New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-24
by Ida Hustled Harper.


The great fight OF the National Suffrage
Convention took place this afternoon over
the proposed constitutional amendment Of
Mrs. George Howard Lewis, of Buffalo,
that the officers and members of the
association shall maintain a strictly nom
partisan attitude to all political parties.
excepting, however, those from states
where equal suffrage Is IN force"
By practically unanimous vote the word
members was eliminated, and the con-
test was wsged over the officers OF the
association, as the advocates Of the reso-
luton. urged that there was no desire to
control individual members, but only
those who were the accredited represent
atives OF the association. They insisted
that the public would necessarily hold
the organization responsible for the &C
ton OF the latter and, therefore, that
whenever they felt impelled to sffiliate
and work for some political party they
should resign their Office so that the as
ISOLATION might not be compromised.
This seemed such q self-evident PROPOSE
ton that argument was unnecessary, but
OF over four hundred delegates who voted
on IL. II was lost o. almost ten to one.
The entire strength Of the national board
was used against II, by recommending
officially that II should not pass and by
speaking and voting in opposition. De-
bate was Gu. off before a fourth had
spoken who wished to, and Miss Jane
Adams was called on for a ten minutes
closing appeal The most powerful in
huence was, Of course, the fact that II the
L.I - n
have considered It a personal rebuke and
would not have longer remained on the
board. Miss Jessie Ashley, the treasurer,
would have looked upon IL the same way,
as she was a candidate for Judge on the
Socialist ticket.
Considerable excitement was caused ny
the thoroughly substant!atcd statement
that under the supervision OF Miss Ash
Icy and Mrs. Mary Ware bennett, the
corresponding secretary. literature and
letters sent out from the national head
quarters in New York, on the Official
letterhesds, were adorned with large
'stickors," issued apparently by the In
dustxisl Workers OF the World Cbut this
was not proved, demanding. in capital
letters, the release Of Ettor and Giovsn-
nitti now under indictment for murder
during the strike in Lawrence, Mass. II
was these things. in connection with the
action OF Miss Adams, the first vice
president in sfhhsdns with the Progress
sive party, that caused many who had
long been connected with the national or
gsnisstion to feel the need OF definite ac-
| ton. Absolute -partisanship had 30
| long been it's unwritten but never broken
| law that until this last campaign any
| official action had never been thought Of
There never had been a time when not
only the national officers but all state
officers and prominent workers could not
go to political conventions. legislatures
and individual voters with a clear record
OF complete non-partissnship, and this
| had been their greatest strength as SUI
frage for women is wholly dependent
upon men of all parties
| This convention has now, by vote Of
almost ter TO one. thrown down all bar
riers and made It possible for the on
! tire national board 10 divide Up amsns