The Washington herald., 1914-11-22
d. Ida HusTEp HARPER.

An amusing editorial appeared last
week in the only paper In New York City
actively opposed TO woman suffrage, en-
titled, Forcing Women to Vote" SYM
pathizing with the Southern women's op-
Fposition to q Federal amendment and
saying Of the Northern women who favor
it: ''If they cram the vote down the
threats OF a large part OF the United
States Nlich does not want 1t and is even
hostile to it, the showing on the next
election day will be q body blow to the
influence and standing OF women in poll
:. tics
The sufIragists are quite willing TO
take the chances Of a body blow by
Southern women not using the ballot
when 1t is placed in their hands, and the
most amusing thing about the editorial
was its being written at the very moment
: when the Southern States Woman Suf-
frage Association was holding a big con-
vention In Chattanooga. It was welcomed
by the mayor and president of the cham
Der Of commerce, each speaking in favor;
the News Of that city indorsed the move
ment in a leading editorial and issued a
ten-page suffrage supplement and other
papers devoted many columns to the
meetings.
People Seemed Enthusiastic.
The audiences overnowed from the
Lyric Theater into the chamber OF COM
meree and filled the streets outside. The
handsomest homes in the city were open
ed TO the delegates, who came from every
Southern State, and the keynote Of the
convention was Sounded by Miss Kate
Gordon. of New Orleans, in her presi-
dents address:
The Southern States Woman Suffrage
Conference has for its immediate object
10 make the Democratic party declare it.
self in favor of votes for women IN its
next national platform"
She referred to the action of President
Wilson and the Democratic caucus in
= "disposing Of their responsibility by de-
ClarinE the suffrage TO be a State and
not Federal right" and asked: I'm the
name OF the women OF fifteen Southern
States why is this truth not ap-
piled at home, but only proclaimed in
= the halls of Congress?"
Some Of the delegates were in favor OF
working for both Federal and State
amendments, notably Miss Laura Clay.
OF Kentucky, and Miss Mary Johnston, of
Virginia, but there was a general indorse-
ment of Miss Gordon's recommendation
TO adopt a policy Of concentration on
the Democratic party to make it declare
itself" This" she said, would cause a
veritable suffrage landslide in the South
within the next tive or six years"
All States Working.
Southern States and some Of them
shown TO be well organized, the Ken
tucky association, for instance, having
1880 members. Its State Federation OF
Women's Clubs is also practically a suf
frage association and was primarily re-
sponsible for obtaining the school fran
,chise--
Politics, ii is said, makes strange bed
fellows and so the woman suffrage move
ment brings about odd combinations.
Northern women are constantly told that
none Of their spectacular, sensational
measures would be countenanced by
those OF the South, who would make their
contest for the ballot in the most quiet,
dignihed, conventional manner: and yet
al the first exclusively Southern conven-
tiOn the two guests of honor were the
leading militia nts" of Great Britain and
the United States, Christabel Pankhurst
and Mrs. Oliver H. P. Belmont, and no
women ever received greater ovations-
The Chattanooga Times, in describing
the effect of Miss Pankhurst's morning
speech, said: Aroused to frantic fervor,
the line of delegates marched around the
hall singing strains of Dixie and the
Battle Hymn of the Republic with
cheers of Hurrah for Virginia. 'Hur-
rah for louisiana and so on"
All Of these reports should be read in
connection with the New York Times edi-
en- the great danger Of 'cramming the
vote. down the throats" OF their Southern
sisters! In addition to the three or four
suffrage papers already published in the
South, this conference arranged to estab-
lish its own official organ with Miss Cor
don as editor. 1t also decided to focus
its energies on carrying one State for suf-
frage during the next two years. which
would probably be Alabama This will be
interesting news to Representative Hef-
lin.
Convention Not Harmonious. q
The convention of the National Suffrage
Association in Nashville was not so har-
monious, and the daily reports of its pro-
ceedings offer a striking contrast to
those of a few years ago and reaching
back through four decades Secret eau
cuses lasting into the small hours Of the
morning to fix up States" and hotly
contested primaries" have a strange
sound to those who remember the days
Of an informal ballot with no electioneer-
ing and every delegate free to vote as she
pleased and the nominations so nearly
unanimous that the secretary was re-
Guested TO cast the vote of the conven-
tion.
The president OF the Anti-Suffrage As
sociation draws a wholly erroneous con-
clusion, however. when she says in speak
create confusion which, in its final re-
suits, will wreck an altogether futile
propaganda" They will no more wreck
suffrage than the everlasting rows among
the adherents of football and basketball
will put an end TO those two national
games; or than the perennial conflict be-
tween the reform Democrats and Tam
many will destroy their party or than the
terrific combat which rent the Republic
an party two years ago will annihIlate
that organization. The splinterA few in
the Anti-Suffrage Association not long
since and some Of the members 'bolted, -
but 1t didn't make much noise because
this is a comparatively small body. It Is
only when a movement nears success that
scramble begins to hold the offices and
dictate the policies.
War OF Words Don Quixotic.
The war Of words at the Nashville con-
ventfon over what measure should be
championed at the approaching session
Of Congress had more than a slight sug-
gestion Of Don Quixote It will be inter-
esting to watch the effect on Congress Of
the ''blacklisting' of its members by one
flank of the suffrage forces, and by the
other the fight on the party that would
inevitably be returned to power. Its re-
ceptiveness will depend entirely on the
pressure which is brought to bear by the
women Of those eleven States where they
are enfranchised. The national associa-
ton made no effort to show its influence
by Furnishing those whom it stigmatized
by ''blackIisting"
The Congressional Union says with
pride that it is responsible for the re-