WOMffl
nha
Hpj GOIIFORD DUDLEY M MARY G. HAY j " ' V f f J V"
OFTiNN I 0,-NV ' - Vt Vs. ' ' r . .V Jf- Mi BIN HOOPER ririGUWW.'.REVIVIi-
NATIONAL AMERICAN .
WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION
Huge Organization is Made Up of 57 Slate Federations Works
for Suffrage Both by National Amendment and
State Referenda Strictly Non-Pariisan.
The netvvoik of organization that holds together the great national
body of suffragists is indicated by the fact that it is made up of
67 separate state smi'iage associations. Its component organizations
herald from almost every State in the Union and some States are
represented by v ian one. Even in those States where suffrage
mm .or women, the old organization is maintained,
! i some form of civic body, but retaining its
. . . National."
- I wroun called
4'liau"'1
T r
i.. (.- ' in
'V'S io dicubi
svr-Uia'. r'guio, iiie national aacocla
llou. under various name and with
ver-expanding anibiilou and inten
tion, holds the record for 9 years
of organized wo:k for woman suffrage,
distinguished tUike by unswerving
devotion to the c;use and consistent
dignity of metlii-d. Every year for
the eighteen years between 1M8 a nil
1866 woman's rights conventions held
the women of the country together.
In 18H6 the American Equal Rights
Association was formed and the
woman's righters merged into It. That
was the first national effort to secure
recognition of the fact that the suf
irago question reverts back to the
United States constitution. By 1869
it had become apparent that woman
suffrage needed its own special or
ganisation, and under the initiative
of Susan II. Anthony the National
Woman S iff rage Association wasj
formed. Next year another national
suffrage organization was effected
under the name of the American
Woman Suffrage Association and the
leadership of Lucy Stone. In 1890
the two Joined forces as the National
American Woman Suffrage Associa
tion. There, in a nut-shell. Is the
seventy years of history of the organ-1
Izatlon whose officers are leading the
fight today for nationwide suffrage.
For years Miss Anthony was at the
head of the "National." In 1900 she
was succeeded by Mrs. Carrie Chap
man Catt. who resigned two ( ars
later and was succeeded by a woman
whose golden oratory has made her
famous from coast to coast, Dr. Anna
Howard Shaw. Dr. Shaw served for
a baker's dozen of years and when
she resigned in turn in 19' 5. once
more the choice of the organization
fell irresistibly upon Mrs. Catt. Dr.
Shaw becoming honorary president.
A World Famous Leader.
Mrs. Catt is world famous for her
comprehensive grasp of the woman
question and for her genius for organ
ization. Not this country alone, but
nearly every other country In the
civilized world has felt and responded
to her effort to organize its women
for suffrage. Besides being president
of the national association she Is at
the head of the International Woman
Suffrage Alliance.
Federal and State Roads to Suffrage.
Ever since 1869, when the first
congressional hearing was had at
Washington, this national organiza
tion has been working for nationwide
suffrage through an amendment to the
federal constitution. It is working for
it today with all the foroe of lta com
pact organization resources. It keeps
a gro.ip of women constantly on the
spot la Washington. In another col
umn its president sets forth the
reasons for favoring that road to suf
frage above the road through state
referenda. But the "National" shuts
no door on suffrage opportunity and,
along wi.'n its program to secure
woman suffrage through federal en
. actment. it carries on an equally inten-
WHO
FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE I
e and extensive program tor ut-
iiobp luruugn eiaie rererenaa.
Non-Partlan
Id both iu national and state cam
paigns the "National" remains abso
lutely nonpartisan in method. It
recognize that at Washington no
larty has ever yet been so absolutely
in power that it could put through
a suffrage measure unsupported by
the friends of suffrage from the other
parties. As the "National" sees it,
suffrage requires al the friends It
makes, be they Republican, Demo
cratic, Progressive. Socialist or Prohi
bitionist. Proceeding along non-party
lines the National holds ail friendly
forces, or whatever parties, in the
one co-operation.
HISTORY OF THE
"AMENDMENT
There have been federal
amendments before and there
will be federal amendments to
come, but to the Mftrugibts of
AmerUa there m ene federal
amendment that hjs been stand
ing out with a crowu on its brow
for some forty c;irs.
It was in the that Susan
B. Anthony cm. td the fed
eral suffrage un.endiuent. It
would take from t.ie States the
right to deny tii- franchise to
any citizen or the t'n'.ted States
on account of m and that
amrniiuKtit today in
House umt Senate awaiting ac
tion. Since the year 1882 It has
been reported from the Senate
committee every year with a
favorable majority, except In
1S90 and 1806. Twice It has
gene to vote in the Spnate. The
first time was on January 25,
18S7, resulting in 16 yeas and
35 nays, with 26 absent, four of
whom were committed to suf
frage, giving a total suffrage
strength of 20. The second time
was on March 19, 1914, when
there were 35 yeas and 34 rays.
