The Washington herald., 1914-09-27
FOLLY OF BALLOT
PLAIN, SHE SAYS
Mrs. Austin M. Purves De-
clares Votes for Women
Fail to Benefit.
CITES SEVERAL CASES
Principal Example Discomfort, Which
Has Arisen in Colorado,
However.
ny Mrs. AUSTIN NJ. PURvEs.
Chairman Women's Relief Committee,
PENNSYLVANIA Association Opposed to

Chairman Women's Relief Committee,
! Pennsylvania Association Opposed to
Woman Suffrage
Mrs. Grace Wilbur Trout. president Of
! the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association.
who recently toured nine States as a
| ChautauqUa lecturer, declares that shs
! found a suffrage trust" But according
| TO Mrs. Trout. in several of the States.
the days of the trust" are about num-
bered.
Il found that there is a general break
ing up and going to pieces OF the suffrage
trust" said Mrs. Trout. There seems to
be feeling in the States visited against
it. The bars OF suffrage exclusion are
| being let down. and all are being allowed
TO come in and work for the cause"
: According to the Chicago Tribune. a
paper which led the advance OF woman
suffrage in Illinois. the trust consists
Of group Of women. pioneers in suf-
! frage work, who control all positions in
the suffrage organizations. dictate the
policies. and outline the work They
have a particular aversion to the newer
and radical ideas OF the women who
weren't born suffragists, but who have
grown into them.
Fighting Each Other, She Says.
Last week. the Belmont suffrage fac
ton. the Congressional Union, declared
war on the Democrats. II was a bizarre
attempt to frighten seasoned politicians
into believing that the women in suf-
frage States would turn out in force
against any party that would not allow
the ballot for women to be slipped
through" Congress. The women in suf-
frage States are not all suffragists. by
any means-or the suffrage organizations
would have more members. Also, more
than per cent of the women in a city
like Chicago would use the franchise
when they got II.
But the hard part Of the whole affair
for the militant" faction. is that even
their suffragist sisters in suffrage States
repudiate and condemn their foolish
''ultimatums" and blacklists. Mrs. Me-
dill Mccormick. of Chicago. chairman
National American Woman Suffrage As
sociation, telegraphed to the Colorado
suffragists few days ago. warning them
that the Congressional delegation from
Colorado was marked for defeat by the
Congressional Union. The telegram was
addressed to Mrs. Mary e. c. Brad
ford, State superintendent of instruction.
and said that Mrs Dora Stevens. a Con-
gressional Union representative, was
coming to Denver to open headquarters
to fight the Democrats"
We are relying upon you to watch
newspaper stories and correct them" said
the message, so that no misunderstand-
ing will arise as to the difference between
our committee and the Union Write
me il we can be OF assistance to you in !
combating the united campaign"
Mrs. Bradford said that DR.. Anna !
Shaw. president of the National Suffrage !
Association, told her in a recent letter !
that she, DR.. Shaw, would herself come
out to Colorado and take up the fight
against the Congressional Union. Colo
rado women of all parties said Mrs !
Bradford. Progressives. Republicans and :
Democrats, say that they are opposed
to the campaign of the Congressional |
Union. Mrs. Z. p. Costigan, president of ,
the Womans Club. and wife Jf the Pro- .
gressive candidate for governor. State
Senator Helen Ring Robinson. Mrs. Fred /
Dick. Progressive candidate for Mrs /
Bradford's office. and other Colorado
women all declared that they would re-
sist the efforts of the Union to defeat
the Democrats.
= uhrnGc Trust or Militant Union.
These pitched battles between the suf-
frage factions are becoming more i'm
oortant engagements to the franchise en-
.husiasts as each week rolls by It is
a constant proof of the old
suffrage argument that women can fight
ust as well as men-when they are train
ID to it.. The mimic political war that
las waged back and forth across the
,lains, heights and valleys of feminism
5ince the formation Of the Congressional
Union in January. has brought thrills to
he suffragists and amusement to the