The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-06
Of Suffrage Movement
How the National Headquarters
Appear to a Fargoan

Two o'clock in the afternoon on the
busiest corner in all the world.
The chief of the traffic squad blew
gigantic procession extending for four
blocks in either direction, a mass of
carriages, autos, ~limousines, auto buss-
es, stopped as one, while across the
street there poured a mingling mass OF
cosmopoliton population, such as can
only be seen in New York, the most
foreign, as well as the most American
Of any four great cities. And in he
center of this bisected group another
stream of trucks, street cars, and mail
vans hustled to get across before the
double blast of the whistle would halt
their line.
1t was Forty-seoond street and Fifth
avenue.
What a fitting corner for the location
of the National Suffrage association?
AS we race with the crowd across the
street, we rush, Everybody PUSHES in
New York, even the funerals are fast)
into the express elevator up to tho
seventeenth floor, and amid the tap-tap
of busy typewriters, the hurry of mess
engers, We find a fitting counterpart to
the busy corner far below, the busiest
headquarters in all New York, the Ma
tional Suffrage association.
The same atmosphere of surcharged
excitement that is so evident at busy
~@NNhAS1A LAL4ASo - ~ S2S4Ak g -AAAN
why not, this is the day of the great
suffrage demonstration when all over
the United States women are to cele-
brate the first National suffrage day.
In front of us hangs an immense map
on which is placed each day the Condi-
ton Of the campaign in all parts Of
the union. We look eagerly for North
Dakota. Yes, there it is, a big square
yellow chalk. We see the names Of
prominent North Dakota women with
their reports. 1t looks great. We feel
mighty proud of it all n with swell
I'D chest and uplifted head we walk
right into the private Office of the ma
tional secretary 1--WE had failed to no.
tice the private sign) and announced
that we were from North Dakota.
1t was enough. No further introduce
ton was needed. Immediately on that
busy day we were asked a hundred
questions. made appointments for the
rest Of the afternoon, listened with
glee while they explained that they
were so glad that the "antis" were
coming to North Dakota, because they
always did the cause more good than
harm.
Then we met the press chairmen. In
a busy little office were being prepared
pamphlets and leaflets, pageants. plays,
books, poems, pictures, streamers, flags
Of all the countries where they have
suffrage, post cards, faVors, banners,
petitions, hundreds of newspaper arti-
Giles. a perfect publicity plant.
And the callers that camo In. A
busy banker had left his office at 26
Broadway to come and look over the
books. A working girl came TO get
more nne and magazines to sell.
Working girl and millionaire, they
stood side by side in a splendid spirit
of fraternity, working in a common
cause. Then came a magazine writer,
to get fnal Instructions before, she
sailed for Norway to write up suffrage
there. A reporter, a printer, a visitor
from California, another from Illinois,
one from Massachusetts, from Color
ado, a teacher from the suffrage school,
a marvellous national gathering.
Surely it could be no little thing,
this busy headquarters. taking the en-
tire seventeenth floor of this big build
ing, working months ahead of elections
in order to be well prepared.
But they are not too enthusiastic,
They take care of the opposition and
on the wall are hung eXt d r c fr" ON
lowing women in high schools, in med
zeal schools. eontrasted With With pres fegeH ut
vote. and they all seemed so ridiculous
and funny that we laughed right out