News Articles

LEAGUE PLANS CONTEST
Members Seek Design for Rose Festival Parade
National College Equal Suffrage Organization to Take Active Part in Annual Event.

At a meeting yesterday of the National College Equal Suffrage League at the home of Dr. Henry Waldo Coe, the president, it was decided to inaugurate a contest for an acceptable design to represent the league in the Rose Festival parade next June.

The subject of having floats representing their respective organizations has already been taken up with the different suffrage societies in the city and there is every indication that a keen rivalry will result among them to have the best representation.  The finance committee of the National College Equal Suffrage League was instructed yesterday afternoon to formulate plans for conducting the contests and will report their conclusion at an early meeting.

A novel question that was taken up at the meeting was a plan for having periodical luncheons, at intervals of perhaps one or two weeks. The plan is to secure speakers at these luncheons, which would be attended by the members of the league and invited guests. The entertainment committee was instructed to confer with the various hotel managements as to this and to report the results of their conference at the next business meeting.

A tender from the National College Equal Suffrage League of California of the die used in that state for printing the emblem of the league on postals and on stamp stickers was accepted. Thousands of these cards and stamps will be circulated as soon as the dies are received.

M’CAMANT STIRS SUFFRAGISTS’ IRE
Statements Made at Meeting of Those Opposing Move Bring Challenge/ OPEN DEBATE IS SOUGHT/ Leaders of Association Lined Up Against “Votes for Women” Say They Will Pay No Attention to Offer for Public Words.

Statements made by Wallace McCamant in a communication from him, read at a meeting of the Oregon State Association Opposed to the Extension of Suffrage to Women, have aroused the ire of members of the Men’s Equal Suffrage Club, and W. M. Davis, its president, said yesterday:
“I want to say on behalf of the Men’s Equal Suffrage Club that we will challenge Mr. McCamant or any person whom he or the anti-suffragists may suggest, to meet us in public debate at any time and any place and under any conditions. Furthermore, we will hire a brass band for the occasion, advertise the debate, rent a hall and bear all incidental expenses of such debate.”

Challenge to Go Unaccepted.
Mr. McCamant, in his communication, reviewed the work of the anti-suffragists during the past 12 years, laying particular emphasis upon their success in defeating the measure of the suffragists. “I will pay no attention to the challenge of Mr. Davis,” said Mr. McCamant last night.
Mrs. Francis F. Bailey, president of the organization, said yesterday that she did not think her organization would be inclined to consider any suggestion for meeting the suffragists in debate.
“We don’t have to debate with these people.” She said. “We have carried on our work quietly and successfully in the past and we intend to do the same thing this campaign. The people know where we stand and a debate would not do any good. We are not going to make a loud racket and clamor, which means nothing and accomplishes nothing. The pople who do not want women to vote are not the kind that get out and shout, and they will take care of us at the next election, the same as they have done in the past.”

Meeting Called for Today.
The anti-suffrage organization held its first preliminary meeting last Thursday afternoon at the home of Mrs. Gordon Voorhies at 622 Kearney street. A plan of action will be outlined and developed at a meeting of the executive board to be held this afternoon at 2 o’clock in the apartments of Mrs. Bailey, in the Bowers Hotel.
The anti-suffragists will most likely wage their fight in this campaign with public meetings, by the distribution of literature and by newspaper publicity. Debates, however, are not included in the plan.
While the anti-suffragists decline to believe that their own object is in any serious jeopardy, the suffragists are active. They are continually organizing new clubs, arranging public meetings and sending their literature to all corners of the state.
State Committee is D…
The State central committee of the Oregon Equal Suffrage League has appointed organizers and is laying the ground for the establishment of new organizations in all parts of the state. The individual organizations, particularly the Men’s Equal Suffrage Club and the National College Equal Suffrage League, will also be strongly fortified with branches throughout the state. Perhaps one of the first branches of the men’s club to be formed will be at Hood River.
Their newest organization—the Women’s Political Equality League—will hold a meeting this afternoon in the auditorium of Olds, Wortman & King’s store at 3 o’clock. Mrs. M. L. T. Hidden, president and founder of the league, will speak on “Equality Before the Law.” Another new league is about to be formed by Mrs. E. C. Comorford, which will also enter the central committee. Next Thursday afternoon at 1:30 the central committee will hold its second regular meeting in the quarters of the National College Equal Suffrage League, 406 Selling building.
The next open meeting of the National College Equal Suffrage League will be held in the Neighborhood House, in South Portland, April 2. The meeting promises to be a rousing one, as William Hanley and Rabbi Jonah R. Wise have been secured for the principal speakers.

ANTI-SUFFRAGISTS NOT TO ACCEPT CHALLENGE
Mrs. Bailey Says They Will Not Debate, but Will Campaign Quietly.

President W. M. Davis’ challenge to a debate with Wallace McCamant or members of the Oregon State Association Opposed to the Extension of Suffrage to Women will not be answered, according to members Mrs. Frances J. Bailey, president of the organization says:
“We don’t have to debate with those people. We have carried on our work quietly and successfully and we intend to do the same thing in the campaign. The people who do not want women to vote are not the kind who got out and shout and they will take care of us in the next election as they have in the past.”

A meeting of the executive board of the antis was held this afternoon when plans for the campaign were outlined.
The woman’s political Equality League is holding its regular meeting this afternoon at the auditorium of Olds. Wortman & Kings Mrs M. L. T Hidden, the president will deliver an address on Equality before the Law.” The next open meeting of the College Equal Suffrage League will be held at the Neighborhood House, where “Bill” Hanley of Central Oregon and Rabbi Jonah Wise will be the principal speakers.
At Saturday night’s meeting held under auspices of the Men’s Equal Suffrage League Judg Gateus of the Juvenile Court. John H Stephenson and Will R. King were the speakers, all of whom agreed that the influence of women was needed in politics, Judge Gateus laying stress on what the ballot in the hands of the women would do in relation to the social evil.

SUFFRAGE CAUSE IS ESPOUSED BY MEN

The Men’s Equal Suffrage league held a meeting in the assembly room of the Olds, Wortman & King store Saturday evening, which was attended in the earlier part of the evening by about 60 people, but which toward the close attained proportions almost double as the women finished their shopping and dropped in. Attorney William Davis, president of the league, presided as chairman of the meeting, which was addressed by John H. Stevenson and Judge W.N. Gatens of the juvenile court. The members of the Anti-suffrage league were invited to be present to take part in the discussion, but failed to join in.
In his introductory speech Mr. Davis said:
“This coming election I have no doubt that the suffrage amendment will carry, as you can always trust to the politicians who have their ear to the ground ready to seize on any popular movement to further their causes, and you will notice that they are as hearty in the support of this measure as they were in the support of the initiative and referendum in 1902.”

Mr. Davis then introduced Mr. Stevenson who made the next address. Mr. Stevenson said the principal argument he had heard the antis use was that the increased cost of the elections will be prohibitive on account of the greater number of ballots that will have to be printed and of the immense amount of help that will be required to tally them. He said that though he was not a prohibitionist he believed that as the women were the most interested in this question they should settle it.

Judge Gatens said that he believed, contrary to the belief held by many, that the presence of women at the polling places would cause a cessation of all loud and boisterous conduct.