The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-10-27
SWEEPING DRIVE.
BE8IN.BI LEAGUE
0FMNEH Voters
IsE Ai4'l = 7
Fourteen Conferences to Be
Held in Thirteen
States.
10 Speed RATIFICATION
pnblic to Be Asked to Help
Secure Special ses-
sions.

800 ii wide-sweeping drive on
{I,e mart Of the National American
Woman Suffrage Association and the
League Of Women Voters IN tne 1n es,t
Sof ratification Of the Federal s sN,-
fIage amendment. This drive mas tak-
~ the form a series OF fourteen con
5ersuces in thirteen different states,
manly full suffrage states OF the Faf
Vest
Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait. president
X tbe National American Woman SUI
vage Association, left New York on
Wednesday with her lieutenants loI
series Of conferences, Wnlcn ID @tt
eaFnest, she says, that the League os
women Voters is about to become an
immediate force in the country, an
vent which will be precipitated py
fsfiffeation Of nineteen more states.
- sure is this ratification, she pc
Iieves. that the complete state-py-
40 organization Of the league can
IN he longer delayed, but must ar
SaI,Re setailsl Of its futore program.
The preliminary conference IN en-.
cago was welcomed by the Cmcaso
women. Mrs. Catherine WAGON NC
EFIloch. the lawyer who drafted the
idantial suffrage bill, the metnod
q enfranchising women for presiden-
tSai elections and for such other cleo
iye privileges as were not constl-
iiitionally defined, and who is general
III known as the mother OF partial
s .snfffaee.n address the conference on
the Need Of Standardized Laws iO4
Men and Women" q.
Ar Mitchell in South Dakota the
second conference was held on Octo-
I5st az and rs. This constituted the
entrance into full suffrage territory
foF the purpose Of lining up women
voters as a unified force for the dell
5ite purpose, first, of completing the
yafiffcation Of the Federal Suffrage
amendment in the early part OF lSzV,
and second, bettering the cond1tlons
n citizenship in the United States.
10 attain the first object OF inc con
ference, the general public is to pc ap7
pealed to to urge the calling OF speclsi
sessions in those states which VIII
have no regular legislative session un-
1921. Several full suffrage states
ara 81 this list. The, attitude OF their
toyefnors and legislators has been al
moss uniformly responsive to the plea
n The Ma ional American Woman SUI
rae Association for the special SEES
SIM. There is no question, accordinb
Is Mrs. Gait, but that, following tnelr
lead, the legislatures OF these states
would emulate the example OF those
az other full suffrage states which have
ratified the amendment unanimously.
ME only obstacle to the special ses-
lon ii the enfranchised states is the
occasional local point Of view, which
DOES not recognize the Federal SUI
ffSee amendment as national ques-
ION and argues against the calling OF
special session because Of the cost,
f,eeafise t'the women Of the state al
rdy have the vote" because OF rear
that Ill considered legislation VIII re-
sult or for other reasons not MADE
nu6iic. It is believed by the National
fliat this point of view will be COM
nleEeIy dissipated by the direct pre-
enta ton Of the situation to the peo-
gof tile full suffrage states through
the medium OF the conferences.
% fthe thirteen states to cooperate
Ia these conferences only two, Illinois
ana New Mexico, fall short of complete
Suffrage for women. While Illinois Is
not full suffrage state, 1t has the dis
Inction OF being the first state in the
union to gain presidential and parnal
siftrage.
rhe itinerary Of the conferences aft
~ Mitchell. is as follows: Minneapo-
is. MINI, October %, 90 and 80; Seat
liz. wash, November /, 2, 8 and q;
Portland, Oregon, November B; Boise,
Idaho. November and s; Laramie,
Wyoming, November 10, II and IL;
Denver, Colorado, November 1S, Il
and is Salt Lake City Utah, Novem-
her lie, az, IS and 10; Reno, Nevada
November 20 and 81; San Francisco,
November %, "a and %; LOST
ANGELES, Cal, November %, %, 20 and
30 Phoenix, Arizona, December and
q Albuquerque, New Mexico, Decem-
he's and 5.
AZ all of the fourteen conferences
mere will be two in California Mrs.
Gait will speak in person on the gem
eFal work Of the league and its needs.
Her address, wake Up America" is
challenge to both men and women
citizens to use their votes for bet
tef America, It is also an appeal for
wifi ratification Of the Federal Suf-
amendment, So that all the
Amertcaniztng forces Of women may
he brought to their highest efficiency.
The program used In Chicago is typ
of the rest of the conferences,
which viii usually occupy several days.
Tie morning session was opened by
Ms. Gait with the introduction Of the
mo main themes: what is the
iie of Women Voters, and Why?';;
Ratification Of the Federal Suffrage
Alnendment.n This was followed by a
nresentation Of the League Of Women
voters specific plans under their for
mai committees, which are as follows:
American Citizenship, chairman, Mrs.
Frederick P. Bagley; Protection of
Women IN Industry, chairman, Mrs.
RAYMOND Robins; Child Welfare,
hairnan, mrs, Percy ". Penny hacker;
IMPROVEMENT "a Election Laws and
nethods Social BY iene chairman,