The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-20
LOCAL SUFFRAGISTS
STILL UNDISMAYED
Sorry That New Jersey Sisters Lost in
Election. But Say Campaign Has
Been Worth While.
By MARY MARSHALL.

Last night there were no tears in the
camps of the suffragists in this city. No
one looked especially happy. of course.
but no one had crouch
When / asked Mrs. Laura PufIer Mor-
gan. Of the National Congressional COM
mittee how she regarded the New Jersey
defeat. she replied: Il am disappointed.
OF course. but the defeat is only temper
AIRY. This is the first campaign that New
Jersey has had, and IL is almost I'M
precedented for a state TO win its first
campaign for suffrage. The popular
prejudice against votes for women is slow
TO overcome.
Moreover. We realized that in New
Jersey We had an unusually difficult task
The State has a notoriously corrupt poll
teal machine. and II has smaller per-
centase of no-license area and a greater
percentage of saloons to the population
than any other state in the Union. When
was campaigning in Jersey City last
June. we never spoke on a street corner
where there was not at least one saloon.
More often there were three. And the
liquor dealers association. you know
openly announced their opposition TO US.
However. We consider the campaign
worth while. It has made a vast diff
ference in the complexion OF New Jersey.
and We never move backward. Five years
lEOUl now. II not DIIOTt. New Jersey
will have suffrage"
gressionai Union. was even more hope
full over the defeat. When I saw her
last night she said The loss of the
state referendum campaign is going to
stimulate immensely the national move
ment for woman suffrage, and make its
victory in the next Congress certain.
In the future women are going to re-
fuse to submit the question Of their po-
litical freedom to the mass Of male cleo
tors in each separate State.
This method of work imposes a ter
rife burden upon women. not merely the
burden of convincing so many individual
minds. many of them unframed. but OF
reaching the people-of holding meetings.
indoors and outdoors. in every section
of the State. Such a campaign requires
large supplies OF funds. which women
do not possess. and which they ought
not TO have TO possess before obtaining
the fundamental right of citizenship.
Moreover. the dice are loaded against
them from the beginning because the
electorate is greatly under the control of
strong political organizations. which in
huence the majority of votes. and buy
outright many thousands OF them.
These same organizations also control
the machinery of counting the votes.
and can often count them falsely with
Impunity.
III women had no other way to win
suffrage than this they would shoulder
all these difficulties without complaint.
and would ultimately win their cause
In spite of them. but there is an easier
and more direct way to work for suf-
frage, and that is by working for an
amendment to the United States Con-
stitutIon.
Here women are dealing with ac-
credited representatives of the people
first in Congress and then in the State
legislatures. These representatives are
obliged to cast an open vote on the uues-
ton OF woman suffrage and be held re-
sponsible for their action. Under these
circumstances the suffrage question can
not be trifed with.
The most valuable results of this
campaign will be that women will have
learned not to waste their strength in
political tights scattered over thirty
seven States. but to concentrate their
force on securing an amendment to the
national Constitution. They are already
powerful enough to do this. Nearly
100000 women already vote in national
elections. When Congress reassemblef
next December IL will find an army Oh
women at its gates, the women of the
East united with the women Of the West,
all demanding that Congress take in
slant and favorable action on the ma
tional suffrage amendment. referring to
the State legislatures the Susan B. An
thony amendment. forbidding disfran-
chisement because Of sex