The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-07
AMERICA FLAYED
BY. MRS. GAIT
IN STUFF MEET.

GENEVA. juno 6.--Thc eighth CON
GreSs of the international Woman Suf
frage Alliance war opened this morning
with a sermon delivered in Geneva Ca
thedral by Miss Maudc Royden. up to Il
short time ago pastor OF the City tenn
pie in London. Miss Roydcn'S trail fig
ure in black seemed almost lost in the
great pulpit from which Calvin and
Knox preached. The local authorities
were present in full strength in the ca
th"dral. which Was crowded \ touch OF
color was lent by ten Indian women del
eSatCS IN their costumes Of many hu"S.
Lady Aston. member of the British
house OF commons. arrived -" lat" for
the opening ceremony, owing IL a delay
Of the Paris express
Miss R"yd"n. who delivered her ser
mon, both in French and English. cX-
hortcd the men Of he world TO foster
fraternity among mankind and aid the
work OF humanity IL rebuilding Tho ruin
caused by the war. She Was warmly
congratulated for the broad views she
expressed
Mrs. Cats Speech.
The first official meeting Of the Con-
Grc$s was held Tonight in communiCal
hall. tn" principal speaker was Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait. chairman Of the
alliance. The hall was crowded. among
those present being Lady Aston and Mrs.
JoSephuS Daniels. wifi" of the secretary
at the United States navy. Mrs. Gait
said in part:
For the sufrragists of the world 4
few facts stand forth with great Ciar
ity. The first and greatest is that the
political liberation of women was TOSS
cd MP out Of the war chaos like an IS"-
lated mountain when the world was IN
the making. War. the undouhted or
iginal cause of the humilating. age-nld
subsection of wom,u\ the world around
war, the combined enemy OF their en-
anCipation. war has rendered u tn"
women OF many lands their. political
freedom: Strange. bcwlderinE fact
"Th" Latin and Oriental countries
still hold out but that will not be for
long. RumanIa, the first Latin country
70 extend the vote to women. has
already led IN" way. the others will fol-
low. | believe no country IN Europe "N-
cept Turkey now is without woman
suffrage association. Women will soon
vote wherever men do. Yet while all
these old barriers are swept aside IN
many lands and men and women en-
franChISed, the task is not yet COM
pleetd in the countries where women
have labor"d hardest and whore the
principle "f democracy has Largest been
unchallcnECd.
There must be millions Of women in
Europe who never hoped for political
liberty and who are now daZed by it's
sudden coming. The women of Nor
way. Denmark and Iceland have long
OutStripped all other nations in tn"
recognition OF the principle OF equality.
with l21 women serving Oh city rrun-
ellis and 81 ~ members o. the national
parliament The president Of III" Ger
man National suffrage Association
comes to thus congress rs n member or
the city council Of Dresden.
Anlerioa Tlayed.
ut is p~t for III" I" interpret the sen
timcnts OF the women OF other lands
but with authority | may say that there
are millions Of SutlrLGiStS in the United
States who have been fairly stup!hed'
with aStonishment al thrS" almost I'M
accountable events. AS all the world
knows the United States Of America; has
been dedicated from the first 70 the
principle of self government. No other
alton has made the same pronounce
mentS.
constitution, principles and history IN
its denial Of votes IL its women ana
that is why the extension OF sutrrag"
to the women Of all Europe has 80 hui
inflated the women of IN" United
States. Women Of the United states are
not less glad that women OF other coun
tres have won the vote. but they icel
that they have been betrayed BY their
own nation.
incredible But True
1T has been a familiar sight on cleo
tion days when question or woman
suffrage has been pending 10 see rein
ed ladies. college graduates an women
of Importance. standing 100 feet from
the polling place making their appeal
To voters. while men unable 10 speak
English, the language OF the ballot. un-
a BILE to read in any language. uncouth
and unframed, marched past them 10
cast votes against their enfranchise-
meut.
Incredible YOU say. II is: aSt"u"'.
ing and unbelievable. 1t staggcrs and
dumbCounds one. should you ASH. wnH
ia II L answer, there are excuses hut no
defense The great bare. bald fact IS
there. For 10 years. in a land wherein
no man ever made sacrifice for vote
women have given their all TO attain 1t;
and this country has not yet proclaimed