The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-05
Interesting Debate Aroused

Inc year programme was one OF Two
matters presented by the executive
board as growing out of their meeting
on Thursday of this week. The other
was the proposal to accept an offer of
one of the Birmingham afternoon dali
les of the use of two of its columns
each week for the printing of suffrage
data, these columns to be edited by
some member of the Birmingham Equal
Suffrage association selected by it. A
letter from the management of the pa
per setting forth the offer and suggest
! ing itself as the official organ for the
association was read by the president,
who stated that the executive board
recommended acceptance of the offer.
The sense of the meeting was then
asked. Mrs. Richard Johnston commend
ed the offer of weekly space in the paper
and stated that she saw no reason why
it should not be accepted; but that the
adoption of any paper as official organ
for the suffrage association seemed i'll
advised since the issues are so broad as
to need the treatment of all the papers
in as broad a spirit possible, and that
the association had no reason to suppose
the offer of space would not be freely
given by any Alabama paper.
Mrs. Sidney Ullman concurred with the
first speaker in opposing the adoption Of
any paper as the official organ of the as
sociation, and similar views were ex-
pressed by Mrs j. b. Aird, who stated
that in her many experiences with he
daily press of Birmingham she found
them always generous with their space
and willing to print any matter of so vital
moment as woman's suffrage Other
speakers on the subject were Mrs. Charles
Spencer, Mrs. c. S. Simmons and Mrs.
Agnes Hutchinson. Mrs. Jacobs stated
that she did not understand the offer of
space in the paper to be contingent upon
the associations adoption of it as an ofti-
cial organ, and Mrs. w. L. Murdoch OBJ
jected to the incorrect use of the WORD
endorse" as employed by some OF e
previous SPEAKERS, stating that in o
sense would the league be expected 70
indorse the editorial policy of the paper
in question; the word adopt was Sug-
gested as more to the point in the argu-
ment.
It was upon the motion of Mrs.
| Oscar Hundley that a decision as 10
| the adoption of any paper as an offi-
cial organ was deferred until next
meeting before which the president Is
leXpected to inquire more fully into the
obligations acceptance of the paper s
| space might entail. Mrs. Johnston pro-
posed the motion that the ofrer or
space in the paper be accepted with
thanks. After calling the secretary to
the chair Mrs. Jacobs defined her posi-
ton as to publicity for the suffrage
cause, stating that it is for this the
| loyal suffragists have walked to AL
Ibany--not for any other reason save
Ito get into print; that the militant
methods of Englishwomen have not
been required here but that to bring
1.-THE cause before the world. publicity
| is matter of paramount Importance
lust now.
Urges W0man's Club Building
Mrs. j. A Rountree. by invitation Of
the association, explained the present
status of the proposed Womans cluo
building, a project launched in April
by Pelham Chapter L. d. c.. but which,
as she lucidly explained, is not to be
confined to any woman's organization
but is for the use of all literary ana
lcivic organizations of the city. Mrs.
| sountree appeared before the assocla-
| tion 10 secure stockholders In the pro-
posed building, and met with "A cordial
response, among those offering to pur-
chase as much as one share being Mrs.
Agnes Hutchinson, Miss Ethel Armes'
Mrs. a. J. Bowron, Mrs. Wood, Mrs
Charles Spencer and Miss Conney. N
number of other members of the asso-
citation are already large stockholders
among them Mrs. Solon Jacobs MIS-.
Spencer was appointed to represent the
body at meeting OF the stockholders
to be held within a fortnight
| Mrs. w. l.. Murdoch and Mrs. c. NJ
Spencer presented brief treatise on
the prescribed topic-National govern
ment and State government. The papers
each represented careful research and IN
telligent consideration as to the bearing
of its various phases upon civic condi-
tons, upon womans rights and other
issues facing the world today. dis