The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-06-10
SUFFRAG|TS MEET
BEGINS WITH ROW
Mid Year Conference EnIivenet
BY Clash When Dr.. Shaw
Is Accused of Using
Steam Roller.

Chicago. June S.-The mid-year IN
ference of the National American
Woman Suffrage association was only
half an hour old today when verbal
sparks began to fly. The participants
were DIR. Anna Howard Shaw, presi-
lent of the association; Mrs. Thomas
w. Youmans, president of the Wis
consln state organization, and as
p~eacemaker. Mrs. Harriet Taylor Up
ton, president of the state organiza-
ton of Ohio.
Mrs. Youmans accused DR.. Shaw Of
fiattening her out with a steam roller.
The trouble arose over the congress
sionaI union, a suffragist organization,
eaid to advocate militant methods, in
Guiding attacks on parties and indf-
viduals which oppose the movement.
This is one of the most important sub
jects to come before the conference.
Mrs. Youmans offered a resolution
calling for an arbitration convention
on which the congressional union
should have fair representation to con-
slider all matters bearing on the sub
ject, the committee to report later to
the conference. A motion to table, by
Mrs. Stanley Mccormick, of New
York. of the congressional commit
tee of the association, carried, 40 to
%, abov the protests OF Mrs. YOU
mans, who insisted that she had a right
to address the delegates on the sub
ject.
Dr.. Shaw Rules Her Out.
"A motion to table is not open to
discussion" said DR.. Shaw, as she
brought the gavel down and insisted
on order. The vote was taken n the
Wisconsin leader obtained recognition
long enough to say:
II wish to enter my solemn pro-
test against tactics which hut off dis
cussion of this most important sub
ject."
Mrs. Upton explained that the tabl-
ing OF the resolution was ~ot due to
opposition to the subject matter in it,
but to the necessity of Strengthening
out the various problems before the
conference.
Representatives Of the states were
called upon 70 report progress in or
ganizing by congressional districts
Among other state presidents in at
tendance at the first session was Mrs.
McNab Miller, Missouri, and Mrs.
Draper Smith, Nebraska. The repre-
sentation from the south was uneX-
pectedly large, while New York and
other eastern states, where the women
are fighting for the ballot, sent re-
stricted delegations.
Chicago, June S.-Mrs. Medill McCor-
mick, at the woman's suffrage confer
enCe here today, sketChed the activities
Of the National Congressional Commit
tee Of the National American Suffrage
association, OF which she Is chairman.
That suffrage has a place upon the
political map and a national place of
considerable prominence, was demon
strated not only by a vote in congress
upon the Susan B. Anthony amend
ment, and the size Of that vote" said
Mrs. Mccormick. but by the action of
the rules committee in refusing to re-
port u measure until after the cleo
ton. The vote itself, however, Is the
significant and instructive thing for
US,
THE argument which defeated our
amendment was the states rights ar
Gument. Yet compare it with the vote
on the prohibition amendment, three
weeks before, and we find that 70 men
who voted against us, voted for the
prohibition amendment, which Is a
pronounced restriction of the so-called
sovereign rights of the state. They
voted for the prohibition amendment
because their states or districts made
organized demand that they do so. A
little later 43 OF the a~nti-suffrage o m
gressmen voted against a child labor
bill-because h mill owners Of their
districts demanded that their property
interests be protected against ruthless
humanitarians who would insure to lit
tie children the right OF their child
hood. But not one OF these 43 men
voted against a national convict labor
bill in this same congress-because the
labor organizations insisted that free
labor be protected against convict
labor.
Now, 1t is true prohibitionists and
labor unions ave votes and woman
~suffragists have not. But to some eX-
tent we ~suffragists can do what they
can do. We have believed in organized
congressional district campaigns ever
since our committee began it's work,
and the vote in congress last winter
proved the value of u plan. 1t also
proved that we must have more of the
same sort of thing. vigorous congress
sional district campaigns and close Co
operation between the state and fed
sraI suffrage workers"