The Washington herald., 1914-11-29
TO
UNITE FOR WORK
Convention Has Effect Of
Joining Them on Clear
cut Principles.
OUTVOTE ENGLISH PLAN
States Where Woman's Vote Was Is
sue Suffer from Activities of Con-
gressional Union. Says One.
BY ETHEL NJ. SMITH.

BY ETHEL NJ. SMITH.
With the next session Of Congress. the
campaign for Federal legislation grant
ing votes TO women will be renewed
| upon far more clear-cut principles than
obtained last year. The Nashville con-
| vention, with 3ls delegates present from
forty-eight associations in the various
| States, gave opportunity for suffragists
of all shades OF opinion to thresh out the
| problems that had accumulated and to
declare definitely their position upon GER
tain vital issues within the suffrage
ranks.
Chief Of these was the nonpartisan
policy of the national association versus
the English policy OF fighting the party
in power, the policy adopted by the Con-
gressional Union. With earnestness and
vigor a little band of Congressional Union
campaigners a few weeks before cleo
tion went to the equal suffrage States
to ask the women voters to defeat the
Democratic party as punishment for Its
opposition to Federal legislation for
woman suffrage. The sincerity, rather
than the logic. OF this appeal confused
some su1ragists for a time as to the
political wisdom of such a policy.
States Suffer from Methods.
II ulu HOl confuse, Dut frankly 0lS-
couraged. the women in the suffrage cam
paign States, of course. who saw at
once its disastrous trend. Ohio, Missouri.
the Dakotas. Nebraska, Montana, and
Nevada. where the battle for woman suf-
frage was being waged. felt and suf-
fered from the effect OF a declaration
of war by this group OF sufrragists
against the Democratic party, when the
members Of that party were being asked
TO vote for the suffrage cause
The president of the Nevada EQUAL
Suffrage Association. while pleading with
Miss Paul to retain in her State Miss
Mabel Vernon, one OF the best Of the
Congressional Union organizers, imposed
the condition that Miss Vernon abandon
the anti-DemOcratic policy while she
worked in Nevada. From every cam
paign State came protests as soon as
this partisan policy was launched. But
without the official declaration Of the
largest body OF suffragists II was diff
ficult to get the record clear in the eyes
OF the country.
BY the time the convention was held
It was known that not only had the anti
Democratic campaign. with its wide pub
licity, injured the suffrage cause in the
campaign States. but IL had more than
failed of its immediate practical end In
the equal suffrage States. Though the
Democratic majority in Congress was d.
minished by the election in November
more Democrats than before were elected
in the equal suffrage States. where the
Congressional campaign was conducted
Convention Non-partIsaa.
In the United States Senate, where the
Democratic majority was six last year.
there will be in the next session a ma
jority of sixteen. II is scarcely surpris-
at Nashville was practically unanimous
in its vote to adhere 10 the non-partisan
policy always followed by the National
American Woman Suffrage Association,
and further to define its attitude by re-
solving
That the National American Woman
Suffrage Association is absolutely op-
posed to holding any political party re-
sponsible for the opinions and acts of its
individual members or holding any in
dividual responsible for the majority ac-
ton of his party on the question of suf-
frage."
1t was a notable thing about this Nash
vile convention and a fact that should
silence forever the familiar masculine
jibe at women's conventions in general
that this body confined itself strictly TO
the discussion OF vital policies, which is
more than can be claimed for mems con-
ventions. The newspapers OF Nashville
and the men who spoke at the public
mass meetings commented pointedly upon
the quality of the debate as compared
with that OF State legislative bodies and
the National Congress. At no time did
personalities enter into the remarks of
any delegate on the floor Of the conven-
ton, and the four-hour debate on the
Shafroth resolution was conducted with
ability and earnestness that proved con-
clusively to both sides the sincerity and
depth of conviction behind this difference
Of opinion.
Creates Only a Privilege.
There had been much discussion Of the
Shafroth amendment throughout the yea-.
but the course of events at the convention
proved how inadquately this measure had
been understood. Mrs. Harriet Stanton
Blatch, of New York, who. with Mrs.
Helena Hill Weed. OF Connecticut, led
a fight against it, plunged Immediately
into q pitfall on the question of its sup
posed unconstitutionality, concerning
which Mrs. Blatch had obtained. she
said, the opinion of many constitutional
lawyers This question was promptly
disposed Of by Mrs. Antoinette Funk, who
reminded the convention that an amend
ment to the Federal Constitution became
a part of that Constitution. and thus
could not be unconstitutional
Mrs. Blatch also argued that the Shaf-
roth resolution. though drawn primarily
to meet the States rights objections to
the Anthony amendment, really infringed
Just as much upon the rights of the
States. Mrs. Kate Gordon, OF louisiana,
an unyielding States rights adherent.
stood with Mr.. Blatch on this point.
It was again pointed out by Mrs. Funk
that the Shafroth plan created merely
privilege, and was not mandatory.
Against Miss Gordon were practically
all of the rest Of the Southern delegates.
Mrs. Desha Breckenridge making an elo-
quent plea for the Shafroth measure.
There is also a sentimental loyalty to
the Susan B. Anthony amendment on the
part of some suffragists which has de-
veloped into opposition to any proposal.
This likewise was considerably shattered
when Miss Alice Stone Blackwell. Of
Massachusetts,, daughter Of Susan B.
Anthony's coworker, Lucy Stone. made
one Of her Enthusiastically clear-cut
and logical arguments for the Shafroth
resolution. The question was finally set
tied by a vote of 1s4 to 100 in favor
of a motion offered by Mrs. Raymond |
Brown, of New York. as a substitute |
for the motion of Mrs. Blatch. This |
motion was as follows:
1t Is the sense Of this convention |
that the policy OF the National American
Woman Suffrage Association shall be to
support by every means within its power |