The Washington herald., 1913-08-10
WOMAN VOTERS
HERE THIS week
First National, Convention Of
the Feminine Enfran-
chised Ever Held.
WORK FOR AMENDMENT
Su&rasists from Pacific States Promi-
nent in Notable Gathering
Local Workers Help.

ITdE6 mas Deen Hldut III
Since the establishment here last January
of the Congress sional committee OF the A.
N. W. S. A, under the leadership Of Miss
Alice Paul. the Capital has been closely
linked with every effort made for the
| cause throughout the country.
Another important chapter in the his
tory of the struggle in America for uni
versal suffrage will be added this week,
when delegates to the first national con-
vention of women voters ever held gather
here Wednesday. Mrs. Emma Smith De
Voc. of Takoma, Wash. will preside. The
delegates will hold their sessions at
their headquarters, the Shoreham Hotel.
/ through Friday. The convention will end
with a mass meeting at the Belasco
Theater at 8 o'clock Friday evening. At
this meeting the women voters will eX-
plain to the people OF the Capital how
equal suffrage Is working in the West.
| Primarily, the conference of women
voters has been called to make prepara-
ton for carrying the proposed amend
ment to the United States Constitution,
enfranchising the women of the country.
through Congress with a rush. The pro-
gram before this convention of women
voters goes beyond preparation for COM
! plete triumph OF the cause" in this
country. They will devote much time at
| their conference to devising plans for
| actively assisting. through their organi-
zation. women in all parts OF the world
who are working for an equal voice with
man in the functions OF government
Mrs. De Voc the president, will unfold
to the delegates her plan for the organk
Zation OF an international council OF
women voters, the first conference Of
which, she thinks, should be called at
San Francisco in 1915. during the Panama
Exposition. II is expected that the de-
tails for such an international organiza-
tion will be fully worked out during this
conference and steps for its realization
taken soon afterward. The projected in
ternational council probably would be de-
veloped along the lines OF the Interns-
tional Suffrage Alliance. of which an
American woman. Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gait, is president.
Program for 1914.
A third important task before the dele
gates is that of working out a legislative
program for the year 1914. Laws and re-
forms most needed and to he desired
from the woman voters standpoint are
10 be discussed at the Friday morning
session. which will have as a result. as
il were. the framing of women's plat
form for the coming year
1t is understood that the legislation to
be proposed will be wide in range and
progressive in nature. One thing to be
considered will be pension laws for
mothers. The State of Washington has
such a law. and Mrs De Voc is SO con-
WINGED of the good 1t has accomplished
that she probably will suggest It as one
of the things that the women of every
equal suffrage State should endeavor to
obtain
The legislative program adopted by the
conference will be binding, irrespective OF
party. The National Council OF Women
Voters is nCnpartisan. having. II is said.
all shades of political faith represented
among its members. According to its con-
the council has three reasons
for its organization-D to educate women
voters in the exercise OF citizenship; G)
to secure legislation in equal suffrage
States in the interests of men and women.
OF children. and the home, and go to aid
in the further extension of woman suf-
frage in the United States.
Several minor matters will he part OF
the business Of the conference. Among
other things, the attitude Of the present
political parties toward woman suffrage
will be carefully considered by the dele
gates behind closed doors on Thursday
afternoon. This deliberation will directly
follow the informal hearing before the
House Rules Committee at the Capitol in
the morning, when representatives Of the
will demand a suffrage committee
in the House; also full reports from each
Of the suffrage States will be presented.
Like m Emergency Call.
Although It has been stated by the
president Of the council that the present
conference has been called as the first
regular biennial meeting. the call sent
out to the State organizations to select
delegates for the convention here reads
like an emergency summons. And this is
what it really is. The present time OF
conference was chosen as that most logi-
ral for bringing to bear upon Congress,
all the pressure of 100000 voters.
"A critical situation has arisen in the |
national suffrage movement" the call for !
delegates starts out. and it goes on to |
explain that the time is ripe for the pas |
sage of the proposed constitutional |
And a little further down |
N this circular letter to all the women |
,oters of the West this significant little !
appears: !
"One-fifth OF the Senate one-seventh of |
he House, and one-sixth of the electoral !
'ote comes from equal suffrage States. |
1t this stage of the progress OF the Fed |
,ral amendment women voters are the de- |
'isive factor. The women yet unfran |
,hised turn to us for help. We must not |
all them"
There is every indication in this para
,raph that the women have learned their /
,olitics well. 1t also is instructive when
considered in connection with the item
Il the conference program calling for the 1
by the council Of the atti-
udes of the present parties toward the
quail suffrage movement. Eighty-four
members of the electoral college come
rom equal suffrage States. The women
xpect to win more States by 1916 when.
the Democratic party fails them in this
md the next session of Congress, the
act will be remembered.
Anxious for House Committee.
One of the chief obstacles to the speedy +
consideration of their amendment, the
women believe, is the lack of a woman
uffrage committee in the House. In the
bsence of such committee, the amend
nent is expected to abide with the House
judiciary Committee forever. The women
oint out that for the last twenty-three
ears no report upon woman suffrage
ill has ever been made by this commit
ee. Therefore, one of the important un-
ertakings of the conference will be to
ring about the creation of a House suf-
rage committee.
A resolution for the creating Of a
louise suffrage committee is now in the
sules Committee of the House. This
ommittee is to be urged to report the
esolution favorably to the House, ana
hen the House is to be urged to pass IL.
For the purpose of obtaining action by
he Rules Committee the council has OBJ
aimed an informal hearing before this .
ommittee on Thursday morning, between
o'cIock and Noon Mrs De Voc will .