The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-08
PARTY IS STRONG.
Congressional Union VIII Make
Use of Power.
Women Who Vote Know Ex-
actIy What They Want.
FORCE RESPECT OF COLONEL
Progressive Women Resent
Tone of Blatch Speech.
Know the Game and VIII Play
to Finish.
FORCE RESPECT OF COLONEL
(BY IDA M. TARBELL)

Adams.)
Chicago, June Set there be no
Understanding by women or men of
that newest of political organizations
the Woman's party. 1t sailed into port
here-the purple and white and yellow
banners standing straight out to the
wind and such landing as it made. In
all this frantic uncertainty it is the
one clean, orderly definite piece of
work I have seen DONE 1t knows ex-
actly what it wants. Moreover it knows
the power.
For many weeks the women of the
Congressional union have been work
ing to this end-a party of women
voters, differed only by women who
vote-its regular and active member
ship made up of women who vote; its
slogan Suffrage first''-its Immediate
objective, the passing of the Susan
B. Anthony amendment" to the.
United States constitution enfranchis-
ing women.
Miss Martin Chairman.
Last night they crystallized into
permanent organization all their plan
ming and their thought. 1t was as
clean and complete a bit of organiza-
ton as 1 ever saw carried out 1t did
not matter bit in the general smooth
ness of the effect that the permanent
er passing motion that the nomina-
ton be closed the nominee slated Miss
Anna Martin of Nevada to take her
post. She came in on schedule time
and there was no doubt from the min
ute she lifted the gavel that she was
all right
But there was only one little Incl
dent in the whole program to make
one doubt for a moment that there
was any possibility of their not stick
ing. Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch
spoke Roosevelts name in tone
just a tone-that was not to the liking
of certain Progressive women. They
cut her short in storms of applause
and when she was allowed to go on
she repeated the name in a tone of
chastened respect. But it made one
see how much of trouble may be
ahead.
Mrs. Blatch Stirred Women.
Not even the most obdurate of anti
suffragists could have heard Mrs.
Blatch last night without being moved
She has been so long a warrior for
votes for women that to see her stand
at last before a national body of wom-
en- voters, to find herself addressing a
group which actually holds the po-
litical balance of power in presidential
elections. if it can be swung solidly-
sure it stirred your blood
1t was Mrs. Blatch alone that came
anywhere near putting into the meet
ing any emotional sense of the many
they have undertaken. AS a whole it
lacked fire-but it had several other
things more important and without
which the biggest flame would die out.
one of the these is the fresh blood.
There is no escaping the fact that the
suffrage movement has until recently
lacked really good new blood.
The work has fallen on a few tried
and true old souls who much as they
are respected and loved, could not fit
their weapons to the day. The women
who make the Woman's party are not
campaigners for suffrage-they are
women who have the suffrage-some
of them were born to it They talk
in terms of politics. Work with po-
litical weapons. They know the game
they like it-and they are not afraid
to play it.
Understand the Game
Take a woman like Miss Martin OF
Nevada or Mrs. Mackrille of Cali
fornla, there are a few men who I'M
derstand better just how it is done
They have made it their business to
find out by weeks of observation and
lobbying in Washington and in their
own states They told the audience
just why and how their belo ved
amendment had been side-tracked.
They proved by the keenest analysis
just what they could do if the voting
women of the country will stand solid.
1t is very refreshing to hear all this
instead of the old self-pity and talk of
slavery. That is all forgotten. They
are too busy with the game. AS far
as the vote is concerned they have it
and cannot pity themselves for lack
of it They do not use the word
slave" at all.