South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-10-14

South Bend Woman Favored
by Northern Delegates
Suffrage to Be important
Issue.

The name of Mrs. w. z. Miller o.
South Bend will be presented as a
candidate for the presidency of the
State Federation OF Women's clubs at
the annual convention OF the fedora
ton 10 be held at Indianapolis We'd
nesday. Thursday and Friday Of next
week, according 70 the gossip now go
ing about among club women in South
Bend.
The presence OF a number OF promi-
nent club women in the city for the
w. c. T. L. convention has stimulated
interest IN the coming convention of
the federation among club women
here and the chief topic Of converse
ton is the successor to Mrs. Felix I.
McWhirter, the federation's present
head
-Four other women are mentioned
frequently along with Mrs. Miller and
il is conceded that one of the five
will he elected to the office The 9TH
er proposed candidates are Mrs.
Clarke Fairbanks of Fort Wayne. the
present secretary Of the organization:
Mrs. Craigie Gum Mitchell of Column
bus, the first vice president; Mrs. L. J.
Cox Of Terre Haute, and Mrs. Albion
Fellows Bacon of Evansville.
Mrs Miller is not fostering her can
didacy and says she Will decline to be
a candidate if her name is given 10
the convention. Her individual work
and interests take all her time she
says. Notwithstanding that fact her
friends continue to urge her as can
didate Her support will come from
the northern part OF the state, from
some of the suffrage organizations. and
from many club women who are par
ticularly interested in social service
work and who are urging her because
she herself has accomplished definite
things in that liue.
Is Widely known.
Mrs. Miller first came prominently
before the public through her work
with her class Of girls in South Bend.
Her efforts TO secure the passage Of
an eight-hour law for working women
at the last session of the legislature
made her still more widely known. For
few years she has interested herself
in the suffrage movement and has spO-
ken of on the subject before numerous
clubs in this and other states.
Mrs Miller has appeared on the
programs of tile federation conven-
tons for the last two years. She was
a speaker before the biennial meet
ing Of the National Federation of Wo-
mems clubs in San Francisco a year
ago. She was the principal speaker
at the Labor day celebration in Lafay-
cite this fall and at DePauw univer
sity last spring on Founders day.
An effort will be made TO give the
presidency of the federation to a wo-
man from the north part of the state
al the coming convention. The pres
ent incumbent is an Indianapolis wO-
man and her predecessor, Mrs. Grace
IT,.
lis The first president was woman
from the center of the state only two
candidates from the northern end Of
the state have been proposed thus far
Mrs. Miller from the Thirteenth dis
trict. and Mrs Fairbanks of Fort
Wayne. from the Twelfth district
No Indianapolis woman has been
proposed and likely viii not be The
two other candidates that are the
south. Mrs. Albion Fellows Bacon of
Evansville and Mrs. L. j. Cox of TeTre
Haute.
Author of Housing Law,
Mrs. Bacon is the author of Indi-
anas housing law. Her work for a
law compelling better housing condi-
tions came TO an end with the action
Of the last Legislature and she is being
urged as one who has the leisure TO
undertake the work Of the office.
Mrs. Cox is prominent club woman
who has many friends in the fedora
zion. She is a woman Of a great deal
of wealth.
The question of equal suffrage is
expected to be 10 the fore at the COM
ing convention of the federation The
suffragistS in the organization, and
they are many, will make a deter
mined effort to have the federation
endorse the movement for equal suf-
frage and take ii up definitely as a
part of it's work.
The more conservative hope to keep
the federation out of the suffrage
movement. The organization as
whole is friendly to IL but those who
are conservative think ii unwise TO
antagOnize the minority who may be
against it. They wish also TO preserve
the point Of view that the effort to OBJ
tain the ballot is only a part of the
woman movement.
The Womans Franchise league Of
Indiana is federated and will be
powerful influence in the convention
to work for the endorsement of suf-
frage. Many Of the most prominent
club women Of the state are members
Of the league.
The new president il is conceded,
must be a woman who personally en-
dOrses the suffrage movement, what
ever may be her opinion as to the po-
sition the federation should take.
RAILWAY HEAD DIES