The Washington herald., 1917-05-13
DEFENDS SUFFRAGE WORK.
Leader Insists Struggle for vote
Can't BE Dropped.


Editor The Washington Herald: In
reading the reports Of the recent hearing
given by the Senate Woman Suffrage
committee to the representatives of the
Anu-sunrage Association. we notice that
they make three points Mrs. James
Wadsworth urges that at least during
the war suffrage agitation be abandoned,
and says that "the discord among Amer
ican women on this subject should with
other discords be laid aside during the
war"
In Mrs. Wadsworth's own State of New
YORK the legislature has submitted q suf-
frage amendment to be voted on in No
vember. Does she think that the suf-
irag1sts should drop all work for its suc-
cess at this critical time and allow II to
be lost by default, as It certainly would
be II no campaign for II was made. The
same situation exists in Maine, where a
suffrage amendment will go to the voters
september 10. As II could not be re-
submitted for two years the women
could hardly be expected TO make no ef-
fort for its success.
The bills for Presidential suffrage
which have been acted upon favorably
by seven States during the present year
were all introduced in the legislatures
before the United States entered into the
war and when the coast was clear for
such action. As they will not meet again
until 1919, 1t was necessary to follow the
bills up until a vote had been taken. In
fact. this would have been done by the
legislators themselves even IL the women
had ceased their efforts.
So far as Congress Is concerned, the
suffragists have only consumed enough
time for one committee hearing and the
"antis" have done the same. As action
at this session is very unlikely, the lat
ter would have been quite safe in post
poning their hearing II they felt that
every moment OF their time should be
given to military work. As a matter of
fact the surfragists have been able to do
what was necessary for their own meas
ure and at the same time to respond to
the demands Of the government to quite
as large an extent as any other organ
ization of women in the United States,
and, because of their large number, pos
sibly 10 a much greater extent.
Mrs. Arthur NJ. Dodge, president of
the National Anu-Suffrage Association,
made the second argument, namely, that
but a small minority of American women
want the vote. The only answer which
1t Is necessary to make is to cite the un-
questionable fact that almost every large
organization of women in the country,
no matter what its object, has adopted
q lt9pltAlOll III AdNOl VI "Oilldl age.
These organizations have a membership
of many millions and comprise a large
majority of the women who are inter
ested in the religious, intellectual, patri-
otic, civic and social work of their vari-
Gus communities. Not one association
of women in the United States, with the
exception OF Mrs. Dodge's own. has ever
passed a resolution in opposition to
woman suffrage. There is not a particle
OF evidence to prove that the suffragists
are minority, but, on the contrary, all
that can be produced shows that they
are an immense majority.
The third argument, as quoted. was
made by Miss Minnie Bronson, a field
worker. that "if American women earn
estly wanted the vote they could get 1t
quickly through their husbands" They
certainly could not, II, like the speaker,
they were Miss instead of Mrs. She evil
IDENTIFY did not consider her sisterhood Of
spinsters.
After hearing the strong and logical
arguments in favor OF woman suffrage
by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. president
of the national association; Representa-
tive Jeanette Rankin and a number Of
the ablest Senators in Congress, the COM
mittee was not likely to be profoundly
impressed by those of the anti-sufrra-
gists. IDA Hustled HARPER.
Editorial Chairman Leslie Suffrage Bu-
reau