In the House It has been re
ported from committee seven
times, twice by a favorable ma
jority, three times by an ad
verse majority, and twice with
out recommendation. The last
time was on December 14, 1916,
without recommendation. The
House, In the position of he
reditary enemy of nation-wide
suffrage, has never let the meas
ure come to vote until In 1915,
the pressure becoming too
strong to be resisted, the poll
netted 174 yeas and 204 nays.
AND MONTANA WONI
Three states contested for the right
to claim th frt woman congress
man. They were Montana, Washing
ton and Kanrus.
EAD
y Rogers MnCATJPIE CHAPMAN SS U
IV. STANLEY MfC0RMICI
Z1 VICE PRE
Mur. CAT2121E CHAPMAN CATT
PetFIMHT. NATIONAL AMERICAN WOMAN SUFFRAGE ATSOC1ATIOH
AND JOME OFHEtt CO-WORKERS
Prefers Action Through Congress
To State Referenda
Mrs. Catt Points Out That Franchise Has Come to Women of
Most Countries Through Parliamentary Bestowal.
Almost Insuperable Obstacles In the suffrage question, and economy ot
Way of Amending State
Constitutions.
Reader! of sfl rage editions In 1917
will not fail to struck by the fact
that whereas yesterday's argument
was devoted to the effort to estab
lish the principle of woman sulfruge.
today's argument is devoted, In far
greater mt-asure, to the method by
which suffrage is to be secured.
Almost everybody is converted to
suffrage today. All the political
parties, great ard small, hjive en
dorsed It. The federations of labor
are committed to it. The Grangers
want it National organizations of
women plead for It. KTgious bodies
declare for it. Im-vltablv with all
this Uning up on the suffrage side, .
. .. j
;
DR. ANNA HOWARD SHAW"
Honorary President, National Ameri
can Woman Suffrage Association.
the question of how to get it becomes
paramount. For a great many the
answer has always been, "by amend
ing state constitutions." Out Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Catt has recently
pointed out un-ocapable reasons in
support of the federal route to suf-1
frage. Established precedent, rigidity
of State Constitutions, loose election
laws, the Inherent nationalism of the.
' -
vV?(; s' , ,v,y
MrF.J. 5HULER
COR StCY.
procedure make a strong fortification
ror Mrs. Catt's argument Her sum
mary is as follows:
(1) Suffrage for snen and suffrage
for women in other lands, with few !
and minor exceptions, has been grant ,
ed by pnrllamenlpry act and not by
referenda. Tragically the same
method Is provided by our Federal
Constitution. To deny Its benefits
to the women of this country Is to
put upon them a penalty for belnj?
Americans.
(2) Congress determines condi
tions of citizenship and state con
stitutions fix 'juaiilicutions of vot
ers. in no instance has the foreign
immigrant -been forced to plead with
i vat electorate for 'his vote. To
leny American women as easy a pro-
(,,.ss of 8eruriiig their vote as has
bcn granted to men is a dlserlmina-
J ion so flagrant and Intolerable that
J no fair-minded man should be a party
to It.
i (3) The Constitution of many
. tntes have provided for amendment
i by such difficult processes that they
! either have never been amended or
have not been amended when the sub
, Ject Is In the least controversial
j Woman suffrage Is caught In the colls
' of constitutional technicalities. Not
i to be willing to release It and give
It a fair chanco befo.e the country
Is un-American.
(4) The election laws of all states
make Inadequate provision for safe
guarding the vote on constitutional
amendments. Since election laws do not
Protect suffrage referenda, suffragists
'.demand the right prescribed by our
national constitution to appeat tneir
case from male voters to the higher
court of Congress and the legislatures.
(51 Woman suffrage is regarded
by every other country as a national
question. Politicians may prefer to
hide behind the arras of a secret bai
lot in a referendum which relieves
them of responsibility, but the women
of the land who are self respecting
ntough to want a vote ask a "square
deal" by national action.
Th. nf rvvinn h.
th Ta,ue of eo-ojieration and have
united their teachers and physicians
Into a strong organization called the
Ceylon Association of Professional
Women
NATION
NA'i I MM WOMAN SUFFRAGE
ASSJCIATION'S WORK IN CONGRESS
Four Sections With Four Division Chiefs The "Front Do
Lobby, ' Otherwise Known as the Fighting Phalanx
of the National The "Social Section."
