LEARNING TO CAMPAIGN FOR SUFFRAGE
Jordan, Charlotte H.
Learning To Campaign For Suffrage The Wisconsin Suffrage School Where Methods of "How" Were Explained To Workers for the Political Enfranchisement of Women By CHARLOTTE H. JORDAN EFFICIENCY has...
...Olyinpia Brown did pioneer work for women even before the activity for political equality...
...There .is a plan on foot to hold Suffrage Schools in various points in the state...
...THE controversy over the relative merits of the Bristow-Mondell resolution, granting suffrage to women, and the Shafroth amendment, providing for a national referendum on woman suffrage, was ardently and frequently discussed by various speakers...
...A printed circular has been prepared by the Committee, which explains the exact process of this method of raising funds, which has been successfully used in five counties, resulting in an annual contribution of $1600 for state work...
...and demand to be shown how to directly accomplish the fact of political enfranchisement of women...
...Gerald McDowell, a member of the Michigan bar, who held that the existence of the English Common Law where unaltered by statute was a great hindrance to fair and equal treatment of women and children...
...Ella S. Stewart of Chicago, ex-presideut of the Illinois Equal Suffrage League and a former officer of the National Association, who was primarily responsible for county cooperation in securing the brilliant legislative victory for Suffrage at Springfield, held a class on organization every morning at 10 o'clock...
...What is the meaning of the woman's movement, and why tins dissatisfaction with tilings as they arcf It was left to the woman who helped blaze the trail with Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, to teach the history of woman suffrage, much ot which happened within her personal experience...
...First came the men in active public life...
...On, on—that ye have done But for the ivork of today preparing...
...With this work of the immediate future in mind, Mrs...
...Wisconsin heard the call and answered with the first State Suffrage School in the West, on June 17-24, 1914...
...Henry M. Youmans, editor of the Waukesha Freeman and president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association...
...In direct contrast to this conclusion was that of Mr...
...Therefore it seemed most important to know something'about methods of raising money...
...Charlotte Perkins Gilman, prophet of the economic future of women, brought her message of a new world to come in which the economic status of women should evolve from that of a parasite to an independent human being...
...Here, as elsewhere, suffragists have ceased asking, "Is it Right...
...It seemed to be the universal opinion that should the Shafroth Amendment, with its limited advantages, pass Congress, it would indefinitely delay action on the amendment designed to directly enfranchise women...
...Suffrage is in the air today, and consequently there are many young people who accept it as a matter of course...
...This point was typically illustrated in the series of lessons on "Press Work for Suffrage," given by Mrs...
...The importance of reaching the country reading public through the weekly papers was impressed upon every student who should undertake local press work...
...Finally, the school, in regular session adopted a resolution to be sent to the National Association asking them to delay action on the so-called substitute Shafroth Amendment until after the next convention...
...Carrie Chapman Catt, with an enrollment of one hundred and fifty students, representing seventeen states...
...Women from Illinois and Michigan were also in attendance...
...Methods of "how" hold the center of the suffrage stage today...
...Every indication points to suffrage as a live political issue in Wisconsin from now on...
...The background for suffrage work and inspiration for service came, from three different groups of people...
...Life, strife—these Uvo are one, Naught can ye win but by faith and daring...
...Judge Charles Rogers, of Ft...
...Stewart outlined a plan of organization, including an affiliated suffrage league in each county, together with endorsement and cooperation from every existing society, no matter what its purpose...
...Prof...
...This is the two-fold problem which faced Suffrage leaders in Wisconsin and led to the idea of a State Suffrage School, which would train the women of the state in methods, history and law, for service in their respective communities...
...This means efficient paid organizers and state headquarters...
...WE ARE faced with the fact that up-to-date propaganda of any kind needs money to promote it...
...The third group consisted of two women—both leaders in the great feminist movement...
...As Chairman of the Legislative Committee, Miss James has recently compiled a booklet entitled "Wisconsin Legislators and the Home," which shows just how each legislator voted on the sixty bills concerning women as mothers, wives, home-makers or wage earners, introduced during the last session...
...Learning To Campaign For Suffrage The Wisconsin Suffrage School Where Methods of "How" Were Explained To Workers for the Political Enfranchisement of Women By CHARLOTTE H. JORDAN EFFICIENCY has become the watch word of the suffrage movement in "Wisconsin...
...WISCONSIN has lined up on the side of efficiency and methods...
...Chief Justice John B. Winslow, of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, lectured on "The Property Rights of Women in Wisconsin," with the conclusion that property laws were comparatively equitable and fair to women...
...The past year has seen headquarters established and a systematic effort put forth to organize the seventy-two counties of the state...
