Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-22
MRS. MILLER QUITS
AS SUFFRAGE HEAD
gurprises Convention by
Quitting State Chairman
ship of Party
SUCCESSOR NOT NAMED
Question Arises-"Who Is Big
Enough Woman to Take the
Perplexing Position?"
Ru Mn.1ss


wTI,I.IAMsPoRT. Pa. Nov. ga
pyroteohnicai opening to what promised to
81 a placid first day OF the forty-eighth
annual convention OF the Pennsylvania
Woman Suffrage Association in session here
svas given this morning. when Mrs. John
o. Miller dropped n bomb in the shape Of
her resignation from the State chairman.
shlp of the Woman Suffrage party
instantly, the suffragists realized that the
feeling OF rivalry between the East and
the west. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, had
not abated
II will be remembered that at the con.
rention held at the Adelphia Hotel in
Philadelphia last year after the defeat OF
the suffrage amendment, split I'm the suf-
frago ranks was threatened and walkout
on the part of the Philadelphia contingent
narrowly averted because the suffraEsts OF
the eastern part of tho State resented the
triumphant attitude OF tho Allegheny
county delegates who carried their part of
the state, Mrs Miller is the leader OF
Allegheny county. She Is credited with
being the best money getter In the State
and one OF the most astute politicians. She
has been dubbed the 'Penrose Of the or
ganization."
Her resignation came as complete sur
prise in n spirited speech which followed
shortly after the annual report of tho presi-
dent, Mrs. George B. orlady, which was
read by the fourth vice president, Mrs. u.
h. Herman Mrs. Orlady being unable to
attend the convention on account Of Illness.
CHALLENGE TO CRITICS
Mrs. Miller gave press of business and
home duties as the reason for her stepping
down. Her friends declare that her action
is instead a direct challenge to the criti-
cIEm of Philadelphia and other suffragists
throughout the State that she wants to
own the whole show"
II has been bruited about, they say, that
she holds too many Offices; that being
first vico president, State chairman Of
the Woman Suffrage party and chairman
of Allegheny County cuts too much power
into tho hands of one woman But now
that she has given them what It is thought
they wanted. the cry Is, who Is n big
enough woman to be the State chairman
OF tho Woman Suffrage party?"
The reply on all sides, like that in the
morality plny, Is nobody
II is known fact that in the council OF
leaders in which the resignation OF Mrs.
Miller was discussed before the opening OF
the convention the Office of State chairman
ship was offered TO every member of the
State Executive Board and promptly re.
fused by them. It's big Job and wants
q big woman Because of the attempt
which will be made on Thursday to revise
n bylaw which, II the revision is passed
and II is predicted that It will be, will weak
en- the power of the leagues and clubs and
centrallzo the full strength in the Woman's
MALE ANTS ASsAILED.
Wanted: a State chairman. AS yet no
one has been found to be willing, or perhaps
able. to take II. In her report of the work
OF the county conferences Mrs Miller. pre-
ceding the announcement of her resigna-
tion, took swat at the male anti who has
made the female anti do his dirty work.
She did not say that the male anti was
synonymous with the liquor interests, but
the feeling was that she meant 1t.
The day of the woman anti is past, she
said, and in the next campaign she VIII
take even less part In the anti work than
she did. and the man anti, who is really be-
hind the whole opposition. will have TO come
down from behind the skirts of the women.
Two types of suffragists exist today. Mrs.
Miller points out. They are the llfters and
the leaners The lifters. she explained, are
tho women who do great deal of per-
sonal work on finance, and they are the
women who know how to get along with
they always work at least three times as
IF we had sixty-seven lifters in our
sixty-seven counties We could push the
mass of leaners on to victory, because votes
for women will be given because OF the
work of a comparatively small group and
the rest will get II without any effort or
work on their part" she said.
To facilitate the passage of the suffrage
bill through the 1917 Legislature. Mira
Miller declared THAI tne Legislators were
being reminded OF suffrage by numerous
letters and interviews we will go to the
1917 Legislature with the most thorough