The Washington herald., 1914-04-05
SOUNDSWARNING
TO SUFFRAGISTS
Mrs. Henry P. White Declares
Leaders Should Wipe
Out Feminism.
PATH TO DESTRUCTION
Write Replies to Miss Alice Stone
Blackwell's Views, Pointing Out
Pitfalls.
by MRS. HENRY PRESTON WHITE.

When woman suffrage societies are be-
DIR. Stanton Colt. and when the feminist,
Norman Hapgood has recently spoken
before suffrage clubs OF Radcliffe and
Harvard. it would seem to be a particu-
larly iIl-timed moment for Miss Black
well to try to repudiate the obvious alli-
ance between feminism and suffrage. Her
attempt to do so is a characteristically
clever piece of special pleading.
There are many instances proving the
alliance. and l have cited many OF them
recently. Miss Blackwell questions only
a few OF these and Aignores the most i'm
portant. She declares that Mrs. Gait and
DR.. Shaw have made. in the columns of
the Woman's Journal, a belated denial Of
the feminist remarks attributed to them
in the public press. In an article by
Richard Barry in Pearson's Magazine for
February 1910 entitled "a Political
Promise from Women" to which the edi-
tor himself has written an introduction
in which he says that Mr.. Barry presents
here the particular reasons OF tho women
suffrage leaders in their own words
some Of the reasons will astonish hap
PLY married women-Mrs. Gait is direct
ly quoted. together with DR.. Shaw and
other suffragists.
Brfstles with Feminism.
sho said: 81 believe that the time will
come, and that soon. when every Amer
icar woman who does not earn her own
living will be considered a prostitute" I"
This is only one sentence of a more than
two-page interview bristling with femin-
ism.
If Mrs. Gait is as Mortified at being
accused OF having made this statement
as Miss Blackwell claims she is. why did
she not deny II at the time and hold the
editor of Pearson's responsible for libel?
Why did she wait three years and then
deny it in the woman's Journal, where
only suffragists would read II?
The same can be said of DIR. Anna
Shaw. Instead of sending her denials to
the papers which printed her statements.
where they might reach the same public
she also sent them to the Woman's Jour
nal for suffrage consumption.
However badly she may wish TO do SO,
Miss Blackwell cannot deny that Dora
Marsden's feminist "Bondwomen" and
''The Case for Woman Suffrage" with its
strong Endorsement Of Mrs. Gilman and
of its derision OF the old-fashioned par
lor suffragists, are circulated by the Ma
tional Woman Suffrage Association The
latter work, with its commendatory in
PRODUCTION by Miss Thomas, president of
Bryn Mawr. and an officer Of the Ma
tional Suffrage Association. Is In itself
sufficient to reveal the truth regarding
this unholy alliance.
AS long as the suffragists permit the
publication of such works, as long as
they allow Max Eastman and Miss Inez
MiIholland to speak from their platforms.
they will not be guiltless Of the spread of
pernicious doctrines regarding marriage
and the home.
Miss BIncE~eI1's Position.
It is unworthy that Miss Blackwell
herself does not attack feminism. In
stead she tries to make 1t appear harm
less notion. and defines it in manner
which shall conceal its true character.
She says 1t merely teaches that it may
be n good thing Cor q woman To earn. in