The Washington herald., 1914-09-06
DECIDE TO Unite
Behind ONE BILL
Sufragists Agree to Support
Only Bristow-Mondell
Amendment.
ACT AT NEWPORT MEET
Mrs. Hooker. of Maryland. Makes
Strong Argument for Single
Measure.
BY MISS Lucy BURNS.

l'H ClAlTTr an 81 me ssul4i mon.
Noted sunragists from seventeen
States meeting in conference at Newport
on August % and 30 voted 10 unite be-
hind the Rristow- MOndell amendment in
Congress. and to support an active cleo
ton campaign against candidates Of the
majority party in Congress. More than
500 was raised at the conference to
meet the expenses Of the campaign.
Marble House. the beautiful home ~
Mrs. O. II. P. Belmont, with its splendid
hall. foored with golden light. and hung
with great silken banners. formed a
rich and stately seetting for the delibe-a-
tions Of the conference
The first day was given IN the consId-
Grafton of two suffrage measures in Con-
Cress-the Bristow-Monderl and the
Shafroth- Palmer amendments. Mrs Dom
aid r. Hooker. president Of the Just
Government League Of Maryland. led the
discussion, Miss Alice Paul presiding.
Warning from Mrs. Hooker.
Mrs Hooker said in part:
7 know from experience in MARYLAND
that YOU cannot he in favor Of two con-
fiCtinC suffrage bills without holng in
the ungraCeful position Of falling be-
tween. AS matter Of fact ono Of the
things which prevented our suffrage bill
from going to a happy conclusion this
year was the fact that certain people in
Maryland thought that you could be
strong for two things at the same time
The politician arranges the matter so
that YOU will apparently defeat yourself
It is the Oldest political trick on record.
7 suppose the reason have been
asked to talk about these two bills is be-
cause We have had the experience Of
working for two bills at the same time
in MARYLAND. When 7 was a little girl I
was taken out west-not because the
women voted in the West: they didn't
vote anywhere at that tIme-but because
the West was nice place to be. One day
n native pointed out to me a man with
his face all bandaged up. and said: IF
YOU want tn know about grizzly bars
ask him. He has been chawed ny them
We introduced into the legislature IN
Maryland a bill providing for a restrict
ed suffrage for women. We had also
a hill introduced provid- !
ing for full suffrage. The legislators !
said: II You women can't agree upon a
single measure. how can You blame u.s.
No Logical Plan. She Saws.
TT is all very we'll 10 say that nv in |
restricted suffrage you will in
the end get full suffrage. It is perfectly
reasonable TO say that YOU should I
progress by gradual degrees. But hu-
manitv does not progress according to
any logical rlan-it progresses nv leaps
and bounds. and whether you like this
sort OF locomotion or not, you have to
adapt yourself 10 II.
Precisely what the men who had
pledged to vote in favor of suffrage did
was to vote some Of them in favor Of
the Statewide bill and some in favor Of
he restricted bill. and we had not
'nough to carry either bill.
Everybody in America. take It. is
n favor of the Brlstow- Mondell amend
nent. Even the people who saw that thevl
wish to support the Shafroth-Palmer
amendment 81 thpt in the end they wish
he Bristow- NondeT amendment. Then
Why not work directly for it instead of
quitting uu these two measures?
Il think II is hardly necessary to dis
uss the relative merits Of the two.
even the supporters of the Shafroth-
'almer are willing to admit that 1t will
ot in the end satisfy them. When Won I
90 how far forward the Bristow- Mon
on amendment Is already carried !
hink We can say that we will have ONLY
n wait three or four years to have that
mnndment passed. In view Of that fact.
5 It wise to cut the ground from under I