The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-30
ADDITIONAL SOCIETY
UFFR
STATEMENT

In giving the following resolution to
the press regarding the action Of the
Federation Of Women's clubs In endors-
Ing suffrage with but twenty-five dis
senting votes, Mrs. Arthur M. Dodge,
president of the National Anti-Sut-
frage association appends the follow
ing statement. I'VE wish to have the
to offset the decision of the general
federation than any other step we can
take"
The resolutions follow:
IF the patriots and politicians who
have been Indifferent to the demands
Of ONE for equal suffrage can spare
a few minutes for serene contempla-
ton Of the action Of s~uffragists at the
biennial convention of the General
Federation of Women's clubs at Chi
cago. they will perhaps read the hand
writing OF the wall and be aroused
from their lethargy to a realization Of
some of the dangers the future holds
for them politically; for the action
endorsing woman suffrage was a clear
case of gag rule in a packed con-
vention, worthy Of the much despised
political machines.
The more conservative suffragists
in the different state declarations of
clubs have opposed the endorsement
OF suffrage by either the state or the
general federation of clubs, not only
because they feared the disruption Of
the harmony that has always existed
In club work, but because that work in
general has been humanitarian and
never the dissemination of a propa-
ganda.
OF the state declarations, seventeen
have endorsed suffrage and
several have voted not to endorse 1t
while by far the greater number have
refused to allow the subject to be
discussed at their conventions. In
many of the state declarations the suf-
fragists have been manoeuvering for
years to secure suffrage delegates to
the biennial convention of the general
federation. Many ~suffragists hoped
until the last moment, that the ques-
ton would not be brought up in Chi
cago and many have since said openly
that they regretted that the resolution
was brought before the convention.
The president, Mrs. Pennybacker had
taken q neutral position. The Illinois
~sufragists openly threatened that un-
less she permitted the suffrage resolu-
ton to be introduced, a rival candi-
date would be brought forward. The
president appointed q committee of
three suffrage members of the board
to confer with two. prominent suffrag-
lists in Chicago and probably in conse-
quence of this conference 1t was an
nounced from h platform on Friday
that the suffrage resolution would be
brought forward the next morning.
When it, was brought up Saturday
morning, there were two speeches In
favor of suffrage made by Mrs Leach
of Kentucky and Miss Stearns of Wis
consin. While many women were on
their feet trying to obtain recognition
from the chair, the one woman recog-
nized by the president was Mary Gar
rett Hay of New York who moved the
previous question which was carried.
On the main question. a rising vote
was called for blu ignored by the pre-
sident.
A protest to the resolution was pre-
scented on the following Tuesday which
was accepted and placed OIL file. The
following Is the protest as printed:
The minority members of the Cen
eral Federation Of Women's clubs wish
to present and place on record a pro-
test against wha Is called the un-
animous action Of one million women
in an endorsement of equal suffrage.
When such leaders as Sarah Plat
Decker, q pronounced suffragist indi-
vidually stated publicly and privately
that such endorsement by the fedora
ton would initiate against the educa-
ferent sections Of the country; when
well known and unknown women
throughout the United States as direct
ly interested In this convention as a
u6l6SaLe pESSSuL nave dlSO opposed
such endorsement, a great injustice is
done by the widespread assertion that
a million women composing this body
favor political equality"
Afterwards, on motion of Miss
Stearns of Wisconsin the ~allusion to
Mrs. Decker was stricken out.
sThe Suffragists are already quoting
widely that one million club women
| have endorsed woman suffrage which
is absolutely untrue as there are humid
reds OF clubs throughout the country
that refuse to endorse 1t and there are
hundreds and thousands of women be-
longing to clubs that have endorsed 1t,
who are actively opposed to woman
suffrage. A very large majority of the
| club women of the south are opposed
and there is widespread disapproval OF
this endorsement being expressed both
In public n in private. To quote
from q letter Of Mrs. Dimies T. S. Dem
ison, former president and honorary
president of the General federation.
ANY woman who says that q million