“State Placarded by Suffragists,”Oregonian, April 03, 1912, 9.
-Transcription
STATE PLACARDED BY SUFFRAGISTS
Literature Sent Out During Campaign to Every County, Town and Hamlet.
MORE “BUTTONS” ORDERED
Leaders in Movement Say Newspapers Everywhere Have Been Liberal in Giving Space to “Ballot-Getting” Arguments.
Mediums of advertising for the equal suffrage campaign by the thousands have been sent to every part of the state during the last few weeks, and have already created an interest in the movement that has never before been evinced to Oregon at such an early stage of the campaign.
So wide spread is the interest in the suffrage movement, in fact, that the different suffrage societies are experiencing considerable difficulty in filling calls for organizers and speakers at suffrage meetings.
Only a few weeks ago 10,000 “votes for women” buttons were received by the campaign committee of the Portland Woman’s Club, but the demand was so great for them that yesterday the committee found it necessary to order 10,000 more for immediate delivery. A press bureau maintained by that committee, and another maintained by the State Central Committee of the Oregon Equal Suffrage Association, is keeping all of the papers in the state supplied with equal suffrage news articles.
Papers Have Been Fair.
Most of the papers have been fair toward the suffragists in treating the articles. Many who do not believe in equal suffrage have consented to give space to some of the articles, and a large majority of others are openly advocating the movement.
Placards to be posted on bill boards and public places, are being supplied by the State Central Committee, the National College Equal Suffrage League, the campaign committee of the Portland Woman’s Club and Charles Erskine Scott Wood. In the larger towns, and around Portland, women have already been active in tacking them about the country personally, using the automobile as a means of getting about.
The demand for equal suffrage literature, buttons, and pennants is particularly great among the schools about Portland and the state. The subject of granting the ballot to women is proving a very popular one for debate in the state generally. Suffrage leaders regard this as a very hopeful sign. Five hundred equal suffrage pennants, which were originally intended only for private distribution, have been exhausted through demands from these sources, and another 500 were ordered yesterday.
Enthusiastic Meeting at Eugene.
One of the most enthusiastic suffrage meetings thus far held in the state at large, was that at Eugene, by the campaign committee of the Portland Woman’s Club, last Thursday and Friday. More than 200 women attended one meeting. Several dinners and luncheons were also tendered the visiting workers.
Mrs. Sarah Bard Field Ehrgott and Mrs. Sarah E Commorford, official organizers of the State Central Committee, have within the past two weeks organized almost a dozen new societies in Umatilla County and in several towns of the Willamette Valley.
The Woman’s Club campaign committee has recently had calls to hold meetings and do organization work at Corvallis, Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Lebanon. These and other places will be visited by suffrage workers as soon as time will permit. A meeting will also be held at Hood River at an early sale.Hood River County, Umatilla County and Lane County, from the reports at hand, are the strongest counties so far filled on the suffrage side. A particularly interesting fact to note is that the greatest interest in the suffrage movement seems to come from Eastern Oregon localities.
Mrs. W. P. Strandborg organized a suffrage club at Oswego yesterday.