Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-23


Mrs. John Bsl1h' recent attack on
wonan suffrage in one CT he Five
Minute Taibs by National Leaders"
has called forth a reply from Mrs Ida
Hustled Harper. the New York suffrage
leader IN the following interesting
letter Il Editors of International News
Service newspapers.
BY Ida Hustled Harper.
Editorial Chairman. leslie Suffrage
Dear Sir AS woman suffrage is .
live subject just now, se trust that
yea may find space Tor comment on
the article by Mrs John Balch. presi.
deHt Of The Massachusetts Anti-Suf.
fflge Association under the heading
Whenever We Work. We Win. -
which was intended to show that the
many suffrage victories Of recent
FEARS were entirely due to the fact
that there Was little If any organ
iged opposition. This. she SAYS,
scarcely existed prior to -s12 be.
cause Of the feeling that anything so
obviously fallaciaus as woman sui.
frage could not grow; that the com.
mon sense Of the people would pre-
vent its further extension without
any organized movement 10 combat il.
From 1896 10 1910 no State was added
to the suffrage column"
The student OF history will find
that during those fourteen years no
moral or ethical questions of any
nature scored victory The Govern
ment of the United States was entire.
ly of n business or commercial char.
acter. High tarin was at flood tide
The greatest trusts" or combinations
of capital sprang up and fourished
that ever have been known. The peo.
PIE had become indifferent OF dis.
couraged and the party machines"
ruled with strong hand. The saf.
fragists themselves we're not well or.
g4nized and had very little money to
carry on their work
During these fourteen years amend.
ments for full suffrage were sub
mittel in only three States -Oregan.
South Dakota and Washington and
were defeated In alI.reeeiving prac-
tically no assistance from any politi.
cal party.
In 1910 the notable "insurgent"
movement in Congress took place.
which. although directed against the
aut0cratic domination Of The speaker,
soon spread throughout the Western
part OF the country as a revolt Of the
people against the conditions de-
scrihed above. This was first made
manifest in the State of Washington
In various kinds Of advanced legisla-
ton. and its leaders. believing that
these could not become permanent
without The political support Of wo-
men. had an amendment submitted
and used their influence for its accept.
ance by the voters, II was not car
ried with a small percentage of the
voters participating" as Mrs Balch
says, but by large majority of o.
623 in favor, In some counties two
to one and in others three to one.
This "insurgent' movement ut once
became very strong in California un
der the leadership of Governor Hiram
Johnson and the Legislature sub.
nitted a number Of Progressive meas
ures, woman suffrage among them. A
large vote was cast on all Of them,
and the one for suffrage was more bit
terly contested than any other Out
Of 246,4S7 votes, it received major
itey of nearly 5000, principally from
Southern California and the country
districts, San Francisco ana Oakland
giving biz majority against it.
Mrs Baleh says in 1919 with an
equ0i dl@piay oi indifference, Oregan,
Arizona and Kansas became double
suffrage States. With these gains
cane the realization that we were
allowing suffrage to win by default"
Far from a display Of indifference,
there was a spirited campaign in all
Ct these States and alarge vote The
amendment carried in Kansas BY d
majority OF over 5000; in Oregan by
nearly 5000, and in Arizona it re-
revoye9 majority in every county in
the state The Womans Anti.suf.
farEe Association in every State put