Evening star., 1912-11-24
Suffragists Lift Ban on Gen.
eral Partisan Campaigning.
JANE ADDAMS is VICTOR
Defends Her Work in Behalf. of Col.
Roosevelt.
len SPEAK FOR CAUSE
Join in Mass Meeting in Historic
Independence Square, Philadel-
phia-College Night Observed.

PHILADELPHIA, November 23.-Om-
GERS of the National American Woman
Suffrage Association can take part in
partisan politics in any state if they
want to. After a long and spirited de-
bate, at today's session of the organi-
zation's convention. an amendment pro-
hibting such participation was over
whelmingly defeated.
Up to the time that Miss Jane Adams,
seconded the nomination of Col. Theo-
dore Roosevelt in the progressive con-
vention at Chicago last August II nad
been the unwritten rule in the aSsocia-
ton that officers should hold aloof from
partisan politics except in states Wnere
women had the right to vote. me pro-
posed amendment it was declared, was
aimed at Miss Adams, and she accepted
the challenge and fought the proposition
with vigor.
Offers an Apology.
First of ALL began Miss Adams,
when she rose to speak on the subject
II want to apologize If have done any
thing wrong. or if | have injured the
the association and when l was elected
vice president l did not know that l was
pledged politically. l did not know that
1 must limit myself.
mink lndI IUdltcTS VI NIAS hiiu
should be left to the judgment of the
person. I think you should Keep your
politics one thing and your suffrage
another. On the campaign tour this sum-
mer, it is true, I talked suffrage. 1t was
the grandest opportunity l ever had to
talk suffrage. You cannot get men to
come to a lecture on suffrage, but l
talked to audiences of from ten to fifteen
thousand men.
Got Letter From Taft
'In the middle of the CT. anpaign l re-
ceived letter from President Taft about
some charitable association. 1 did not
notice any difference in this letter from
others because / had talked politics this
summer. / did not go up and down the
country abusing candidates. / told the
men what l had to say and gave them
something new to think about in the way
of suffrage.
Several men, who have taken up the
cause of woman suffrage, spoke earnestly
of its benefits at a largely attended mass
meeting in historic Independence square
at noon. In the center of the square j.
w. Julian, Pittsburgh, vice president of
the Mems League for Women Suffrage,
predicted the cause would sweep the
country in few years. At another
stand J. H. Bradley, Los Angeles, presi-
dent of the Mems League for Woman Suf-
frage in Southern California, spoke of the
1915.
Others Making Speeches.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, interna-
tional president; Miss Inez Milholland,
New York; Mrs. Margaret Foley, Boston,
and Maud Younger, California, also ad-
dressed crowds from the several stands
erected in the square.
The entire afternoon session of the
convention was taken up with the read
ing Of reports of auxiliary presidents
and a lively discussion as to whether
the action of Alice Stone Blackwell, editor
of the WOman's Journal, in discontinuing
the contract of that publication as the Of
fetal organ of the association. was justi-
fed
Matters of control of the policy of the
Womans Journal, as well as the amount
of money due 1t from the association.
were given as the cause Of its discon-
tinuance. The result of the discussion
was that Miss Blackwell received a vote
of commendation by the convention.
Tonight's session was observed as Col
1ege night. The meeting was conducted
by the National College Equal Suffrage
League, and was presided over by Miss
M. Carey Thomas. The question of equal
rights for women was discussed by
leaders of the suffrage movement and by
several speakers opposed to votes for
women, who had been invited to attend.
Make Humorous Speeches.
At the session tonight 1t turned out that
those supposed to represent the anti
suffrage movement were in reality suf-
fragists, and represented sad spectacle.
portraying in humorous speeches the
plight of the unenfranchised woman. The
speakers represented "A fine lady. bar
gain hunting "A wife and mother
IAN unorganized woman worker" and "A
tenement house mother"
On the other hand. the advocates of
equal rights for women took the part
of campaign workers. child-labor work
ers, night court LAWYERS and woman vot-
ers. Participants in the debate were
college women from New York, Boston,
Chicago and other cities.
The crowds at the meeting tonight were
so large that Ii became necessary to hold
overflow meetings. inside and outside of
the convention hall.