Evening star., 1913-12-02

4
o. II. P. Belmont and Mrs. Mary Ware
bennett taking part in the discussion. the
revision of the constitution of the Ma
| tional American Woman Suffrage AS
sociation was taken up at the convention
at the New Masonic Temple today.
Despite rumors of threatened with
| drawals of some organizations from the
| National Association. and other rumors
of the establishment of separate mill
| tant branch in the United States, there
were no developments of this kind dur
| ing the morning session, and all OF the
leaders counseled harmony and peace
| Would Avoid Dissension.
| The discussion of the revision of the
constitution came up when Mrs. Gait.
president of the International Suf-
| frage Alliance, and chairman of the
revision committee until her recent
resignation, made preliminary re-
| port Mrs. Gait said she realized that
there was danger of dissension over
| the question. and declared that she
would be opposed to doing anything
which would drive any suffrage or
ganizations out of the national asso-
cia tion.
The proposed revision was further eX
planned by Mrs. Helen Hoy Greeley of
New York and Miss Caroline RuutZ-Rees.
both members of the revision commit
tee. EIdch eXpia1neQ tndI the
feature of the revision was the provision
for a budget plan by means of which the
| membership of the national association
would decide how much money to spend
during each year and how to raise it.
Work for Business Women.
Mrs. Greeley, counseing harmony, de-
clared that the revision committee had
worked on the assumption that the en-
tire membership of the National Associa-
ton was loyal to it and wanted it's work
to be continued She said that it was
"a business plan for business women to
accomplish the business of getting the
vote
One Virginia delegate asked why the
word state" did not appear in the new
constitution. but Mrs. Greeley explained
that under the new plan all organza-
tions under the National Association are
| to he on the same footing. Mrs. Laura
Clay of Kentucky objected to the new
plan, because. she said. it would reduce
| the representation i'm the annual conveu-
tions. and Mrs. Greeley said that perhaps
! she agreed with her.
Several proposals were made to the
| effect that a committee should be named
to discuss the entire question, but objec-
| tions were raised to this on the ground
| that the committee would not know what
the sentiment of the delegates was. 1t
was finally decided to continue the dis
| cussion at the afternoon session. Mrs.
| O. ~. p. Belmont objected to referring
the matter to committee at that point.
Wants Opinion of Delegates.
| Miss Adams suggested that some
means be found for getting an express
| sion of the views of the delegates OF
| the subject. She said that the difference
of opinion resulted from the fact that
the suffrage movement is in such diff
ferent stages i'm different parts of the
country and that therefore different
| methods are necessary
| 1T is just the same as getting labor
| legislation, she continued. She added
| that the question was also like a dis
| cussion she once heard over foreign
| and home missions. Some people want
ed to pay strict attention to matters at
| home, she declared, while others want
to go further and reach out.
| Mrs Elliott of Maryland complimented
| the national officers on their work, and
other delegates declared that for several
| years the national officers have been
forced to struggle against odds to raise
| money to carry on the suffrage cam
paigns. 1t was also explained that the
national association gives suffrage infor-
| nation to any person or organization,
whether it is affiliated with it or not.
DIR. Shaw then declared that there
seemed to be Il disposition on the part of
some delegates to take the stand that
their money was to be used by the na-
tional officers for some work with which
the different states had nothing to do.
DIR. Shaw said that the national officers
could do nothing unless authorized to do
| SO by the convention itself.
Reports of Committees.
During the morning reports from a num-
ber of committees were read and approved
Katherine Dexter Mccormick reported
for the credentials committee Elizabeth
L. Yates reported for the committee on
presidential suffrage, Mary Rutter Towle
reported as legal adviser Dean Reilly of
Bryn Mawr College reported for the ways
and means committee. Miss Alice Paul
reported for the congressional committee
and Mary f. Craigie reported for the
church work committee
| An open meeting of the convention, to
which the public is invited. is to be held
tonight at Masonic Temple. Women
and the Courts" is to be the subject for
discussion. Among the speakers are to
be Judge Julian Mack of the Commerce
Court, Judge Harry Olsen of Chicago
and Miss Maude Miner.
Announcement was made that the re-
ception at the home of Mrs Robert L.
La Toilette Friday afteynoon is to be for
men and women not particularly inter
ested in suffrage, as well suffragsts
The reception is to meet Mrs. Gait. Dr.
Shaw, the official board and the delegates
to the convention, and women of the
cabinet and congressional circles inter
ested in suffrage.
Now Demand the Ballot.
Women now demand instead of beg
for the ballot, according to DIR. Anna
Howard Shaw. who spoke last night at
the celebration of the victory in Illinois,
held at the Masonic Temple She de-
clared that the old slogan, please let
women vote,' has been displaced by the
new slogan. We demand an amendment
to the federal Constitution enfranchis!ng .
! women.
Miss Jane Adams presided ut the even
ing meeting and the speakers included
Mrs Catherine Waugh Mccullough Mrs
Ella Seass Stewart, Mrs. Grace Wilbur
Trout Mrs. Medill Mccormick and Mrs
| Elizabe X. Booth, all of Illinois
The long struggle for woman suffrage
in Illinois was likened by Mrs. McCul-
Tough to "A relay race. who said that the
| fight had been carried forward for fiftv-
eight years before ii was finally success
full Each group of exhausted women
| was succeeded by a fresh group she
added
without prophesying too much.'' said
Mrs Stewart, I'VE have faith to believe
that the torch which has been lighted for
Illinois women will illumine some of the
dark places OF government. 1t will
cleanse and glorify municipal life and
guide Illinois children into safer paths"
Equal Voice for All.