The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-13

Iederatlon workers looked at the
women in the decorated cars with a
deep rooted conviction that Mrs. Bel
mont was in town.
The Congressional Union party, now
directed and headed by Mrs. Harriet
Stanton Batch of New York. left To-
a brief stop at Emporia and will
spend the night in Wichita. Their "A
hours stay in Topeka included a
parade, luncheon, street speeches, re-
ceptions and a public meeting at rep
resentative hall Wednesday night.
Virtually all of the % women in the
party participated in the demonstra-
tons in Topeka.
The Congressional union left Topeka
today embarrassed and disappointed,
according to Mrs Robert Baker, press
agent for the flying squadron, all
over the advertised fact that Mrs. o.
H. P. Belmont would accompany the
party, and humiliation caused at teas
and suffrage meetings Wednesday
when Topeka craned her neck, whis-
pered and turned away with disap-
pOintment when it was discovered
that Mrs. Belmont was not a member
of the squadron.
Not that the squadron depreciates
the prestige added by Mrs. Belmont's
presence in any group But the dis
appointment of Topeka in not getting
to see Mrs. Belmont is equally as
gressional union, Mrs. Baker declared,
because of failure of proper persons
to give to the public information sent
to them that Mrs. Belmont would not
be a member of the party.
At Eleventh Hour.
cat the eleventh hour" said Mrs
Baker, cit was learned that Mrs. Bel
mont could not go and 1 informed
proper persons in all states. Topeka
is not the only city in which this mis-
information was given out. In Kansas
City the same deplorable conditions
faced US.
Not that we do not realize the i'm
portance and ability of Mrs. Belmont.
Yet. women of equal Importance and
ability accompany US. Miss Lucy
Burns of New York heads the squad
rom
Mrs. Monroe Didn't Know
Mrs. Monroe stated this afternoon
that she didn't know that Mrs. Bel
mont could not come to Topeka and
Kansas until the train arrived at the
Santa Fe station and she was told of
the illness in the family in New York
why we wouldn't think of herald
ing Mrs. Belmont if we knew she
couldn't come" Mrs Monroe stated.
I'VE wouldn't Stoop to such a cheap
trick as that. 1 did not receive a
telegram or a letter from anyone to
the effect that Mrs. Belmont would
not be with the party
Mrs Monroe was told that word
had been sent to Topeka from Wash
ington.
Il never heard of it," she replied
Miss Vernon was out of town part
of the time and it is possible that
word came while she was away. But
certainly we had no intention of mis-
leading the public
Purpose of Visit.
pose of the Congressional union to
hold the party in power responsible
for passage of a national amendment
for equal suffrage and described her
visit as preparation for a fight to de-
feat the dominating party in the event
it did not pass a suffrage amendment
While Mrs. Baker fully expects the
Democrats, now in power, to pass
such an amendment by June, in the
event this isn't done a big Congress
sional union convention will be held
and preparations will be made for
conducting fight on the party.
Continuing Mrs. Baker pointed out
that presidential elections had been
won in the last twenty years on
margin of per cent. Also she de-
clared that such a margin no doubt
would govern the coming election on
account of the uncertainty of the Pro
gressive voters. the discord of strong
factions against leaders in Republican
and Democratic ranks and the lack of
clear-cut issues in platforms of either
party.
The squadron will arrive in Wichita
at 500 o'clock this evening and after
a rest will start on an auto parade at
6:45 o'clock. Later, meetings will lie
held.
Members of the Party
Those in the party which visited To-
peka were:
Miss Lucy Burns. New York Mrs
Harriet Sta nton Blatch, New York;
Mrs. John Rogers, Jr., New York;
Mrs. A R. Colvin, Minnesota; Mrs w
D. Ascough, Connecticut; Mrs. Flor
ence Bayard Hilles. Delaware; Mrs.
Townsend Scott, Maryland: Mrs. Ag-
mes Morey, sachusetts; Miss Kath-
crime Morey, Massachusetts; Mrs. Nell
son Whittemore, Michigan; Mrs Dor
othy Mead, Ohio; Mrs. Gertrude B.
Newell, Massachusetts,; Miss Julia
Hurlbut, New Jersey; Mrs. Percy
Read, Virginia; Mrs. Jane Goode, Dis
trict of Columbia, Miss Edith Goode,
District of Columbia. mother and
daughter: Miss Anna Constable, New
York; Miss Helen Todd, New York:
Miss Caroline Katzenstein. Pennsyl-
vania; Miss Ella Regal, Pennsyi-
vania; Mrs. Robert Baker, District
of Columbia; Miss Winifred Mallon,
District of Columbia; Miss Agnes
Cambell. New Jersey.