The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26
FAR TOO SENSITIVE
SOUTHERN WOMEN UNABLE TO SUR
WYE HARMLESS RIDICULE.
Many Suffrage Clubs Disbanded BE-
cause Their Members Were "Per-
secuted--Mrs Cats Report.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-The feature of
to-day's meeting of the National American
Suffrage Association was the detailed re-
port of the organization. The executive
committee considered the trouble over the
so-called "Womans Bible" and it was
agreed that the question was a personal
one, of which the general organization could
take no cognzance. call for subscrip-
tons to the general fund resulted in the
raising of $500. The report Of the COM
mittee on organization was submitted by
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. She said that
in the work of organization during the
year the South made the first field of
labor. Many workers were enlisted and
many converts won there. Yet the work
had not been so fruitful of organizations as
had been anticipated. While many clubs
were reported, many of them failed to sur
vive the ridicule and persecution with which
they were welcomed by their townspeople
IF we will persistently follow the path thus
blazed,' the report went on, 1.-The South
will yet be organized and the vote of the
fifteen States now solidy opposed to woman
suffrage in Congress will be changed through
the influence of their constituency
to solid advocacy OF our cause Fourteen
persons have served as organizers during
the year, 51O meetings held, and aid in or
ganization given to thirty-one States. The
report made strong plea for the obServ-
ance of Elizabeth Cady Stantons birthday
as a fitting occasion for the diffusion OF
suffrage sentiment. 1t closed by expressing
the conviction that it is impossible to build
a great organization based on the one plat
form OF enfranchisement of woman.
The plan of work Tor 1896 was presented
at this afternoons session. Miss Anthony,
the president, made an address urging
women to watch all political proceedings
ard to secure from candidates for office
pledges to support woman suffrage. She
commented on the influence or women at the
where, and criticised men whom they had
indirectly helped for not standing by them
when the women suffragist test came. A
number of reports from the field were SUBJ
m;tted by working organizers. and Maine
was pointed TO as the next State to follow
the example of Utah and Wyoming. The
latter part OF the session was devoted to
Parliament of Methods
The session tonight was devoted to re-
view of the field work in the various States
and Mrs. Harriet Sanders, wife of ex-United
States Senator Sanders. predicted that Mon
tana would soon contribute another star to
the flag OF the suffragists In lengthy ad-
dress Miss Elizabeth Burrll Curtis. the
charged the men Eat the top and not at the
bottom with the responsibility Of universal
suffrage as a failure. They can lead, she
said, but will not, because the welfare OF
their country is less to them than their pri-
vate interests. Other reports were sub
mitted from Western and Southern States.
Mrs. Lease Improving.
WINDOW, Mimi. JAN 25.-Mrs. Mary z.
Lease. the Kansas suffragist leader. who is
i'll here with pneumonia, Is better to-day.
Her physician states. however, that 1t will