Evening star., 1920-02-15
GET INTO PARTIES,
WOMEN ARE TOLD
BY LEAGUE HEAD
Mrs. Gait Urges Entry Into
timer Circles; Partisan
Feeling Shown.
ny tho Associated Press.

| CHICAGO. February 14.-After her
election as permanent convention
chairman of the congress of the
League of Woman Voters. meeting In
connection with the last annual gath
! ertng of the National American
Woman Suffrage Association, Mrs
Carrie Chapman Gait today outlined
the policies of the new organization
| and declared women should affiliate
| with the political parties.
MIS-. Cats keynote address came at
the concl usion Of the first session Of
the new league. at which the work Of
organization was begun.
Today's meetings were concluded
with a ratification celebration ban
quet tonight. at which prominent
suffrage workers addressed the 1000
delegates
There seems to be some misunder-
standing regarding the League of
Woman Voters" Mrs. Gait declared
IN addressing the new body. There
is evident opposition, largely political.
Must Get Into Politics.
Persons interested in enrolling
members in their political parties are
making rather cutting criticisms.
they think the league will keep
women out Of politics. That must not
De. For sixty years we have waited
LOT poiltical parties to give us the
Note: No state has given it until the
political parties had consented
Are we going to continue to petit
ton them as we always have done :?
If so what is the use of getting the
vote?
The only way to get things in
this country is from the inside of
the political parties. More and more
the parties have become the agencies
through which powerful things have
been accomplished. 1t is not a ques-
tion of whether it is right for us,
but rather realization of the fact
They are powerful.
why have the governors in the
west acted so Independently of the
woman voters? We expected that
they would call special sessions i'm
| mediately after the amendment had
passed. The reason is this: That the
ladies' auxiliary. There has been no
common body to exert an influence.
women must get into the parties.
Without. we should continue to be
auxiliaries. We've been sixty years
urging men to confide in the abilities
of women. Prove your capacities in
the parties.
Would Invade Inner Circles.
You have struggle ahead. There
are inner circles in the parties where
you will not be wanted, but it is just
there that you must go. There is a
danger, too, that you will be too
timid, too conservative. If you are go
| ing to trail along five years behind
the parties. it would be better that
| you never take up politics. Be five
years ahead"
Affairs of the league. 1t was decided.
would be in charge Of ten .iational di-
rectors elected for one year. Seven of
the directors would represent divisions
of the country and three would be
elected at large. The board of direc-
tors would elect a chairman, vice
chairman, secretary and treasurer,
and would meet annually in each Of
the seven districts.
A national manager also will be
chosen by the board cat a sufficient
salary to get the best available talent
in the country" An executive council
also was provided for, to be composed
and chairmen Of the standing com
mittees.
Partisan Spirit Evident.
Evidence Of partisan activity was
given repeatedly today. Four women,
although declared out of order by the
chairman, rose to insist that the word
mon partisan" be kept in sight. and
another delegate asked that "unparti-
san" be used in the permanent name
of the league. which is yet to be
chosen.
Following the morning session. at
which a resolution praising Will H.
Hays. chairman of the republican ma
tional committee, for aid rendered the
suffrage cause. was adopted. demo-
cratic adherents. especially delegates
from the southern states, complained
openly that the convention had been
packed with republicans.
Democratic women later introduced
a resolution thanking Homer Cum
mings, democratic national chairman,
for help he rendered their cause, and
1t, too, was adopted.