The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-26
THE HAsKIN LETTER
Woman Suffrage Campaign Work.
BY Frederic ~. Hasllin.

Never have the forces working for
the enfranchisement OF American
womanhoed been quite 80 efficiently
organized as now. Never has the
work been SO carefully laid out in
order that mo- overlapping Of actiy-
tiles shall lessen the value OF every
individual effort. Immediately after
the convention Of the National Amer
lean Woman Suffrage Association
held in Nashville, at which the loyal
ltyof the organization was attested In
1.-THE unanimous reelection OF DIR. An
ma Howard Shaw as president. an eff
iiciency expert was engaged to exam
Inc the methods of the organization
at its New York Headquarters and
suggest improvements as result.
A number Of recommendations look
ling toward more careful distribu-
ton OF effort are to be put into eff
feet as rapidly as possible.
/ A feature of this efficiency work
Twill be that Of the congressional COM
mittee located In Washington. for
the purpose Of forwarding every leg
islative effort in favor Of woman
suffrage. This will not be confined
Ito the measures already before Con-
gress, but to the attitudes Of the leg
islatures in the various states. This
committee has been instructed to
work actively for the advancement Of
suffrage pure and simple. avoiding
every partisan issue. When a state
cannot be prevailed upon to grant
full suffrage and possibility OF OBJ
tanning partial suffrage exists, every
effort to secure this as an opening
wedge will be made. Aside from its
own advantage, such a gain will be
a valuable aid in securing the full
privilege hoped for.
A feature or the work Of the con-
gressional committee, will be the
4 in this country with view to de-
termining just how much suffrage is
now available under them. One of
the members Of the congressional
committee is student of state con-
situations. She Is conducting care
fful study OF state laws, aided by all
the literature upon that subject pro-
ivided by the great Library of Con-
i gress. y
1t is possible for some states to
| grant presidential suffrage to- women
without changing its constitution.
This was done in Illinois and will
doubtless be a means by which othef
states will bring about the desired
result. Other states have constitu-
lions which would make 1t possible
for women to vote for certain other
otficers. Every gain made In, the
amount of suffrage granted In any
state hastens the time when uniyer-
sal suffrage shall obtain throughout
the entire country and is therefore
worth working for.
The congressional committee lo-
Gated in Washington is securing ac-
Tive cooperation in all the states. 1t
lis intended that every congressional
district in each state shall be organ
lied, the state being also under a
chairman for congressional work.
lThirty-one states have, already been
organized in this way and others will
| be shortly. Through these states and
district organizations the committee
lin Washington can secure definite In
formation as to the conditions under
which each congressman and senator
was elected to office. In return it can
supply any desired information re-
garding his activities while In Office.
| While the congressional commit
tee of any state sees possibility OF
securing an advance in suffrage, the
committee at Washington will be In
position to advise regarding It. II
an amendment to the state consti-
tuition is necessary the committee is
prepared to give aid in the drafting
tof such a bill. ~
The congressional committee Is
under the leadership of Mrs. Medill
Mccormick, who will give much per-
sonal attention to 1t. When her du-
ties In her home state require her alb
sence from the national capital, the
committee will be directed by Mrs.
Antoinette Funk and Mrs. Sheldon
Booth. who were active workers in
the Illinois lobby which finally Sc
cured suffrage in that state. Others
upon the committee are Mrs. Helen
| Gardner, who has had part in arrang-
ing for every congressional hearing
Of the suffrage association Tor tolrty
years; Mrs. Glenna Tinnin, VINO ar
ranged the pageant connected Win
the great suffrage parade during the
last presidential inauguration; Miss
Jeanette Rankin, who is fresh from
the campaign which just added Mon
Itana to the list of suffrage states;
Mrs. Raymond B. Morgan. a college
bred woman, who will give especial
attention to the press work Of the
COMMITTED, and Miss Ethel Smith,
who has had long and practical ex-
perience IN executive Office work.
Three matters are now before Con-
gress to each of which the congress
sional committee will give its active
4 support. The Bristow-Montell
amendment brought up to date and
actively forwarded by Senator Bris-
tow and Congressman Mondell.s u
provides that the right to vote shall
not be denied or abridged in the
United States on account of sex. This
Twas voted upon in the Senate last
March and failed to pass by only
eleven votes 1t was reintroduced
The day following and upon April 80
received favorable report.
The Sharfroth-P Palmer amendment
proposes to grant suffrage to women
lin certain contingencies in each state.
HIT provides that whenever eight per
cent of the voters in a state shall