Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-22
Women

The National American Woman Suf-
frsge association meets today In Wash
ington in it's 42d annual convention. Next
Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock the Ameri-
can suffragists will move on congress
and will present petition signed by
more than a half million American
citizens, men and women, praying foI
the submission of an amendment to the
constitution giving women the right to
vote. When the English suffragretteS
rushed" the house OF commons the po-
lice became very active, many women
were injured, and many were sent to
Jail The house of commons has not yet
acted on the question of votes for wo-
men" The American congress will be
much more polite and courteous, and the
American suffragists will be much more
gentle and womanly. Americans have
much better political manners than Eng
llshmen anyhow, and this superiority will
be demonstrated in Washington during
this week and next.
Congress has made habit of being
polite and courteous to advocates of Wo-
mans suffrage. For more than 80 years
the senate has maintained committee
on woman's suffrage. The members of
this committee are regularly elected with
as much gravity as are those or the
finance committee. The chairmanship, by
one of the unwritten laws of the senate. is
given always to a minority member. EV-
cry senator on the majority side is chair
man of some committee, gaining thereby
the use of a more or less palatial COM
mlttee room and the services of clerk
and messenger paid by the government.
Only a few of the older minority sena-
tors have chairmanships. One of these is
Senator Alexander S. Clay, of Georgia,
chairman of the committee on woman
suffrage. His committee will awake from
Information of several years next Tues
day and will hear the Rev. Anna Howard
Shaw president of the National Ameri-
can Woman Suffrage association plead
for another amendment to the constitu-
ton giving the ballot to women Then
the committee will go to sleep again and
pay no further attention to the subject.
On the same day, the judiciary commit
tee of the house of representatives will
give the suffragists hearing, and Will
listen to arguments presented by repre-
sentatives of workingwomen. The Judici-
ary committee will listen, and then do
nothing else.
Probably the good women who are at
the head of the suffrage associations
do not expect anything to be done by
congress. The suffrage fight in America
must be waged i'm the states first, but
the agitation for a constitutional amend
ment and the storming of congress will
have an excellent effect in stirring up en-
thusiasm in the several states. The
cause of woman suffrage is advancing
It is impossible to deny that fact. And
I'm the United States the women Will get
the vote lust as soon as even half OF
the women of the country seriously de-
mand il. And that without throwing
bricks through the skylight of the house
to hit Speaker Cannon on the head, or
without any woman going to jail and
being fed with pump through her nose
The National Woman's Suffrage asso-
citation, Nhaving for it's sole object the
amendment of the federal constitution
to permit women to vote, was organized
i'm 1869 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Su-
san B. Anthony, and other women who
already were famous for their victories
in the cause of woman's rights In other
spheres of activity. There was some di-
vision of sentiment at the time and an
other organization, The American Wo-
man Suffrage association, was organized
in 1870, with Henry Ward Beecher as
president and Jul1a WarO howe anu Lucy
Stone as moving spirits. The organiza-
ton sought to obtain its end by amend
ments to state constitutions .
Both associations held annual meetings
regularly, but as time passed by the bit
terness of the original difference was
diluted and in 1890 the two organizations
merged under the present title, National
American Woman Suffrage association.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was elected pres
ident, Susan B. Anthony vice president
at large, and Lucy Stone was made
chairman of the executive committee.
Since that time the association has pur-
sued its work along both lines, fighting
for both federal and state constitutional
action.
In 1892 Mrs. Stanton retired from the
presidency because of advancing years
and was succeeded by Carrie Chapman
Gait Mrs Gait retired in 1904 and was
| followed by Anna Howard Shaw, the in
cumbent. The convention now meeting
| i'm Washington is being attended by
scores of the most prominent women in
the country.
Women enjoy full rights of suffrage on
basis of absolute equality with men
| in four states, Colorado. Wyoming Utah
.and Idaho The cause Is much more