...Miss Harriett Grim, famed in Wisconsin as a "vote getter'' during the campaign of 1912, taught daily a class in the construction and delivery of suffrage speeches...
...The Chairman of the State Finance Committee who ' has given much thought to this subject presented a forcible argument in favor of the direct method of individual pledges...
...They furnished the stimulus which created the desire TO KNOW and TO USE effective methods of work...
...A. B. Hall, of the Political Science Department, told of "The Responsibilities and possibilities of the vote...
...Fresh from the inspiring convention of the General Federation of Woman's Clubs, which so significantly endorsed the principle of woman suffrage, Miss Zona Gale told the school that civics and politics meant exactly the same thing, civics coming from the Greek and politics from the Latin...
...William Kiekhoefer Assistant Professor of Economics, presented "The Economic Aspect of the Woman's Movement," while Prof...
...Let the women of Wisconsin arouse themselves and heed the world call to action...
...Women all over the state are in training for the work ahead...
...This most desirable rural medium has too long been neglected for the large daily papers...
...The state legislature may allow another suffrage referendum in 1916, but of equal importance is the remarkable advance of an amendment to the United States Constitution granting nation-wide suffrage to women...
...Three men, who brought the result of many years spent in the study of Sociology, Political Science and Economics...
...The splendid faculty and eager attendance of women at this first State Suffrage School means increased effort on their part...
...Atkinson, one of the few men belonging to the democratic party who accepts the principle of woman suffrage, told the students that women were prevented from performing their natural duties in the world, merely because their work had gotten into politics...
...All of these things to do-—county organizing, newspaper work, suffrage talks, legislative work and participation in our city affairs, need to be supervised and furnished with machinery for co-operation...
...The students learned from Mrs...
...THE Wisconsin school sought to teach methods as they might be applied to conditions peculiar to the state, and aimed solely at reaching the women who were giving volunteer service...
...Firm in reliance—laugh a defiance (Laugh in hope, for sure is the end) March, march—many as one Shoulder to shoulder and friend to fnend...
...The success of the application of these modern business methods to this great political movement toward complete democracy, finally depends upon trained volunteer workers In every community...
...So, today, Woman's Civic Clubs ultimately lead to the training of women for active political life in the day of their future enfranchisement...
...Youmans that there were sixty-three daily and five hundred and twenty-two weekly newspapers in the state, and that the weekly newspapers had a country circulation of 400,000 and reached approximately two million readers...
...This is the first time that any attempt of this kind has been made to place the records of our legislators before the voters of the state...
...THERE are two possible situations in the near future for which preparation must be made...
...Each woman was asked to outline a speech and received criticism on extemporaneous speaking...
...Because one's interest in anything can be pretty accurately gauged by the hold on the purse-strings, the generous response from the counties seems to indicate a great growth in Suffrage sentiment WHILE the time has come for concentration upon methods and that thing we call political expediency, it is just as important as before to know our problem...
...A pioneer in progressive legislation, for the welfare of society and the home, it has failed to remedy the primal wrong in denying to women the use of the ballot...
...Miss Alice Curtis, chiefly responsible for the arrangements and the success of the Suffrage School, has been in charge of this work for the past eight mouths...
...E. A. Ross, internationally known as a writer and lecturer on sociological subjects, spoke of the marks left upon our civilization by a "Man Made World...
...Mrs...
...Should these young people participate in active work, they must be supplied with the back-ground which the history of the woman's movement, and a knowledge of the laws, both State and National, under which we live, can give thiem...
...Too long has Wisconsin ignored its duty in giving political justice to women...
...Should Congress act favorably upon it, it will then come to the state legislatures for ratification...
...She lived and worked during the days when higher education and the professions were closed to women...
...Mrs...
...Ada L. James, who more than anyone else in Wisconsin was responsible for the suffrage referendum in 1912, which if not resulting in victory, was of great educational value to the suffrage movement, gave her experience in practical politics in connection with the legislature...
...Sixty regular students, representing fourteen counties, were registered, with a single lecture attendance of seven hundred students...
...To do effective and intelligent suffrage work one must bo familiar with the approved methods, in at least one line of activity,—in organization, finance, press, publicity or public speaking...
...The University of Wisconsin, always at the service of the people of the state, furnished the school with the second group of teachers...
...The first Suffrage School in the United States and probably in the world, was held in New York City, September 15-27, 1913, under the direction of Mrs...
...Desha Breckinridge of Kentucky, great granddaughter of Henry Clay, and inheriting his oratorical gifts, brought the intimate word of the great national suffrage movement in which she figures prominently both as an officer of the National Association and a member of the Congressional Committee...
Vol. 6 • August 1914 • No. 31
