The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-14
WOMEN WHO
ARE CONTENT
Reports of Feminine Oppo-
nents of Suffrage.
Among SOcfaIistic and German III:
Hut Some Women Hold iIoof.

There is an association of women in
several States who are not favorable to
the extension of suffrage 10 their sisters
met yesterday.
Mrs. Scott, the chairman of the execu-
tive committee. presided and gave re-
port on the general condition of the So
ciety. She, stated that there are now
four State organizations, the last one to
be formed being that of Iowa. The 9TH
ers are in New York, Massachusetts and
Illinois. Mrs. Scott also said that the in
fiuence of the New York organization
was not confined to it's own territory
and that It was able to give a moral sup
port to the movement throughout the
whole country.
Mrs. Rossiter Johnson gave a report of
the work among working girls clubs,
and said that the attitude of these wom-
en- toward suffrage was one of the most
encouraging things she had met with in
this line.
Working women were not as a rule
interested In suffrage. she stated. as even
suffragists were forced to admit Among
the socialistic and German element she
had found a strong sentiment for woman
suffrage, she declared, but among Ameri-
cans the contrary is the case. A number
of the clubs to which the association has
sent lecturers have expressed much graf
ificatiOn at having the anti-suffrage po-
sition presented to them.
The following report of the Massachu-
sets association has been prepared by
Mrs. Henry NJ. Whitney. chairman Of the
executive committee. and has just been
RECEIVED by the New York organization:
The refusal of the Massachusetts,
house of representatives last week by a
vote of ZIG 20 so. to substitute a license
suffrage bill for the adverse report made
by the committee on election laws is the
latest defeat which the suffragists have
met In the Massachusetts, legislature of
1885, The committee on constitutional
amendments reported leave TO withdraw
on that petition. The election laws COM
mittee reported leave to withdraw on the
petition for municipal and license stuff
rage, but the house decided to debate
the license suffrage petition. with the out
come given above of large negative
vote.
There can be no doubt that this result
is partly owing to the success of the
movement for organization among the
women opposed to woman suffrage. The
fact that the MasSac husetts Anti-Suffrage
Association. although not yet three years
old, has a membership of over $500 rep
resenting l61 cities and towns. and that il
is an association representing all classes
of society and every section OF the State
is a stubborn argument against granting
the petitions Of the sufYragists. The anti
suffrage women are thoroughly in ear
nest. They mean to fight. and to allow
neither legislators nor the public TO re-
main longer ignorant of their views and
OF the reasons for their sober disapproyal
of the social and political change adyocat-
ed by the suffragists.
This example of serious energy on the
part of a large body of thoughtful wo-
men in Massachusetts. and also in New
York State, Is already bearing fruit in the
West. where. in Illinois, an anti-suffrage
association has been formally organized
within the last six months. Iowa is the
newest field chosen by the National Wo-
man Suffrage Association for an attempt
to take possession of and convert a State.
For months their agents stumped the
State from end to end. until the anti-suf-
frage speakers were reused to active OPP
position. After legislative hearings began
in Des Moines. in February able speak
ers were heard on both sides. with the diff
ference that the anti-suffrage speak
ers We're all Iowa women. The
vote in the house was 80 against wO-
man suffrage and A. in favor of it, a sig
nificant victory in view of the immense
amount of work done by the suffragists.
and the belated and unorganized efforts
of the ants A"