The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-08-08
WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.

Harrisburg, Aug. 5.--Washington,
d, G. will be the scene of confer
ence of voting women August 1915
which will mark an epoch in United
States history, as it will be the first
of it's kind ever held. In ten states,
mostly western ones, women now
have the franchise. At least one
delegate from each of these states
will attend the conference, which
will be under the auspices of the Ma
tional Council of Women Voters.
They are to forward the campaign for
woman suffrage in all states and in
the nation. A feature of the confer
ence will be a hearing on August IA
at which the women will urge an
early report of the pending resolu-
ton to amend the federal constitu-
ton so as to grant the franchise to
women. Chairman Henry, of the
House Rules Committee, has arrang-
ed the hearing. The bill has been
pigeonholed for some time. Mrs.
Emma Smith DeVoe, of Tacoma,
Wash, is president of the National
Council of Women Voters and will
probably preside at the conference.
The women present will represent
some 100000 women who actually
have to vote now and this is expect
ed to increase the interest which
would centre about a council of wom-
en- who did not have the right of
franchise.
New Jersey is rapidly approaching
the position where no man will dare
run for national or state legislative
office if known to be opposed to
equal suffrage. The New Jersey
Mems League has pledged itself to
support such candidates only if fav-
orable to suffrage, regardless of par
ty affiliations, and professional poll
ticians are beginning to complain.
A few days before the Mems League
decided this a special election was
held in the Sixth New Jersey Con-
gressional district and Archibald G.
Hart, a pronounced suffragist, won,
and he will support the pending fed
eral amendment at Washington.
School directors will be elected in
virtually every school district in
Pennsylvania this fall, the number
elected depending upon the size of
the district. This office is one Of
the very few open to women in
Pennsylvania and reports are heard
from various parts of the state that
female candidates are about to pc
tition for places on the primary
ballot for September 16.
Mrs. Joseph Wood, wife of prom
inent lawyer in Mt. Vernon, N. Y,
has been appointed to the West
chester county police force and has
accepted. Except that this occurred
in New York it is not especially sur
prising until one looks behind the
scenes" Then it is found that Mrs.
| Wood is a leader of anti-suffragists
at her home and has gone into public
life despite the antis slogan, "Wom-
ans Place is the Home" --
1t is difficult for an American to
understand the suffrage situation in
England, and it is also difficult to un-
derstand that the militant tactics do
not represent the majority of suffra-
gists of that country. 1t is likewise
| difficult to realize the ultra-conser-
vatism which prevails in England.
The courts there have just decided
in test case that women cannot
practice law. To say that the decis-
ion is not good law, without know
ing all the facts, would be to impeach
the ability of the English Courts,
but it seems an eXpedient decision
in face of the strong agitation in
Great Britain for womens rights.