Congressional work which is being carried on by the Nation!
-American Woman Suffrage Association has grown to such dimeusiowi
that it has been found necessary to divide it iuto four sections wit
a division chief for each. Most picturesque of these sections is t-k
section on legislation, sometimes called the "Front Door Lobby,"
recognition of its scorn of all side door methods and its avow
preference for working in the wide open. Again, it is known"
the "fighting phalanx in recognition of its indomitable spirit
tireless activities. Mrs. Maud Wood Park, of Massachusetts, i
chairman.
TEXT OP THE SUFFRAGE
AMENDMENT
Known In the 64th Congress of
the United 8tates as 8en
te Joint Resolution
No. 1.
Proposing an Amendment to
the Constitution of the United
8tatee Conferring Upon Wo
men the Right of Suffrage.
Resolved by the 8enate and
House of Representatives of the
United States of America In
Congress assembled (two-thirds
of each House concurring there
in), That tho following article
be proposed to the legislatures
of the several states as an
amendment to the Constitution
or the I'nited Slates, which,
when ratlfiel bv three-fourths
ot the said legislatures. hall
be valid fl jurf of said Consti
tution, namely
"ARTICLE
"Section 1. The right of till
zens of the Unitej States to vote
shall not be denied or abridge I
by the United States or by any
state on account of sex.
"Section 2. The Conrress
shall have power, by approprl
ate legislation, to enforce the
provisions of this article."
Status of the Suffrage
Bill In Congress
Today the federal suffrage amend
ment is in a position of crucial
moment in both houses of Coneress.
AfteT months of the maddening delay
incident to being smothered In com-
mittee. the House Judiciary Commit-
tee finally reported the bill, without
recommendation. This cleared the
way for the Rules Committee to secure
a place for It on the House's calendar
of business. In the Senate the bill
has been favorably reported from the
suffrage committee and Is already on
the Senate's calendar of business
awaiting action. Action means going
to vote. By the time this la read
l It will be known, In all probability,
whether the 64th Congress, by voting
v on measure. Is to be the body
th wtll tn down In h ltr- a tha
instrument of the enfranchisement of
women or whether It elects to pass
on that high privilege to its successor,
the 66th.
!
WBE
fWtSTHERG.OGDOl-
rt VICl PM1
ia me number of women of natloeMsV
prominence who work In the cape,
of congressional aides. Among UkM
is Mrs. William Jennings Uryaar
another aide Is Mrs. Newton D BaJtew
wife of the Secretary of War; sfUs
another is Mrs. David P. HoasteaM
wife of the Secretary ot Agrlcultvve
Ail types of ability are to be fewsV
In (be ranks of the lobbyist. TMeve
lathe persuasive, persistent dauntWea
ness of the chairman herself. There
is the exalted idealism of such wost
as Mrs. Ulendower Evans, a.so o
Massachusetts. There is the lnetftrf
political uctuuen of women like Xfaft
Frank M. Koesing, of Pennsylvs
and the eordal capacity to "har
people," as shown by women like Miesr
Mary Garrett Hay. of New YortJ
There art so't-voh ed, dar'. eye -Southerner!,
like Mrs. Guilford IhfceV
ley. of Tennessee. An.l there Is lis
blonde dj'iihter-of thtt-Vlkirr typ
il':;e Mr. Ben llni"T iI Wi con ,ia
From en ry p:r.-t o; (he IV C- wometv
will work in relvs in ""Mngtns
uiitll tlir national nun rage liiii k
been voted upoii udiruiiit viiy hy IxHi
hrtiPff of Congress.
FiKOING FRIENDS
in wara !i
Everybody from everywhere com'
to Washington, D. C, and evnrybo
finds friends thcro from horn. 94
falls to the lot ot Mrs. Walter Mv
Nabb Miller, ranking officer ot ta
National American Woman Sm frage
Association, to find the friends rf sstsV
frage among the people from tfee
different states who make Wa.-hlmr-ton
their home. She has in chart
all the social-political activities oev.
the program of the National's coav
gresslonal work for the year.
Deautlful and extensive suffrage;
headquarters have been established Ut '
Washington at 1626 Rhode Island
avenue, a house historic In Wask.
Ington's annals.
Still another program of activity,
more distinctively social, Is unlea
the leadership ot Miss Heloise Meyti
sister of ex-Secretary of the Navy
George von Meyer. Mrs. J. Borden
Harrlman, of New York, is vice-chairman
ot this section. There Is a!
a publicity section co-operating with.
Washington's local publicity commit
tee of which Mrs. Gertrude Mossban:
is chairman.
t
