New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
Suffrage Society
Explains Origin of
Picketingg Tactics

In the minds Of the general public,
a suffragist is a suffragist regardless
of any party she may be affiliated
with. Hence, considerable misappre-
hension has resulted in connection
with the National American Woman
Suffrage Association and the Nation
al Woman's Party. Members of the
former association have never counte-
nanced what they call the drastic
Party. In order clearly to define it's
position the National American Won
an Suffrage Association has issued
the following statement, setting forth
the difference between it and the Ma
tional Woman's Party:
"The National American Woman
Suffrage Association was born of that
universal upheaval for human liberty
which rocked Europe and America in
the middle of the last century.
ats present organization is fifty
years old, having been begun in 1869
for furthering the Federal woman suf-
frage amendment by orderly political
methods.
at is and always has been strictly
-partisan-perhaps pan-partisan is
the better term, since its adherents
have belonged to all the large political
bodies Of the country.
Platform of One Plank
at is American in spirit and in fact.
While as an organization its platform
has had but one plank-votes for wom-
en--it has, through it's important men,
bershp, been allied with every advance
in human freedom.
"Only four women have served in its
presidential chair.
"Its first president was Mrs. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, who served from 1869 to
1892, and its second, Susan B. Anthony,
who served from 1892 to 1900. Miss
Anthony was succeeded by Mrs. Gait,
who served from 1900 to 1904. She was
succeeded by DR.. Anna Howard Shaw,
who served from 1904 to 1915, when
Mrs. Gait was again made president
"The early membership of the asso-
citation comprised such women's names
as Julia Ward Howe, Lydia Maria Child,
Frances Willard and Clara Barton. 1t
was supported by great men-great
Americans-like Wendell Phillips,
George William Curtis, Senator George
Hoar and Theodore Roosevelt
"The association has followed Ameri-
can precedents in its method Of gaining
the ballot for women. 1t has openly
canvassed politicians and voters; it has
refrained from adopting customs an
tagonistic to American standards. Every
inch gained by the association through
out it's state branches has been by means
OF open and above board appeals to the
voters. The association is, in short, a
growth indigenous to America.
Allied With International
"Thc National American Woman Suf-
frage Association has closely knit
organization. Its structure is that Of
the federation of states. 1t is made up
Of various state branches with freedom
Of action. but with representatives in
:. national governing body It's mem
bcrship is easily computablc, being
about 100000 throughout the country.
1t is also an auxiliary TO the Intcrna-
tional Woman Suffrage Alliance, or
2anized in 1904, Of which Mrs Cntt is
also president.
"The association has maintained per-
manent national headquarters in Wash
ington since 1919. /. maintains q ma
tional press service. It's official organ
Is the weekly Woman Citizen the
most significant adventure in journal
ism ever undertaken III an adjunct Of
the woman movement. It's research de-
partment has n completc existing IL
brary Of current information concern
ing womnn's progress throughout the
world
"For years IL has conducted cam
paigny for suffrage by state rcfercnda.
In the result l2,500000 women have
been sufficiently cnfranchiscd to vote
for the ntxt President Of the United
States. Fifteen stafcs have full woman
zuarage, four have Presidential and
municipal suffrage for women, three
nave Presidential, two have primary