New-York tribune., 1921-02-17
" o1nlan's Party
Plans to FIGHT
For Fe111ii11iisrn1
Plea to Free Husband of
Duty to Support Wife and
Pay Her Debts Hailed
at Washington Meeting
Vote c o me S To-day
Miss Margaret Wilson to
Preside This Afternoon:
Partisan Ties Opposed
By Emma Buebee

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-The WON .
ans Party is likely to continue it's
career as radical feminist organiza-
tlon. This is the ambition cherished
Tor the party by Miss Alice Paul. it's
founder and chairman, and it also
seems to. be held by majority of the
delegates, who are chiefly young WON n
full OF the zest of battle for difficult
cause. There is no question that the
organization wants to continue.
Its problem is simply that of the
person who is "all dressed up and no
place to go''
The chief business of the convention
OF the Woman's Party, which opened
to-day at the Hotel Washington, was to
determine this matter Of policy. The
recommendations of the executive COM
mittee will be presented to the conven-
tion tomorrow morning and final action
will not be taken until Thursday, but
already the corridors buzz with debate
on the question.
Everybody who ever had any connec-
tion with the Woman's Party is here,
from Colonel Ida Craft and General
Rosalie Jones, who hiked to Washing
ton on the eve of President Wilson's
first inauguration, to Lucy Burns and
Mabel Vernon and Maud Younger, who
picketed the White House on the day
before his. second Inauguration; Sue
White, who burned him in effigy; Julia
Embry, who was arrested thilty-five
times - all most celebrated hunger
strikers - down to Mrs. Abby Scott
Baker, who laid the women's demand
for the ratification of the thirty-sixth
state before the two political conven-
tions last summer. Many of the earlier
enthusiasts lost their interest in tha
Woman's Party during the unpopular
days of the picketing, but all have re-
turned to the fold now.
Feminism the Ideal
The hall echoes with the shouts of
reunion. This afternoon was given over
to "reminiscences of the early days, to
memories of Inez Milholland riding her
white charger down Pennsylvania Ave-
nue. and Sara Bard Field piloting her
automobile laden with suffrage petit
tions from the Pacific Coast, and Doris
Stevens leading the hunger strikers in
Jail.
Tomorrow is the futures.
Feminism which demands the re-
moval of all restrictions and all privi-
leges for women is the ideal toward
which the organization will work, if
the plans of the leaders are accepted
by the convention.
just how radical their platform will
be was limited ct in the convention this
afternoon, when Mrs. Nora Biatch
Barney, daughter of Mrs. Harriet STAN
ton Blatch, of New York, asked for an
expression of opinion on the matter of
women's privileges under the law
81 am constantly being asked
whether women will stand for real
equality under the law. an equality
which removes their privileges as we'll
as their disabilities" she said. "There
is the law which compels a man to
support his wife. Do we want that
continued? There is likewise the law
which compels man to pay his wife's
debts, but there is no law compelling a
woman to pay her husbands debts.
am in business, and l have incor-
porated, in order to protect my hus-
band from having to pay my debts.
Do we want such laws to continue 2"
"No MOI" came shouts from all
parts of the room.
This incident occurred in connection
with the report of Miss Sue White,
CONTINUED on next paue)