The Washington herald., 1914-03-30
EXPLANATION OF
SUFFRAGE SPLIT.
Mrs. Ida Hustled Harper Tells
of Conference with DR..
Anna Shaw.
ASKED NO APPOINTMENT
Sufrasist Declares She Had No Desire
to Serve on Congressional COM
mittee of National"
BY IDA Hustled HARPER.

On February ]. The Washington Herald
published an article by me criticising the
Official board OF the National Woman Suf-
frage Association among other things for
appointing a Congressional COMMITTEES
composed largely Of prominent workers
in the Progressive party. This article
appeared also in the Chicago Daily News.
followed by an interview with Mrs. Me-
dill Mccormick in which she said:
when took the Craftsmanship OF this
committee, a few weeks ago, ] imme-
diately resigned all positions which !
held in the Progressive party, and each
member of my committee did the same. -
The next morning after my article came
out in The Herald, the paper published
an authorized statement by DR.. Anna
Shaw. national president, which began:
Mrs. Harper's request to be appointed
on the Congressional committee was de-
clined by the official board"
Miss Shaw was several hundred miles
from Washington at that time and must
have telegraphed this statement in re-
gard to an article which she had not
seen at the request OF some one in this
city. I wrote at once for Information
to a member of the official board, who
answered that she never had missed n
meeting and that no action ever had
been taken on my name as a member Of
the Congressional committee.
Never Asked Appointment.
As 1 never had requested such appoint
ment Dr. Shaw was mistaken in both her
assertions. i felt so heart-sick. however,
over the personal dissensions of the suf-
fragists in Washington that, after refiec-
tion, l decided to remain silent under this
accusation. which, hoped. would soon
be forgotten: but its reiteration in The
Herald two months later. even though by
some one of whom l never before heard,
convinces me that I should offer a word
of explanation.
When Miss Shaw and I were in Europe
last summer she expressed great salts
faction that / was 10 be in Washington
this winter, saying that understood the
Congressional situation in regard to our
desired national suffrage amendment
better than anybody living" She said
she should ask Senator Thomas to con-
fer with me. and should write Miss Paul
then chairman of the National Congress
sionaI Committee. to consult me about
the work.
Early this winter the president Of a
State suffrage association. who, with
out my knowledge had asked Miss
Shaw to make me a member of the
her answer. In this she paid the
-
Judgment. etc, but said IL was not
necessary TO put me on the new COM
mittee, as II could communicate with
me by telephone or send for me to
come to its headquarters whenever 1t
needed my advice and assistance
Naturally. / was somewhat piqued at
This assumption. and in my next let
ter TO Miss Shaw l referred to it and
said, as nearly as can remember,
81 oh ha1 f1h nil
of my abilities. I was surprised that
she had not taken the opportunity Of
my being in Washington to make me
member of the committee. but that
/ never was so busy as now and was
not looking for work"
That was the only ground for say
ing that / requested" to be appointed
and the subject was never again re-
ferred to by either of us
On January II Miss Shaw tele-
rhoned me to come to Hotel Cochran.
Mrs Funk, acting head Of the national
Congressional committee. whom 1 met
for the first and last time.
During the conversation Mrs. Funk
said:
we don't want a national amendment
submitted We couldn't carry it in thirty
six legislatures if we had it"
Amendment "a Calamity"
I answered: Don't you know that IT
would remain submitted until defeated
or adopted and that We would have
number of years to work with the leSis-
latures and in the meantime could carry
several more States?"
1t doesn't make any difference" she
replied. I'VE don't want it and 1t would
hc calamity to have it submitted"
was very indignant and said: Miss
Shaw. will you sit there in silence and
hear such language as that? Why is
the national association maintaining
Washington II il would be a calamity
to get the thing II has been working for
over forty years. but she refused to
take any exception to Mrs. Funk's Ian
guage.
An unimpeachablc witness was present.
which was fortunate. as ! am told that
afterward Miss Shaw wrote a letter for
Mrs. Funk TO show. saying that she
never used this language. Two days later
she made a public address in Washington
and the papers reported her as saying:
We couldn't carry a national amend
ment Of one were submitted
And yet, after these declarations she
spent two months Al the Capitol in al
legged lobbying for this national amend
ment, She closed the performance
shortly before the vote was taken in
the Senate. by saying to the House Ju-
dietary Committee at hearing" for the
purpose Of asking it to report favorably
or this very amendment.
Parting Of the Ways.
We do not expect you to make a
favorable report and therefore will ex-
plain a substitute, which has the back
ing Of the 6I9, eoe members OF the national
association
she then tcxpounded her initiative and
referendum prooOsition, which is dIa-
metrically opposed to what has been the
cardinal principle of the association since
1863, ard which il never has had a
chance TO pass upon.
After the interview at the Hotel Coch-
ran / wrote Miss Shaw that when III
heard Mrs. Funk's heretical talk I felt
glad that 1 had not been placed on
committee on which It would have been
impossible for me to serve, and that
EFheB I saw her silent Endorsement II
realized that I had come to the parting
Of the ways with the national associa-
ton; that it was no longer true to its
early ideals and that even my loyalty to
Its great founder. Miss Anthony, could
not Justify my continued allegiance Then
published the article, which has caused
so much controversy, for the sole reason
that / thought the suffragists of the
country should understand the situation
in Washington.
largest Morning Circulation.