The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-06-12
SUFFRAGE MAY
SPLIT FEDERATION
Women Who Want to Vote,
Want it So Hard,
They Rile the
Others.
WOMEN ARE DIVIDED
Whether or Not to Endorse Equal
Suffrage is Question Before
Delegates From Wom-
ems Clubs.
[By Marie Moore, United Press Staff
Correspondent.l

CHICAGO. June 12.-Threats of
secession II the suffrage resolution is
put through, were made by anti-suf-i
fragist club women attending the Gen-l
eral Federation Of Women's Clubs
biennial convention today. Secession
is being talked quietly now. but 1t may
be the public battle cry of opponents
Of votes for women" within twenty
four hours. Looming above every
thing else, the suffrage Issue today
was bringing the convention to q
crisis that may result in the disruption
and setting up Of two organizations.
Suffragettes are confident they have
an overwhelming majority Of delegates
and are determined to have the gem
eral federation endorse the equal
franchise. The federation made up OF
officers and leaders who have success
fully blocked suffrage assault before.
are indulging In watchful waiting.
Two elements make up the group
opposing suffrage Endorsement One.
includes club women frankly opposed
to suffrage. The other is made up OF
women favoring votes for women
but who believe that the convention
should take no action, because suf-
frage they hold is political question.
They say that II the federation can
| he swung to an sendoxsenIent u aia1-
lfrage, 1t may III time bs. msnipulated
by a tolitical machine and led to IN
dorse the platform or candidates OF
political party. The suffragis.s are In
deadly earnest. Silence on the part
of the federation representing over.
400 900 club women, will be interpret
ed as repudiation of suffrage, they
declare. They fear the effect OF this
negative action on congressman ana
state legislators, who may assume
that club women OF America are OPP
posed to equal franchise because they
failed to give It their endorsement.
Thev do no. want to disrupt the fed
GRAFTON but they feel that the wishes
of the majority should be respected.
So intense has become the suffrage
campaign that several state delega-
tions are devoting all their time to II.
Mrs. Grace Wilbur Trout, heading the
Illinois delegation, Mrs. Mary Car
rett May, of New York, and Mrs. LII
liam P. Gray, California, are leading
the fight for suffrage endorsement.
The real battle probably will be staged
on Monday or Tuesday The suhrag-
| lists are counting upon big suffrage
meeting today and suffrage banque.
tomorrow night to stir up enthusiasm.
At the forenoon session today MIS-.
Horace Mann Towner. wife OF the
Iowa congressman, and chairman OF
the executive department, told how
women can best influence legislation
Don. send floods of letters and teie-
grams to congressman aGking support
for certain legislation" said Mrs.
Towner. THAT helps merely the
postofice and telegraph companies.
Concentrate on few measures. Don't
scatter your shot by indorsing an
tmpossibly large number. Time your
Endorsement to the progress OF the
bill and thus make it tell. And nm
ally concentrate on legislation affect
ing women and children"
Mrs. Ella Flagg Young. superintend-
ent Of Chicago schools. spoke today on
education in a democracy