The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-04
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Suffrage "Getting Somewhere


 To the Editor of The Age Herald: We are in receipt of your paper of the 2Srd with an editorial entitled Views Expressed By the Womans Protest" in which you review the comment of that organ of the anti-suffra gists on the re- cent siege of the White House. That is
 now ancient history, as you say. Pub licity was evident the object of the
 women who conducted the siege as they
 could not possibly have hoped to ad-
 vance the cause of woman suffrage by
 such a performance. The newspapers
 played their game by devoting hundreds
 of editorials to the "picketing,' almost without an exception. condemning it, but,
 according to the statements of the wom- en themselves, they did not care how they were mentioned just so they and their cause were kept in the limeight. The protest in devoting over a page to their actions simply re-echoed the daily press and contributed further to the joy of the 'picketers.
 The only point in which we are inter- ested is the comment of the protest, which you quote that this siege offered additional proof that women are temper amentally unfitted to vote.'' This spec tacular performance as well as the low ering of the banner in the House of Representatives while the President WIS addressing Congress, was the work of a small group known as the Congressional union, believed to comprise about ? or 3 per cent of the enrolled suffragists of the country. The National association, organized in 1869, always nonpartsan and nonmiltant, and representing the re- mainder, was as strongly opposed to this demonstration as any of the anti-suffra- gists possibly could have been. It is un- der the auspices of this association that all of the suffrage which women now possess in the United States has been gained and it believe that the present ad- vanced status of the movement is due to its sane and constitutional methods. If one is to judge by this immense body of women, supposed to have a member ship of about 1000, ,000 he must admit that some women are temperamentally fit to vote
 You say: With Solidarity of sex as a creed and poster the President as a lpolicy, the suffragists, according to the Protest, are not getting anywhere" No one condemned the forming of the so- called woman's party by the Congress sional union last summer in Chicago more severely than the leaders of the National association. They held that there could be no such thing as solidarity of sex and that it would be impossible to corral the women voters for any candidate or any party. The results of the election showed the correctness of this belief. as | the two states containing nearly one-half | of the women voters-Iillinois and Ore gon-gave majority for Hughes, and the ! others a majority for Wilson.
 It is a somewhat amazing statement that "the suffragists are not getting l anywhere Since January the state of North Dakota gave women vote for presidential electors and municipal suf- frage, and submitted a constitutional amendment to be voted on next year The state of Ohio gave woman vote for
 presidential electors The state of In- l diana gave presidential and municipal 1 suffrage to women. also the right to vote l for delegates to a constitutional conven- | tion, sit in that body, and to vote on the new constitution. The legislature of Arkansas gave full suffrage to women at the primary election, which is equivalent 1 to the complete franchise. as the election merely ratifies the result of the prima- ries in that state. Maine, Oklahoma and South Dakota have submitted constitu- tional amendments for woman suffrage to be voted on next year. Suffrage bills Of various kinds are still pending in sev-
 eral legislatures.
 l The suffrsgists really seem to be get | ting somewhere and getting there pretty l fast Very truly yours, IDA BUSTED HARPER. Chairman National Suffrage Press Com mittee.
 New York. March 30, 1917.