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
Agitation for an amendment to the National Constitution had virtually
ceased. Before the death of Susan B. Anthony in 1906, Suffragists had
turned their attention to the States. Suffrage agitation there was
persistent, vigorous, and untiring; in Washington, it was merely
perfunctory. The National American Woman Suffrage Association maintained
a Congressional Committee in Washington, but no Headquarters. This
Committee arranged for one formal hearing before the Senate and the
House Committee of each Congress. The speeches were used as propaganda
mailed on a Congressman’s frank. The Suffrage Amendment had never in the
history of the country been brought to a vote in the National House of
Representatives, and had only once, in 1887, been voted upon in the
Senate. It had not received a favorable report from the Committee in
either House since 1892 and had not received a report of any kind since
1896. Suffrage had not been debated on the floor of either House since
1887. In addition, the incoming President, Woodrow Wilson, if not
actually opposed to the enfranchisement of women, gave no appearance of
favoring it; the great political Parties were against it. Political
leaders generally were unwilling to be connected with it. Congress
lacked—it is scarcely exaggeration to say—several hundreds of the votes
necessary to pass the Amendment. Last of all the majority of Suffragists
did not think the Federal Amendment a practical possibility. They were
entirely engrossed in State campaigns.
On the other hand, the Suffrage movement, itself, was virile and vital.
The fourth generation of women to espouse this cause were throwing
themselves into the work with all the power and force of their able,
aroused, and emancipate generation. The franchise had been granted in
six States: Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Washington, California. With
the winning of Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona in 1912, the movement assumed
a new importance in the national field. These victories meant that there
were approximately two million women voters in the United States, that
one-fifth of the Senate, one-seventh of the House and one-sixth of the
electoral vote came from Suffrage States.
It was in December, 1912, as Chairman of the Congressional Committee of
the National American Woman Suffrage Association, that Alice Paul came
to Washington.
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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