The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-09-17
SUFFRAG|STS
Plan A New Thrust At Con.
qreSS This Winter

Gan OCpNs tOtNtTdl
thousand suffragists from the various
states opened here today big con.
vention under the auspices of the Wo.
mems Congressional Union. 1t is a
convention of voters, primarily, of
women who have discarded all party
feelings to get together to boost ma.
tional suffrage for women. The con.
vention was planned by Mrs. o. II. p
Belmont of New York and the four
million women voters of the suffrage
states were invited to join in the
convention.
The main object of the present con
vention is to formulate solid repre-
sentation of the voting women, in
endorsement of the Susan B. Anthony
suffrage amendment for passage by
congress at the coming session. In
order to make an effective entry at
the capitol with the petition that will
be drawn up and signed here, 10C
women leaders will journey by auto
mobile from San Francisco to Wash.
ington. This pilgrimage is to end in
another big suffrage meeting al
Washington. The motor expedition
will be led by Miss Charlotte Whit
ney, secretary of the California
branch of the union. The party will
be three months on the road, reach
ing Washington on December 6.
Mrs. Belmont is expected to take a
leading part in the convention. She
is chairman of the committee on wo.
men voters conventions. She has
long been directing the work for the
suffrage amendment. She believes
that with the leverage of one-fourth
Of the senate and one-sixth of the
house of representatives who come
from equal suffrage states, the nation
al suffrage amendment can be passed
If the women work hard enough to
force the issue.
Other women who will take promi.
nent part are:
Mrs. William Kent, wife of Con.
syessman Kent of California;; Mrs
Almira Sweeten, DR.. Annie Eloise
Abel and Mrs. Edna Stroy Latimer OF
Maryland; Miss Alice Paul, chairman
of the Congressional Union; Miss
Doris Stevens, the organizer of the
convention; Miss Elsie Hill of Con.
necticut; Miss Susan P. Frost and
Miss Virginia Arnold of South Caro-
lima; Mrs. Florence Bayard Hilles
and Miss Mabel Vernon of Delaware;
Mrs. e. st. Clair Thompson of North
Carolina; Mrs. w. ]. Roach of Louis
lana; Mrs. S. B. M. Young and Mrs
M. NJ. Dean of Montana; Mrs. Alden
+. Potter and Miss Jessica Potter of
Minnesota; Mrs. Jessie d. Hampton
and Mrs. Lydia Gibson Mestre of
New York; Miss Iris Calierhead of
Kansas; Mrs. George M. Fowler and
Mrs. Lucius Cuthbert, of Colorado;
Miss b. M. Wilson and Miss Anne
Martin of Nevada; Mrs. Margaret
Jane Cherdrun of Utah; Mrs. Mary
c. Therkelsen of Oregon; and Mrs. ].
j. pershing of Wyoming.
Today is Everywoman's Day at the
exposition in honor of the visiting wo-
men. Following the formal opening
of the convention by Mrs. Belmont
today, preparations were begun for
the suffrage pageant, in which $50
will take part tonight. The symbolic
pantomime shows the position of wo-
man as a working unit in civilization,
and it will be interspersed with
choruses and dancing, with unusual
lighting effects.
Tomorrow, the second day Of the
convention, Mrs. William Kent will
speak on the history of the Susan b
Anthony amendment Other women
will be heard and j. H. Braly, called
the father of suffrage in California,
will also speak.
Thursday, the final day of the con-
vention, will be devoted to a discus
sion of the political complexion OF
the sixty-fourth congress. A card in
dex of the entire membership will be
on tap, giving the views of each mem
ber, old and new