The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-09-19
REAFFIEMs RESOLUTION EXPRESS
ING DISAPPRovAL OF WASH
INGTON TACTICS.
Joins with National American Woman
outrage Association In Repu-
dating Picketing.

Owing to the continued misnpprehen-
sion on thc part Of some nf the public
az to the stand taken by tho league on
picketing. tho Ohio County Equal SUI
fragc League At n meeting held Mon
day night ut It's headquarters Mt 1871
ChApline street. reaffirmed the resolu-
ton. passed some time ago. expressing
disapproral Of the tactics employed by
tho Washington pickcts.
The National American Woman Suf-
rragr Association. with which the Ohio
County Equal Suffrage League Is az
! lliated. has through Its president Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait. openly repudtated
! ricketinG time and again. but an edi-
torlal in the Woman Citizen explains
| the position Of tho association. and Incl
dcntally of the local organization. in
| such unmistnknbe terms. that 1t Is bet
| ter to quote il than TO further enlarge
Upon the subject:
The National American Woman Suc-
| frage Association. comprising the great
body OF organized suffragists the
| country over. d"plorcs az absurd. Ill
| timed and susceptible OF grave and de-
moralizinG susp,t Ion. the tactics OF the
isolated handful Of suffraRists at thu
national capital who think to advance
the cause OF suffrage by dcmonstra-
| lions like tile recent banner episodes at
| tho White House.
| Is that plain?
The National American Woman Suf-
frage Association likewise dcplores rs
unfair the was,eful the reiterated de-
mands upon 1t from friend and foe OF
suffrage alike TO 'repudiate, de-
! nounce," state Its position on the sub
ject." l, can. apparently. repudiate Hno
dcnounce and stale itR position I'LL the
| crack OF duum and stu be left at the
mercy of clamorGrs for more dcnuRca-
! tons and moro regulations. These
| clamorors particularly those who are
suffragists. could be about bigger
business than such tootless lnsistcnce.
Concerned as It IS with great coll
| structivc forward-looking. forward
leaplng program for furthcrinS the sur
frage cause :he National American
| WomAn Suffrage Association deplorrS
having It's time energies and attention
constantly DETECTED 10 offset the Of
fccts OF publicity tactics with which II
il not and neve: has been In sympathy
and which II has cmphatically con-
demned and never condoncd.
Is that plain"
And now
! The National American Women SUI
| frage Association wants 10 point out
that II is not blind. Il the rlamorers
are to the fact that every time 1t con-
! cedes to the clamor 1t is but playing
! the publicity game INTO the hands OF
the small group Of sufrragists to whose
campaign publicity is fundamental.
For where agitation is the watchward
| publicity Is tho achievement.
Can It not be understood once and
for all, by sufIragists. by press. and
10
House tactics OF The picketers arc but Il
detail OF a publicity campaign which
| sufrragists and press and general pub
| lie irnmeasurably further BY the atten-
ton which thcy enter upon IT? tTho
| lady from Missouri who tore down the
! pickets banner built up the pickcts
! publicity as no picket and no banner
could have done
Not all such publicity aids arc hostile
in their animus. There is. no question
| that men are encouraging the small
group that is committed to picket ta'-
| tics The grown-ups encourage for
ward child whose antics arc plaGuins
other grown-ups so do men Of other
| wise liscriminativc Intelligence encour-
age the banner bearers.
And despite an increasingly fine BAL
| ance OF Judgment on the part or editorS
and reporters. there is no question mat
the attitude of c part Of the press Is
an ENCOURAGEMENT. From the viewpoint
! Of news u defy To the president OF the
United States. even Haunted on pretty
| little purple and sold banner. Is highly
! available "front-phgc stuff and thera
Is tho gayest and fr!endllest OF under-
! standings between many newsmen ana
| tho banncr-beareTS.
While VIZ arc placing the blame.
| therefore, let us divide il fairly ana
souurely---none IT all to the suffrage
Cause, none to the organized suffraEisls
| who resent having that cause drawn
| into such fracaSca--and one pnrt 10 INC
| pickets who incitC these ructlons, one
part 10 the press that spreads The story
| in tho way mos: calculated to make
prolonged sensation OF 1t. and one
| part to the public that thrills humanl!
| over it's own shocks.
It Is u fact that there remains IN
America one man who has known eX-
actiy the right attitude TO take and
| maintain toward the pickels. 4 "hin-
steal smile slightly puckered at thG
roots By Il sense of the ridiculous
polite bow-and tor the rest complete
! ignoring of their existence. he hap
mems 10 b. the man around whom tho
little wh!rlwind whirIs. the president or
| the United States.
The National American Woman Suf-
frace Association respectfully urges the
! rest of the country TO take example
| from him in It's emotional reaction |"