Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-19
STORY Of STRUGGLE
MADE FOR SUFFRAGE
Account of Activities of Period
Dating From Susan B. An
thongs Young Womanhood.

The history Of the suffrage struggle now
nearing its successful end, began with the
suffrage activities of Susan B. Anthony.
Miss Anthony, whose father was n liberal
Quaker and man of such progressive
ideas that he educated his daughters TO
be self-supporting was even IN her youth,
Young woman Of independence. When
she WAS IL years old, she began 10 teach
school earning, besides her board, $l.50 n
week-excellent wages in those days, Tor q
woman.
Her first impulse toward the struggle
for ''women's rights" came from her work
IN the temperance movement, who're she
found that women were expected to he as
1tiring and self-effacing As IN all other
departments of life at that time. She was
an official delegate for instance, To n
temperance convention IN lS5S, and re-
ceived as such by the convention. When
she arose To speak To a motion, however,
the presiding officer remarked that "Ihe
sisters were not invited there to speak, but
10 listen and TO learn" Miss Anthony
forthwith left the convention with several
other women, forming womans State
temperance convention.
Her suffrage activities began after the
first "women's rights" convention ever
held in this country, IN Seneca Falls, y.
Y. IN lS4S. Almost at once she threw her
self whole heartedly into The fight, speak
ing and writing. pctitioning and organiz-
ing in almost every county IN New York.
Her campaign aroused much curiosity ut
the time, enlisted many converts, and iaid
the foundations for The network of suf-
frage organizations now covering every
State in the Union.
Samples Of editorial opinion called
forth by Miss Anthony's tours, indicate
the current attitude toward suffrage. one
editor thought her "nnwomaniy in person,
with rather coarse, rugged features and
masculine manners. Another, n miss OF
uncertain number Of years, more or lesSs
brains, slimsy figure, nut-crackcr face
and store teeth 4 third, however,
thought her a pure, generous, dcep-think-
ing woman
During the Civil War women were per
suaded, ia spite Of Miss Anthony s advice,
to give up their fight for justice on the
promise of men IN Congress that Justice
would be done them. After the Civil
War, when Justice was no nearer than II
had been before, Miss Anthony first at
tempted Ia secure Interpretation of the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
which would include women. In testing
Rochester, in 1872, was arrested fined but
not jailed. She thus became the inst
American suffragist to be arrested for her
principles, and the fOrerunrer OF the
hundreds Of later militants who suffered
arrest and imprisonment
In 1875 Miss Anthony drafted the
Federal suffrage amendment IN the form
IN which il passed Congress ln'19lo rs the
amendment 10 the Consut',-
tion. Ii was first introduced IN 1873 10y
Senator Sargent, of California, at her re-
quest.
After the introduction of the Federal /
State campaigns proceeded
side by side with agitation for Congres- /
sional action. So effective was this work |
that in 1912 women had won the right to |
vote In nine States.
With the addition of four suffrage
States in 1911 and 1912, women became a /
political factor of national Importance. |
Alice Paul at once urged upon suffrage |
leaders the wisdom Of again turning their !
Efforts 10 Federal action, and in 1913 |
the Congressional Union to
finance an intensive campaign by the
congressional committee Of the National
" oman Suffrage Association TO secure
passage oi the Federal suffrage amend
nent
Ia 1914 the Congressional Union be
'ame separate organization with one
jbject, the passage OF the Federal suf-
rage amendment. In 1916 women voters
we're organized into the National Womans
Party with the single plank, suffrage for
women
From 1916 to 1919 suffrage demonstra-
ions, picketing, suffrage special and
,ther spectacular events in the suffrage
were carried on 10y the womans
,arty Hundreds of women were arrested
nd jailed In the attempt to secure action
rom. the political party In power.
The net result of this campaign was the
,ictory of the amendment in Congress in
919 and It's submission TO the States for
crowning the efforts of Miss
Inthony with partial victory after 40
ears OF constant struggle since It's first
atyoIf4cfInn