Evening star., 1921-06-02
DISTRICT WOMEN
KEPT'FR0M LEAGUE
Lack of Suffrage Excludes
Them From Association
of Voters.

To the Editor Of The Star:
There have been many questions asked
/ as to the qualifications for membership
in the branch Of the League Of Woman
Voters which was organized the other
evening at a meeting held in the home
Of Mrs, Clifford Pinchot. 1t IL truly un-
fortunate that the permanent residents
and the natives Of the District cannot
become members Of such a useful or
ganization as this promises to be. but
as it is presumably composed Of voters.
we. as legal residents Of Washington.
are not in any way qualified to Join.
Nor would our influence have any
weight in Congress or any other political
body to whom we might be asked to
appeal.
We as suffrage workers for more than
half a century realize what appeals
without the power OF the vote behind
them mean to the average politician.
1t would seem that, an suffragists the
women would not 80 soon have forgotten
those years Of struggle and humilia-
tion to the degree that they already
have become Indifferent to the condition
Of other women who have not yet been
enfranchised.
The men as well as the women Of the
District Of Columbia, to the number
appealing to the recently enfranchised
women to help them in their struggle
for the ballot. have been chagrined and
humiliated to find a deaf ear where
they had expected to find sympathy and
cooperation. 1t Is the repetition Of the
age-old story Of past fayors soon for
gotten.
The women who were born in the
capital and those who in the past
voluntarily or otherwise came to make
it their home and legal residence
have been and still are disseminated
against and are suffering the same
disabilities under our law as were all
tho women Of the United States be-
fore the ratification Of the nineteenth
amendment to the federal Constitu-
ton. They are no more qualified to
appear before Congress, have no more
shown their wishes than were the
women Of the states ten or fifty
years ago.
They are still. in the condition. po-
htically speaking, Of minors, Indians
and idiots. That the splendid women
er to change such humiliating con-
ditions would not gladly and quickly
do 50 is the surprise and grief Of
man as well as woman citizens Of
the District
All of the leading organizations
VI AACiis ouIu 40 LILO &N6llOudI
of Commerce, District of Columbia
Chamber Of Commerce, Board of
Trade, Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations and the leading citizens of
the District and others have gone
On record as appealing to Congress
to give US representation in our ma
tional legislature. But even though
juch an opportunity was presented to
the National League Of Woman Voters
Immediately upon the completion of
it's organization. and again in it's first
tannual convention, they have not
chosen to lend their great influence
20 help US to secure that right which
we labored as unremittingly for as
they.
Is it fair? Is it just? Is it in keep
ing with the true American princf-
pie Of equality? And upon what pos
. sible platform of justice can we be
SO Disseminated against? The citi-
Gems of the capital of the freest coun-
try in the world should be the freest
citizens of the republic instead of the
most restricted In our legal rights
We recall the last public utterance
of Susan B. Anthony, that she would
mover stop working for suffrage un-
til every woman in every country
was free. Can we, her professed fol-
lowers and the recipients Of the re-
suits of her life of labor and sacri-
flee, afford to do less?
ANNA E. HENDLEY,
President OF the Anthony League.