Evening star., 1917-03-05
BIG CAMPAIGN FUND
PLEDGED BY WOMEN
Suffragists Raise $50,843
With Which to Promote
Federal Amendment.
SOLIDARITY THE SLOGAN

Pledges Of money amounting to $50. .84s
with which to carry on the campaign for
a federal amendment to the Constitution
granting woman suffrage were made by
members and friends of the National
Woman's Party at a suffrage mass meet
ing held last night at the New National
Theater. They range from 81 subscrip-
tions. collected by the stage hands and
turned over to Miss Fola La Toilette, to
$4,000, pledged in a telegram from Mrs.
o. H. P. Belmont of New York. who was
i'll and unable to attend the meeting.
The District of Columbia branch pledged
$1,000 through its chairman, Mrs. w.
Thompson Burch.
The meeting was presided over by Miss
Lucy Burns of New York, in place OF
Miss Anne Martin of Nevada, who was
unable to be present The speakers in
ciuded Miss Lucy Burns. who, with Alice
Paul and a capital of $40. started the
campaign for the federal suffrage amend
ment here in Washington four years ago
Miss Maud Younger of California, Mrs
Florence Bayard Hilles of Delaware. Rev
Allan McCurdy of New York and Miss
Fola La Toilette of Wisconsin. Miss Vida
Mlholand sang the ''Woman's Marseil-
laise.'
Plea Made for Solidarity.
Until an emergency arises" SAID
Miss Burns. I'VE women must con-
tinue our fight for political liberty
The situation in the United States is
not analogous to that in England
There the nation Is stripped for a life
and death struggle. 1t is hardly con-
ceivable that such an emergency car
arise in America. But If circumstance
so change the conduct of women will
change to meet them.
TN asking a share in their govern
ment American women seek only op-
portunity for more complete service
Whether enfranchised or unenfran-
chised. what women do in the future
will be in exact keeping with what
they have always done in the past
namely: work for the country in count
less efficient directions. But the most
effective service is impossible without
political freedom"
Appeals for United Effort.
Speaking of the purpose of the
woman's party, Miss Hilles. national
chairman. said:
"As members of the woman's party
we are loyal to suffrage first, what
ever our belief and our work as to
this time of all others. with an inter-
national crisis impending, it is the
truest patriotism so to serve our coun-
try that all the people, men and women
both. may be free. and as enfranchised
citizens do our part to protect and
serve our common country"
Mrs. Fola La Toilette Middleton,
daughter of Senator La Folette of Wis
eonsin. and wife 9f George Middleton.
for freedom for women. She said. in
part:
Men have won their liberty by revo-
lutions. by countless deeds of violence
and many crimes. Women are winning
theirs through a bloodless evolution
which spills no blood and takes toll of
no lives but their own.
''The nation needs the service of its
women. Their request for enfranchise-
ment Is not selfish clamor for privilege.
They ask freedom in order that power
velop them. They ask liberty that they
may more adequately serve"
Power of the President" Topic.
Miss Maud Younger Of California re-
viewed the past administration and
spoke of the encroaching power of the
President over Congress, a power that
rests largely upon the power of ap-
pointments. She told of President Will
sons use of this power to force various
measures through Congress, and of the
efforts of the women to get him to use
this power in behalf of the Susan B.
Anthony suffrage amendment.
AT any time during the past Con-
gress had President Wilson given the
word" said Miss Younger, "the amend
ment would have gone through. During
the campaign it was widely proclaimed
that the President believed in the fed
eral amendment. After the campaign
we were led to believe he was ready to
declare for 1t. But he did not give the
word, and today at noon his first ad-
ministration came to an end with the
women of the nation still unenfran-
chised.
I'VE were not willing that the Presi-
dent should shift this responsibility to
lead his party on the great question of
the right of self-government for wo-
men, So the picket line went out be-
fore the White House to focus attention
upon his responsibility. Day by day
as the silen. senttnels stood before his
gates the country knew that 1t was up
to the President to say the word.
There is always some reason given
by the powers that be as to why women
should not press for political freedom,
In war the greatest danger I ould come
not from foes to the nation without.
but from enemies to democracy within.
With the centralized authority of war
comes the greatest danger to ideals of
democracy. Now of all times let wo-
men keep the fires of liberty burning,