Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-22
WOMEN'S CLUBS
STEAM ROLLER
How 1t Was Used on ResoIu-
ton at San Francisco
Convention

That the convention of the General
Federation of Women's Clubs was adj
journed without any action being TAX
en- on the question Of suffrage was un-
doubtedly a disappointment to a good
many persons, VINO would have been
glad of an expression of opinion from
so representative body of intelligent
American womanhood.
II is well known that some of the
most pronounced opponents of wom-
an suffrage are from the ranks of wo-
men themselves, and it has frequently
been asserted that if the question were
left to the women to settle majority
of them would vote against the prope-
sition Whether this is so or not is,
of course, matter merely for specu-
Iation, for where the franchise has
been conferred upon the women it
has been done by the votes OF the
men.
So far as the advocates OF suffrage
among the delegates to the recens con-
vention were concerned, the gathering
here assembled ~under circumstances
Fmost suspicious to them. In the first
place, the convention met in a State
which but recently granted women the:
right to vote and sent two women del.
egates to a national political conven-
ton and is on fire with reform
schemes which the clubwomen have
been zealously promoting for years.
In the second place is the fact, which
must have been we'll in mind, that this
fall 100000 women will have the.
right to go to the polls and cast their
ballots side by side with the men.
With these influences liz their favor
the suffragists, nevertheless, failed in
their endeavor to get before the con-
vention resolution favoring the ex-
tension of the franchise to women. No
political steam roller ever worked
with greater effectiveness than did
that guided by Mrs, Moore. the presi-
dent of the federation, and helped
along by the majority of the dele-I
gates. The resolution was declared
not to be "germane" to the work of
the organization.
Looked at from a purely impartial
point of view, it is difficult founder
stand how the suffrage is not GER
name to the discussions of clubwom-
en-. Certainly few other public topics
are more talked about by women at
their formal gatherings than is this of
| the franchise. 1t would seem, there
fore, that the reason for avoiding
vote on the question was a desire to
avoid precipitating a debate that
would have revealed the women as be-
ing very much divided among them
selves.
In announcing her ruling that the
suffrage resolution was out Of order,
Mrs. Moore made it plain that her
own sympathies were on the side OF
votes for women. She coltended,
however, that the proper work OF the
federation is educational and that the
members should help to educate the.
mass of the women for citizenship,
rather than pass resolution demand
| ing it.
Whatever may be thought of the &C
J ton of the convention in 'side-step-
ping this interesting issue 1t is reas-
surfing to have another proof of the
fact that in America the foremost
among those who favor tie extension
of the franchise are moi minded to
stoop to conquer, as so many of their
sisters do in England, and that. while
they may be eager for The consumma-
ton of their desires, they do not in
| tend to bring the desired result about
by shrieking in the STREETS and scuf,
! fling with policemen and destroying
the property of others Exchange.