The Washington herald., 1914-04-26
ANTS Open FIRE
ON SUFFRAGISTS
Pennsylvania Opponents of
Cause" Launch Campaign
with Ardent Speeches.
HBE WOMEN, NOT VOTES"
Speakers Assert Equal Franchise
Would Not Purify Ballot Fair
Cartoonist a Convert"
By MRS. HORACE BROCK,

President Pennsyirznia Association Opposed tr
Woman Suffrage
philadelphia, Pa. April 25.-Last Tues
iay, which marked the first battle and
the first sacrifice of American men TO
sfect peace, order, and civilization in
our sister republic of Mexico" meet
.ng held here by the Pennsylvania AS
socIation Opposed to Woman Suffrage
siCnaIed the firing of the first gun by
American women in the Pennsylvania
Statewide campaign to preserve peace.
unity and honor in our American homeS'
and the beginning OF whatever sacrince
is nee essary TO rescue this State from
the perils of suffraEism.
The second movement Will ne CON-
ventjon in Harrisburg to take place
April 90. nm
The meeting was attended by about l'V"
while another thousand applications Tor
admission tickets had to be denied FOR
lack Of room. The Mems League Up
nosed to Woman Suffrage gave nearly
support and attendance. the applause
was frequent as each speaker pointed
out the facts against suffragism. At the
conclusion Of the meeting no one took
advantage of the invitation TO ask ques-
tions.
Scofers Are Convinced
But all these things in themselves are
no more significant than the enthusiasm
which creets any well-conducted enter
taiument. An opera. circus. OF
Cragist gathering would possibly eScile
more curiosity. show larger a'leHua'e
and make n far greater nol-.
Tbs fact that appeals to us as most
ziqnifcant OF the good accomplished oy
this meeting is that many OF the su-
Iience who did come merely 10 DC en-
tertained or to satisfy CURIOSITY 'o
hear tho other side" and others "h"
came to sneer and sCon at the old-iaSn,
ioned conservatism and dependence.
- women they called slaves and
..nars sites were alike convinced OF the
necessity Of an anti-suffrage campaign
in this State at this time.
In an able speecn. the first speaker OF
Tho evening" Mr2. Arthur NJ. Dodge
president Of the National Association Up
noscd to Woman Suffrage. ruinted oht
that the patriotiC women of America had
been pushed into opposition TO the sui-
fra-c movement by the threats. warn
Inrs and epithnts of the suffragists. She
said that although beginning twenty years
ago to fight against the surrender OF
wuman's real rights and privileges in eN-
change for the ballot. thcv had hesitated
IN organize until organization became
necessary, and that even now no organi-
zation is contemplated in the States
where the danger Of suffraCism is not
Imminent and that she represents no'VU
Ioval. thinking American women who
have thus been forced to the front since
the first call came to form seven state
organizations two years ago.
Women Demand Exemption.
She explained that the wrongs and de-
fects of our civilization are not to be
efaced by the short cut Of women
dropping a piece of paper in ballot
box, but by the continuation OF the quiet
work for human betterment that earnest
women started forty years before any
one had time to christen the 'uplift"
She argued that II will need four or five
generations Of hard work to complete this
task, and that meanwhile women demand
the right Of exemption from factional
and party strife.
In various ways, the members Of the
audience to whom / talked after the
meeting echoed these and the other argu-
ments for the necessity of suffrage op-
position.
A woman who came to the meeting
an ardent suffragist and devoted the
arst half hour to making cartoons Of US,
confided to one of our members after
wards that IL was the first time she had
sven dreamed that all the suffrage slogans
about Justice" liberty and equal
ity'' for women meant so little good and |
so much harm TO civilization.
Why" she exclaimed, Il thought our |
English militantI were fighting the same |
heroic battles against oppression and |
tyranny as our American ancestors |
fought in the Revolution, until Mr.. Alex
ander W. Samuel informed us that women |
have been better protected than men In