The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-25
Weddings and Other Events
Of q Wednesday in June
The of Equal Suffrage the Federation of Won
ems Clubs and It's Meaning0ther Interests of Women
Wednesday Dancing Club Enjoys Beautiful Dinner
Dance at Tutwier Hotel-Other Topics-Notes
BY MYRTLE MILES

The recent Endorsement of equal suf-
Yrage by the General Federation of Wom-
ems clubs is regarded as a decided tri-
umph among those who are laboring for
the success of the movement. The Wom-
ans Journal, which is the equal suffrage
organ, this weeks says it is really a great
event, commenting on the fact as fol-
lows
II is especially significant in view of
the fact that the general federation is the
largest organization of women in this
country working for improved legislation;
and the resolution passed by the more
than 1000 delegates at Chicago shows that
the federation's leading and most repre-
sentative women are fully convinced that
women ought to vote.
Belief in equal suffrage is growing all
over the country; but at the successive
bennials of the general federation it has
been possible to watch its rise as in ba-
rometer. In the early days, when the
clubs were few and timid, and We're de-
voted mainly to literature and self culture,
all mention of suffrage was forbidden. AS
the clubs began to broaden their scope,
branching out from Shakespeare and
Browning to social service and efforts for
the public good, the members broadened
their own minds as well, and the number
of suffragists constantly grew. The more
the women worked for improved legisla-
ton, the more they came to want to vote.
The subject began to be mentioned at the
biennials, and to be greeted with warm
applause State after state gave women
the ballot, and the delegates from those
states told at the biennials what help
they had found it. Club after club abol-
ished its taboo on suffrage; state after
state admitted suffrage clubs to member
ship in the federation. Finally one state
federation after another came out boldly
for the principle, and the pressure became
strong upon the general federation to do
likewise.
For long time the official board resist
ed this pressure. 1t was not because they
were opposed to votes for women; the ma
iority of the officers have long been sui
fragists and among the delegates SUI
frage sentiment has been so general that
1t has been commonly said for years that
no anti-suffragist could ever be elected
president. But most of the officers OBJ
iected to having the general federation
indorse woman suffrage because they sim
cerely feared that it would iniure the FED
erations usefulness-would keep some oil
the more timid and conservative CLUBS
from Joining it-just the ones that most
needed it's help, and would perhaps even
drive some that had already Joined to
withdraw Prophecies that it would
.ssplit the federation" We're freely made
by the more bigoted ants. Even two years
ago these considerations still had so mucf
weight that at the California biennial the
officers Unanswered successfully to keel
the question of Endorsement from beins
brought squarely before the convention
But the opposition expressed was almost
wholly on the ground of expediency. Hard
ly a word wNR uttered against the prin-
ciple.
The advance of the suffrage movement
during the past two years has been phe-
nomenal; and when the delegates to this
biennial gathered in Chicago, equal suf-
frage overshadowed all other questions. 1t
soon became clear that Endorsement was a
foregone conclusion. We have every
reason to rejoice both in the squareness of
the resolution and in the overwhelming
majority by which it was carried The OPP
position was in a hopeless minority and
did not even put up fight on the floor OF
the convention.
The circumstances were In many ways
propitious. The meeting was held in Chi
cago, where $4,000 women lately voted
and voted so well as to refute all objec
lions. The delegates had heard the hon
ored voice of Jane Adams speak of WON
ems duty TO use the ballot tool t
bring about much needed improvements
They had listened to the dignified and i'm
pressive address of Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gait, who better than anyone else coul'
show them the worldwide scope and i'm
portance of the equal rights movement
But over and above all, the time was ripe
AS Victor Hugo well says, nothing cal
stand against 1.-THE idea whose time ha
come"