Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-25
Two Lines of Work.

Two Lines of Work.
As announced last night, the plans of
the congressional committee include work
along two lines-in Washington and in
the congressional districts throughout the
country. These two lines are interlock-
ing, since both have to do with the
other. The work in the districts is to
be reflected in the work in Washington
before Congress at the Capitol.
The committee has no intention of hold
ing parades and burning red fire., al
though it is recognized that there is a
place for such work.
Mrs. Mccormick and her associates be-
Heve that now that more than 4,003, 900
women actually vote, the woman suffrage
question has become a great national is
sue. and as such can no longer be ignored
in Congress and by national leaders and
by the great political parties
Particular attention is being paid to
work in the southern states, where suf-
frage organizations are being formed
rapidly and where much propaganda
work is being done.
The members of the new committee are
said to cherish no illusions about the
simplicity of their task. Mrs. McCor-
mick, Mrs. Funk and Mrs. Booth are
old campaigners. They laugh when en-
thusiastic suffragists speak of getting a
constitutional amendment through Con-
gress this session. They know they will
do no such thing. They believe the fight
will be one extending over several years,
but they are confident OF ultimate sue
cess.
The first work of the committee mem
berS in Washington is to get accurate
information concerning the situation.
They plan to find out just how every
member of the House stands on suffrage,
and why they oppose it if they are anti
suffragists. Then they will be ready to
begin their work of winning converts.
Before very long they expect to know
the complete political history of every
man who opposes them.
Already. through the work of the Ma
tonal Association and through other
means, the members of the committee
know the political situation, district by
district. throughout the United States.
The women in Washington have been in
politics for a long time. and therefore
do not start out as novices. They know
what interests oppose them, and are
ready to fight back whenever opposed.
Branch Offices Opened.
Branch offices of the committee have
already been opened in Chicago and
New York. and much of the work is to
be done from those headquarters. Other
offices probably will be opened as the
necessity arises and as it is realized that
some particular section should be cult
waited particularly. AS a general thing,
however, the work in the states Will be
done through the existing suffrage or
ganization allied with the national as
ISOLATION.
Mrs Mccormick as the daughter of
the late Senator Mark Hanna and the
wife of newspaper man, has known
politics ever since she has been able to
understand anything. She remembers
when she slept under a tent on fiat
car while out campaigning with her
father
Mrs Funk is a practicing attorney in
Chicago and. through relatives, has been
associated with politics for many years
Mrs Booth is credited with having
mapped out the plan which finally won
victory i'll Illinois. For more than TWEEN
ty-three weeks Mrs. Booth stayed in
Springfield with the legislature, getting
information about legislators and apply
ing her information in a practical way
She and Mrs. Funk work together excel
lently as a team.
The members OF the committee intend
to remain entirely non-partisan in theil
fight for the vote. One of the planks ir
their platform is as follows:
ITO support in so far as is possible al
the primaries and at elections such ma
tional officers as show a friendly DISPOSE
ton toward us, and never under any cir.
cumstances to oppose in the slightest de
gree candidates, unless they have ig
nored a well defined sentiment for suf
frage among their constituents.
To Avoid Partisanship.
The announcement of the Congressional
Union for Woman Suffrage. the executiv,
committee of which formerly constituted
the national congressional committee
that it will hold the democratic party re
sponsible for the possible failure of Con
2ress to pass the pending amendment th
session is not concurred in by Mrs. Nc
Corlnick' committee. She stated EN-
phaticaliy last night that the committee
work is to be entirely without regard L
party lines. and that democrats, repub
licans and progressives would be appeal
ed 10 alike 10 assist in securing suffrag
legislation
The fight for suffrage has been going OF
in Washington for years, more or less ac
lively and persistently, and is now be
Heved by members of the committee t,
have reached a crucial stage. The amend
ment is on the calendar in the Senate TO