The Story of the Woman's PartyGillmore, Inez Haynes
History
The Story of the Woman's Party
Gillmore, Inez Haynes
National Woman's Party; Paul, Alice, 1885-1977; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
Every day this little group went to the White House and sat, waiting.
They made a picturesque detail in the exceedingly picturesque war flood
surging through the White House, wearing bands printed with the words,
_munition workers_ on their arm and their identification badges. They
knitted all the time. At first, one of the secretaries explained to
them, “You are very foolish. You may have to wait for weeks. Even Lord
Reading had to come back four times before he saw the President!”
Later, an under-secretary said: “You are becoming a nuisance. Other
people have more consideration than to keep coming back; but you persist
and persist.”
“Even Lord Reading had to come back four times before he saw the
President,” quoted one of the munition girls.
They waited two weeks, but in the end they had to go back to work. They
wrote a letter to the Senate, however, which was read there.
May 10 approached. I resume Miss Younger’s narrative:
When the proper time arrived next day, Senator Andreus Aristides
Jones arose in his place. The galleries were packed. Our forces were
all present except the three missing votes. There was Senator Smith
of Michigan, who had come from California; Senator Smith of Arizona,
who had left a sick relative to be present for the vote; and there
were others who had come from far and wide. Senator Jones in the
hush of a great moment, rose and announced that he would not call up
the Amendment that day.
Our opponents looked at him and, grinning, taunted: “Haven’t you got
the votes?” “We want to vote today.” “We’re ready now.”
Finally the women filed out of the galleries and went home, and the
Senate resumed its usual business.
Later, however, Senator Jones announced that on June 27 he would take up
the Suffrage Resolution.
Miss Younger says:
Senator Jones does not act on mad impulse. No one could imagine that
placid, unhurried man buckling on his armor and brandishing his
sword to lead his forces a second time up a blind alley only to lead
them back again. Senator Jones was a strong Administration man and
would not act without approval.
Moreover, he was a sincere Suffragist. In fact, he was a Father of
the Amendment. So we kept at work, aiding and abetting all its
Fathers. For the disabilities of fathers are manifest when you
compare them with mothers. A father is so casual, especially when
his child is an Amendment to the Constitution.
“Nagging!” said Senator Lenroot viciously, when I asked him to speak
to Senator Borah. “If you women would only stop nagging!” And making
a savage face at me, he hurried down the hall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account