Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-05-07

II was In this year that Miss Alice PAU ana
Miss Lucy Burns identified themselves with the
national association. Miss Paul was made chair
man of the congressional committee and Miss
Burns her chief assistant. The former, young.
pale faced girl. third woman suffrage fighter
Of American Quaker stock had served term
In Holloway Jail for her militant activities under
the guidance of Mrs. Emmellne Pankhurst, then
the head of the Women's Social and Political
union of Great Britain.
Miss Paul and Miss Burns did not long re-
main with the national association. They organ
lied the Congressional union on lines similar to
those on which the Pankhurst organization was
formed In 1916 this became known us the Ma
tOnal Womans party.
The Woman's party leaders, the "picketing suf-
fragjSts' as they were often called began TO
work for the passage Of the eighteenth amend
ment, hut they followed nm entirely different
course They adopteu militant tactics. they staged
the spectacular. Their success lay in a psyche
Logical analysis of mems character hitherto NOT
considered in the suffrage campaign. They nm
derstood the dislike almost fear that men have
Of being ridiculed And the Womans party lead
erS played on that fear They caused scnalors
and representatives to be laughed at ana rld-
culed whenever they could and they did not
draw the line at the president
The Woman's party organizers went to prison.
and Miss Paul was forcibly fed. Her followers
were ready and willing TO submit TO the same
treatment. Many of them did 20 to Occoquan
whore they were treated like ordinary prisoners
They told Of their treatment in detail after they
were released and later they organized the "Pris.
on Special train which toured the country
and carried most Of the women who had been i'm.
priSoncd for having pcketed the White House.
Both organizations have had representatives
In each of the states where the eighteenth amend.
melt was to come before the state legislature,
whether in regular or special session.
The League of Women Voters has been crltI. |
cized as tending to keep women out of the par. |
ties. AT the Chicago convention Mrs. Gait said
in reply:
For GO years we have been appealing TO the
parties for the vote Is it possible for MS now 70
remain outside Of those parties and obtain the
things we wish without pettlonlng them?
IF we are still to be petitioners. what was the
idea of getting the vote?
More and more the parties are becoming the
powers In this country, Instead of appealing to
them 1t Is better TO get on the inside and get the
things you desire
You'll discover that your Illusions will be
shattered and If you are not careful, you'll be
lulled into the satisfaction Of having reached the
political penumbra' where most of the men nre
But II you keep going you'll find a little denser
thing farther on. That Is the numbra' In that
you'll find the men who are doing things, form.
ing the platform, directing the policies You will
not be so welcome there, but that Is the place 10
20. You'll find the real thing In the center, with
the door locked tight. You will have to open It."
OF the long, hard struggle for woman suffrage,
Mrs Gait said In part
I'VE should be glad and grateful today. but
more. we should be proud-proud that the years
of organized endeavOr have been clean construc.
tive, conscientious.
I'm every corner It sowed the seeds Of Justice
and trusted to time TO bring the harvest. II has
aided boys In high schools with their ESSAYS In
debates and later heard their confident votes of
yes in legislatures. Reporters assigned TO our
Washington conventions went on the first dav
with contempt and ridlcue in their hearts but
went out the last day won TO our cause and later
became editors of newspapers and spoke TO thou
sands in our behalf through influential editorial
columns Little girls came to our meetings lis.
tened and accepted and later as mature women
became intrepid leaders.
During these years II has rarely had so
aired officer and even then she has been pald less
than her earning capacity elsewhere. II has
been an army of volunteers who have estimated
no sacrifice too great. service too difficult
1T has had great. peerless women In lts ranks !
all down the decades Brave Abigail Adams with
her gentle threats of rebellion Ernestine Rose
striving for property rights for women. Ably
Kelly fighting for free speech against mob
armed with rotten eggs. The Grimke sisters pro. !
testing against taxation without representation.
Silver-voiced Lucy Stone lacking up her own ,
handbills for meetings of her own arrangement
DR.. Elizabeth Blackwell pretending not 10 ,nre
although the women of Geneva scorned Der The :
first woman medical student. .
"Very gentle and winsome Antoinette Brown :
standing unmoved before the convention of cler !,
gymen transformed into dlsorderly mob because !.
n woman had been duly elected delegate n !
their temperance convention. :
elizabeth Cady Stanton. with her matcnless !
state papers. Glorious Susan B. Anthony whose ,
indomltabe will kept things stirring For 10 wears
and more. And greatest Of them ali. with her :
gifts, Anna howard Shaw, !