Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-10-09
A VERY INTEREST
ING meeting HELD
Hamilton County Suffrage Associa-
ton Holds Session in Uni
versalist Church.

Last Friday afternoon goodly
company of women met in the Uni
versalist church for the opening
meeting of the winter. of the Ham
ilton County Suffrage association.
In addition to the routine business
there were several matters of spe-
cial interest.
Officers elected for the ensuing
year were as follows:
President-Mrs. j. L. Kamrar.
First vice president-Mrs. 0. J..
Henderson.
Second vice president-Mrs. Ella
Burleson.
Secretary-Mrs.B B. o. Dubois.
Treasurer-Mrs. C. II. Clifton.
AS the annual convention of the
Iowa Suffrage association is to be
held in Des Moines this Tuesday
and Wednesday, the following Wo-
men were named as delegates: Mrs.
l.. A. McMurray, Mrs. o. j. Hender-
son. Mrs. r. B. Larrabee, Mrs. B. O.
Dubois, Mrs. j. G. Sullivan, Mrs. r.
A.. Boysen and DIR. Effie McCollum
Jones. Mrs. j.. L. Kamrar and sew
eral others will also be in attend
ance, as the sessions this year are
especially important.
Mrs. Sadie II. Passig had been en-
gagged as the principal speaker OF
the afternoon, but at the last min
ute she was unable to come, so DR..
Effie McCollum Jones, a former field
director of the National Suffrage
association, was called upon to fill
the place. AS she had not prepared
any set speech, DR.. Jones simply an
swered some of the questions which
are much in the minds Of people
generally just now.
First, the speaker stated very
clearly that the great national asso-
citation had no connection with the
woman's party, so called, which is
picketing the white house. but de-
plores this sort of activity and has
always used orderly methods in its
work. 1t was urged that every true
friend of woman suffrage get clear
understanding of the line Of divi-
sion between the woisocieties and
-s--t - ->s,---r 49,. 49,
and vastly larger organization is
wholly non-militant in its ideals
and practices and entirely loyal to
the country in this present crisis.
The recent statement of woman
in New York that women should
boycott the new liberty loan was
especially repudiated
Then, replying to the question as
to whether this is a proper time to
push suffrage activity, the speaker
made number of very enlightening
statements. She said that since we
are in this war 'to make the world
safe for democracy" it is a patriotic
duty to help toward a complete
democracy all over our own country
something that we do not have
while women in so large part of
the country are asking for the bal
lot. Moreover, Russia, England and
most of Canada have seen the neces-
sity for enfranchising their women
as a means to war efficiency, as well
as simple justice to those millions
of women who are rendering every
sort of patriotic service to their sew
eral countries. No woman in the
United States is neglecting war
work for suffrage, but while all 9th
er duties must be attended to, this
fundamental one of bringing our
country into line with the best
thought of the world in this great
matter should not be set aside.
The great gains already made
during the last year were outlined,
including the recent appointment of
a special committee on woman suf
frage in both houses of congress,
which forecasts the passage of an
amendment to the national cOnsti-
tuition before long, which is the log
ical way of completing this strug-
gle, However. if the federal amend
ment is passed at the next session
Of congress, it will still be neces-
sary to secure its ratification by the
legislatures of three-fourths of the
states before it becomes a law, SO
that the careful selection of candi-
dates for the Iowa legislature next
year was urged, so as to be sure of
favorable action upon any suffrage
legislation that may come up for
consideration. Many questions were
asked and answered at the end of
the talk
Pofpya tho ,Jin,rnod