The Washington herald., 1913-12-05
CALL TO arms
BY MRS. Gait
Suffrage at Once by consti-
tutional Amendment Is
Demanded.
MAKES STIRRING SPEECH
Officers Elected at convention-Mrs.
Champ Clark Tells Delegates She
Is Supporter Of Movement.

guns upon Congress, upon the South. we
must train them even upon some nkm-
bers of our own organization, for We
want freedom by Federal amendment
and We want 1t now"
In these words, Mrs Carrie Chapman,
president OF the International Suffrage
Alliance, and a central figure among suf-
fragists OF the world. concluded a dra-
matte demand to the people, to suf-
fragists, and to Congress for enfran-
chisement Of women by amending the
United States Constitution, before the
suffrage convention at New Masonic
Temple last night.
Mrs Gait, the last speaker before a
public meeting of the national gathering
of suffragists. was to sound the note OF
the coming years campaign. She spoke
on POT Boilers"
Economic Dignity Lost.
Women have lost their economic dig
nifty, Mrs. Gait said. for men have stolen
from them their old economic useful
ness. For this reason. many an Ameri-
can college woman has a position in life
of meaner dignity than the women OF
China or of India, she continued, and.
as result, more and more women today
are avoiding matrimony, as II does not
invest them with dignity; and more and
more men are avoiding IL. because they
cannot afford to marry.
The delegates to the convention prob
ably will call on President Wilson today.
as the first step in the proposed campaign
of practical politics. Mrs. Medin Nc
Cormick and Mrs. Desha Breckenridge,
who called at the White House to make
arrangements for this visit. had to con-
tent themselves with the promise that
they would be received IL Dr. Grayson
permits President Wilson. who is suffer-
ing from a cold, TO see any one today.
New officers were elected for the
national association at the afternoon ses-
sion and announced at the beginning OF
tire night meeting. They are: DIR. Anna
Howard Shaw. president: Miss Jane
Adams, first vice president; Mrs. Desha
breckenridge. second vice president; Mrs
Susan Fitzgerald, recording secretary;
Mrs. Mary Ware bennett, corresponding
secretary: Mrs. Stanley Mccormick,
treasurer: Mrs. Harriet Burton Laidlaw,
first auditor; Mrs. Joseph 7. Bowen, sec
ond auditor. Last night Mrs. Ruutz-
Rees, of Connecticut, was elected by ac-
clamation, third vice president. new
office.
Address by Mrs. Clark.
Mrs. Champ Clark, wife Of the Speaker
of the House. addressed the convention
at its afternoon session, and assured the
delegates that she long had been one OF
those working for the cause. Before Mrs.
Clark could begin her address, Mrs. U.
II. P. Belmont insisted that she be given
the privilege of the floor to make mo-
ton to transfer the headquarters of the
national association from New York TO
WASHINGTON. She said she had been
called to New York and would have to
leave at once
Mrs. Clark yielded. The motion was
put. and after some dispute. tabled by a
small majority.
All day delegates awaited anxiously
Miss Alice Paurs report Of the work
that has been accomplished in Wash
ington, but the, consideration OF the
new constitution and the raising of
| revenues for the organizations budget
by pledges took up so much of the ses-
sion that this report had to be kept for
| this morning.
The new constitution was adopted.
1t provides that the convention have
direction of the national board, and
that, besides membership dues, the ma
tional organization is to receive 8 per
cent of the budgets of each member
organization.
INCORPORATION of a $4,000 National Suf-
frage Publishing Company was decided
upon, and the majority OF the stock had
been subscribed at the close of the aft
ernoon session. Besides subscribing lib
orally for shares in the new suffrage
venture, delegates pledged more than
$4,000 TOWARD the support Of the or
ganization. Among those to pledge a,ooo
were DR.. Shaw, Mrs. Dexter, OF Massa-
chusetts; the Illinois, Pennsylvania, and
New York State organizations, and Mrs.
Joseph K. Bowen, Of Chicago.
Kenyon Bill Favored.
Hartford Women and Commercialized
Vice" was the theme of an address by
Mrs Katherine Houghton Hepburn at the
evening meeting. which resulted in the
passage of a resolution demanding. In the
name Of the National American Woman
Suffrage Association, that ''the secret
caucus of the House of Representatives
allow the Kenyon bill to be brought to
the floor of the House, debated, voted
upon, and passed" Mrs. Hepburn stated
that the streets leading to the Capitol
were lined with disorderly houses, that
the President, the Commissioners, and
the police knew this. and that II Is the
duty of the. women of Washington to see
that the Kenyon red light bill is passed
and these conditions done away.
Miss Harriet May Mills said that the
women Of New York State would win the
ballot by 1915.
There were several criticisms Of Presi-
dent Wilson made by the delegates at
yesterdays sessions. Mention was made
of men who appeared to speak for the
"antis" before the House Rules Commit
tee yesterday brought a storm OF hisses-
Senator Clapp. of Minnesota, appeared
before the convention to invite the dele
gates to select Minneapolis for their next
convention. Members of the Tennessee
delegation in Congress will address the
delegates this morning and urge that
Chattanooga be chosen as the next con-
vention city.
Reception by Mrs. La Follette.
Tonight officers. of the national board
and delegates are invited to a reception
at the home of Mrs. Robert La Toilette.
wife of Senator La Toilette, Of Wiscon-
sin, to meet the wives of the members
OF the Cabinet and of members Of Con-
gress.
| The National Council of Women Voters
has invited the convention delegates. all
| Washington members of their council,
and all members of District suffrage Or
ganizations to a reception at the New
Willard Hotel tonight from until lC
o'clock
Alice Stone Blackwell and Mrs. Rather
inc Waugh McCulloch will appear before
! the Rules COMMITTEES of the House In
rebuttal of ''anti" Arguments at IL
o'clock this morning. The hearing will
be held in the majority conference room.
House ONCE Building.
suffragists Spoil Browne Meeting.