The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-11
BY VIVIAN PIERCE,
ny WV Inn EIE1hkO11'
[of San Francisco, organizer for Congress
sional Union and one Of the nrst Of
the nfclxets


sional Union and one Of the FIRST OF
the pickets.1
Picketing q President is more diff
dcult and more exciting than just the
ordinary picketing that you used to
do. Before 1 began picketing Presi-
dent Wilson I thought picketing
! very monotonous job. 1t is full OF
thrills.
For four solid years the Congress
sional Union for Woman Suffrage had
worked steadily to change the Presi-
dents mind on Federal suffrage. Fol
lowing the death Of Inez Milholland,
following a campaign in the West
| that had aroused women throughout
the country, President Wilson re-
verted to his original position on suf-
frage. He said he could advance no
further than his party. He had said
that to suffragists over three years
ago. Long ago we gathered the I'M
| preston that the party, followed tine
President and not the President the
party.
Decided to Picket President.
So we decided to picket the Presi-
dent. We wanted, in his own words
of yesterday, "to concert public opin-
ion." 1 believe that we have con-
certed a good deal Of it today, our
FIRST day of picSeting the White
House.
1t was a pretty cold day to begin.
After the first hour the romantic
ideas we had concerning a militant
picketing were somewhat cooled. The
pavement got colder and colder at
the rate OF about five degrees an
hour. But we had our rewards. I am
from California, and had considered
| that the only demonstrative human
nature was Western human nature.
Far from il.
The women of Washington want
to picket. They came up to us and
volunteered to take our cold jobs.
Since we are to be on the job for
nearly sixty, days. until the Conven-
| ton OF the Congressional Union on
March 2, 3. and 4. there will be plen-
ty of chance for these volunteers. The
only persons who were not impressed
| visibly by the Congressional Union
picket were President Wilson and Sec
Rotary Tumulty. They are difficult
to impress.
Wilson Gases stoniIy Ahead.
Imagine it for yourself. There are
two great gates at the White House,
the east gate and the west gate. Each
gate leads to the main entrance and
its army OF plain-clothes and uni
formed police. We took up our posi-
tions at both these gates, wearing the
purple, white and gold regalia Of the
union, and carrying banners. There
were three pickets on each side the
gate, three voters and three unen-
| franchised women. Each central pick
ct carried a great banner lettered:
I Mr.. President, What Are You Going
To Do About Suffrage?' As guard
to the central picket, the outer pickets
carried the great tri-colored banners
of the union.
When we took up our station at ten
in the morning they told US that tho
President was out playing golf. When
he came back half an hour later he
must have seen us long before he got to
that gate. It is hard not TO see the
Congressional Union banners. He
gazed stonily ahead. however. and Sec
rotary Tumuity did the same. Just as
the Federal amendment has been non-
existent to them all these years, so was
our purple, white and gold picket. But
we concerted enough public opinion to
make up for this.
| Indians Fiad -suffs" Pretty.
Our first excitement was the entry
into the grounds Of a delegation OF
Sioux Indians. They had come to caIl
on the Great White Father. I believe
that is the title Secretary Lane uses
for the President when he admits these
Indians to citizenship. They wore theiI
hair in braids twisted with bright col
ors, and feathers in their hats. As they
went In our gate they stopped to look
at. the bright colored pickets and said
in very creditable English: Some
pretty girls"
rather wondered IL the reception
that the President gave the Indians
! was quite as chilly as the one W.
got THE other day. However, MIS-
Margaret Wilson passed our gate sew
eral times, and her smile, and appaT
ent interest somewhat made up fol
her fathers lack OF interest. BY tn
| time the picket is over we may hav'
concerted enough public opinion q
| make the President and Mr.. Tumult!
smile also.
VIII Resort To Mild stImuIants.
In the meantime the utilitarian sid
of our long job is being worked on
by us on the picket line itself. w
have the coolest months in Washing
ton to live through, and all OF us ar
going back to headquarters tonigh
to read histories of the arctic explor
ers. We will probably come back to
morrow equipped with gum drops
sweet chocolate, and other stimulanI
Of that kind. We are thinking OF or