Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-06
SUFFRAGISTS PROMISE
TO DEFEAT POLITICIANS
WHO FIGHT cause"
Miss Hannah ]. Patterson Saws
Revenge Will Be Visited
on All Who Oppose
Amendment
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS

Politicians who are planning 20 oppos.
the woman suffrage amendment th.t
comes before the electorate at the NJ.
vember election had better look out
II the measure is defeated, reprisaIs
sharp, swift and sure will be inflicted an
those responsible for the defeat The
whole army of the women now engaFed
In the struggle for political liberation win
engage in the business Of punishment and
no candidate or organized interest viii
be permitted to escape.
Miss Hannah J. Patterson, State chair.
man Of the Woman Suffrage party, made
this statement at Harrisburg yesterdav
Although loath to discuss even the rernoie
possibility Of defeat, she considered the
question alphabetically and declared en-
phatically that, though suffragists IN
Pennsylvania had kept their skirts clear
of party politics, a defeat OF their amend
ment IN November would mean com.
plete revolution of tactics.
I'VE are not willing to concede defeat"
she said because we have too much ne.
spect for the intelligence and fair-mind.
edness of the men of Pennsylvania
Moreover, we have good reason to believe
that unless crooked methods are used and
every bit of machine pressure In the
state Is brought to bear against us, we
shall win by n comfortable majority. II
we should be defeated. however, we shall
continue our State organization and its
various local branches. And then, be-
cause It will be the logical thing TO do,-
she added significantly. I'VE shall start
the work of removing the obstacles from
our path. ...
"Since our amendment cannot come to
a vote again for Ave years, It would be
folly, II we are defeated, TO push active
suffrage propaganda work Immediately.
We have an organization, however, that
Is big enough. and strong enough. and
responsive enough to eliminate obstacles
from our path, whether they are indi-
viduals or organized interests.
Therefore our first task for the next
two years would be a semi-propaganda
campaign which we would put into oper-
alton by entering actively into the defeat
OF any Individual candidate for office or
any organized interests that opposed US
In that way our situation would be made
Infinitely better when we start our
straight suffrage campaign two years
| hence.
"Our women are eager for work. They
know now how to campaign in the polt-
| ical districts, and they know how to use
| the power which they have, but, up "a
! date, II has been concentrated solely
| upon the issue of suffrage. They are Ia
this fight to win and defeat this yeai
would only serve to weld them closel
together and make our organization ever
more powerful than IT Is today. We will
fight any politicians who have been fight
| ing us. Our position will be that no mar
who is unwilling to see all the people
| directly represented in government Il
qualified to hold public Office"
Miss Patterson also said that II thu
suffraglsts win at the polls, which thel
confidently expect to do, the State sun
rage headquarters at Harrisburg will
doubtless, be concerted into a great edu
cational clearing house from which ever!
thinking citizen in the State will b
able to obtain timely and accurate in
formation on the big vital problems o
the day.