alike.
The vote of the hum blest man of the humblest
party is of equal value to that of the proudest
millionaire of the largest party. And every
WON an must see that if vast majority of the
hOuuA VI tuc OtdbC oAouAdb uhoC1 bhS AOo AL
geles plan, ally themselves to either one of
the parties, the men of all the others might
we'll take alarm lest their party's chances of
success would be vastly lessened If women
were allowed to vote and 30, from mere party
interest, be influenced to stamp "no" at
amendment No. XI.
1t is very clear to every student of politics
that what is "good politics" for political
parties is mighty poor politics" for reform
measure dependent upon the votes of the
members OF ali parties. 1t will be time enough
for the women of California to enroll them
selves as Republicans, Democrats, Populists,
etc., after they have the right to vote secured
to them by the elimination OF the word snale"
from the suffrage clause of the constitution.
And to work most efficiently to get the right
to become a voting member of one or another
of the parties of the State women must now
hold themselves aloof from affiliation with
each ana all of them.
The State Suffrage Campaign Committee has
settled upon wise plan of campaign, and the
women of every county should advise with it,
by letter or by calling at the headquarters,
564 Emporium building, this City. A good
plan well executed is sure to bring victory.
To this end it is to be hoped that the women
of every one of the ffty-seven counties will
hold themselves allpartisan and act in har-
mony with the State Central Committee.
SUSAN b. ANTHONY.
San Francisco, August 1.