Evening journal., 1920-09-29
URGES WOMEN TO.
join PARTIES
Get in as Soon as Possible" f"
Mrs. Dorr Tells Voters
League
HEAR ISSUES AT
TONIGHT'S MEETING

Many prominent women from all
over the Stale, deeply Interested in
citizenship. are attending the con-
vention Of the Delaware League OF
Women Voters, which opened this
morning, at the Hotel dupont. for a
two-day session. Delegates are pres
ent from the twenty-five auxiliaries
in the stale. The morning session
was devoted to business. with Mrs.
Henry Bidgely, Of Dover. presiding.
This afternoon there Will be an at
uactlNe program, with many well
known speakers. The program in
cludrs addresses by Mrs. james n.
Hughes. OF Dover; Mrs. Cummings
Speakman, Of Smyrna; Dean Wini-
fred J. Robinson, DR.. Anna Shpley,
Mrs. Thomas ". Miller. Miss porlia
Willis. Miss Helen Hart. Mrs Rheta
Childe DOrr and Mrs. George Dun
ming.
u was announced again this morn
ing mat the meeting this evening Is
open 10 both men and women. The
campaign issues will be given by
Professor Robert McElroy from "A
Republican point OF view, and Ray
mond FOsdick. Of New York. will
speak from The Democratic viewpoint
The morning session opened with
all singing The Star Spangled Ban
ner.' Devotional exercises were in
charge Of he Rev. r. W. Trapnell,
rector Of 81. Andrews p. +. Church.
Miss Ella Johnson OF Newport, gave
a brief report FOR the Credential
committee.
Greetings were given 10 the dele-
gates and guests by Mrs. Frederick T..
Bach. president Of the Wilmington
Auxiliary Of the League OF Women
Voters.
The response 10 these greetings was
given by Mrs. Marshall Derby Of
WOOdside.
Mrs. John r. Eskridge. treasurer,
reported $4,000 as a balance on hand
As word Of greeting Mrs. Rheia
Childe DOrr, Of New York. stated
Get in.o the political parties as soon
as possible and make his country a
democracy as 10 should be"
The MINUTES Of the last conven-
tion was given by Mrs. Jane Penne-
Nin. Of this dty Following Mo
reading Of the minutes Mrs. Henry
Rldgely said the work n the Della
ware Equal Suffrage Association Is
now dOne. She impressed the women
.of the seriousness OF the work that
Dis TO be done as citizens.
Mrs Albert Robin made an appeal
for absolutely unprejudiced minds by
.all members. She made a motion mat
Ia third speaker Of an independent
party also be secured for this eve
.nlng's meeting Her motion was
.Notd down. however.
The following committee was ap-
pointed 90 draft a constitution: Miss
Mary DeNou, Miss Reba HOlcOmb and
Mrs. W. w. Morse.
Mrs. Henry Ridgely then made an
address, iD the course OF which she
The message from the president
Mrs. Henry Ridgely, in part follows
II there Is one word more than
another which had been distorted
I from It's original meaning. which be
longing as 4 did TO a noble famil,
Of words has come 20 dwell in ihl
slums that word is-POlitics.
Politics in its widest sense is IN,
theory and the practice Of obtaining
the ends Of civil society as perfectly
as possible-The regulation and gov
crnment Of a nation or state for ihl
preservation Of its safety. peace anJ
prosperity. Can nothing be done q
hr ng this word back 10 It's higi
estate We have been unused 10 th,
word politics applied 10 woment
activities. Don't let us shOn 10 be
cause IL is strange or because 10 ha,
been assoc aled with partisanshiI
with group hatred and disirusi. will
arguments discussed by specia
leaders for personel or party ends
Look at 10 clearly-say Il distinctly
Politics. Woman in Politics. and theT
consider what it means.
This is the first convention heir
by any group OF women citizens OF
Delaware 10 consider political Ques.
tions. the first convention Of women
Of the State tO consider. not from
party standpoint but from a polibi.
cal standpoint the memenlOus Ques.
lions before the nation and state TO.
day. Why are We so metz Whal
can we, as members Of the Delaware
| League Of Women Voters. accomplish
| Why is 10 worth while 30 form
/ league Of this character? Some Ol
us are Republicans. some Democrats
some unafllhated with either party
] Why do we need another org3niza-
! tiOn In a STATE already OyerNNeigheC
with politics? The answer is this.
have said that some Of ms belong u
one and some 90 another polta.a
party but ! am sure we all. with one
voice acclaim, that nrst Of all we ars
American woman: and that we vii
let no partisan distrust or suspicion
separate Us when we are working fOi
the many things we all. regardless OF
party. recognize, as the needs Of Oui
State and Naaon the needs Of her
citizens. the needs Of her children
As women Of America we have a spe-
cial work 10 do. no party Organiza.
ton can make us see party bigger
than The State 10 is created 10 serve
| Through the league Of women voter,
we may work for those things in
which. as women. we are most deep
! ly interested and through IL m,
womanhood OF Delaware can make it.
strength felt in both the great par.
ties.
Nothing in our pledge 10 the ieagu,
need deter us from party Affiliations
| but the fact that many Of the voter,
OF the state have taken the leagu,
| pledge should and inevitably will. de
Ter the parties from advancing plat
forms and candidates without due con.
lsideration TO the political standards
we set up.
Politics dOes not mean should mo-
mean, partisanship. ! think Il is be-
cause VOTERS have allowed dema
gOgues and bosses-or special inter
ests 10 loom so big that they eniire,
obscure moral issues that the tern
political argument. political measure
has come 20 mean TO us some parti.
san argument. some special interes
measure What can we as women dC
to hiring politics up from It's low
estate? We can do this. We car
unite in a body which pledges itsel
q to put patriotism first, resolves Z,
iactlon' and refuses to let its vote h,
governed by partisan consideration,
lwhen they conflict with the best in