Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
Alliance.

president is sustained Sc is expected to
! retire and let some one else preside. Mrs.
| Chapman Gait. president of the alliance.
has told them that they need not expect
any such action on her part. If the dele
gates vote against her rulings she will
carry out their wishes. but she will con-
tinue to preside to the IL minute Of the
convention They are much in doubt as
to the propriety Of limiting debate to
three or five minutes for each speaker.
even with several hundred delegates pres
ent. each with a large assortment Of un-
alterable opinions on every vital subject.
\ time-honored privilege of public meet
ings here is free discussion from the
floor.
The officers of the alliance say that
when 1t is impossible to find time for even
all the delegates to be heard. and the pro-
gram for every meeting is completely fill
ed, it will be impossible to allow the
audience to participate in the proceedings.
The local committee answers that people
expect this privilege when they buy their
tickets. AS a number of men from the
their intention of airing their views we
are curious to see how the American
president will inset the situation. This
will be especially critical because dele
gates will be here from the Mems
League for Womens Suffrage in Great
, Britain Men usually treat women with
courtesy in discussion, but when they OPP
pose each other the fur flies Woman
suffrage conventions have heretofore been
one-sided affairs. so far as sex is concern
ed. but now that the men are beginning to
mix in it remains to be seen whether the
gavel in the hands of d woman can main
tain order.
American Women in the Lead.
1t seems now as if an American woman
will have to continue to be president of
the alliance. This is not because the
women of other countries have not the
necessary qualifications. but because of
the national jealousies. Dutch women.
for example. would never serve under an
English PRESIDENT: neither Norway nor
Sweden would accept one from the other:
Germany and France, of course, are hope
lessy hostile. All of the twenty-three
countries are friendly and trustful toward
the United States and do not suspect its
women of Interior motives. The stua
ton in regard to a movement for suffrage
is little more acute than any other
would be. because this question is semi
political. Outside of Great Britain and
the United States, it is somewhat difficult
for the women to work along lines of alb
solute justice and fairness with a COM
plete recognition of equality of rights.
This is just as true of the men. and it is
| simply because the first two countries
sentative and constitutional government.
There is great difference also in the
capacity of women for organization. In
this those of Great Britain may be said
to lead: it is possessed by German women
in a high degree: in France it appears inn
possible for the suffrage societies, for in
stance. to unite in a national association.
The president of one bearing the signifi-
cant name ''Soldarite des Femmes' de-
clares she hates the presidents If all the
other societies. The members of these
range from the ultra radicals, who pusi:
their way into election halls AMI rattle
the ballot urns'' in angry protest. to the
ultra conservatives who remain. at home
and put their faith in prayer
a Dutch lady. who was irving to de-