IX THE THIRD APPEAL TO THE WOMEN VOTERS

All during this period, the National Woman’s Party was, of course, taking its part in the autumn campaign—the campaign of 1918. It was in the Senatorial elections only that the Woman’s Party was interested. The expedient quality of Alice Paul’s policy manifested itself notably here. It has been shown again and again how swift she was to adapt the tactics of the Woman’s Party to the needs of the moment. The Woman’s Party, it must always be remembered, was organized for but one object—to enfranchise the women of the United States by federal amendment. Other Suffrage organizations could and did divide their interests; could and did deflect their forces for those interests. On this point, Alice Paul never swerved. But as has been again and again demonstrated, she was as fluid as water, as swift as light, to adapt that single adamantine policy to the situation of the moment. At this juncture she extended her policy.

The circumstances were these:

In the Senate, Suffrage needed two more votes.

In the West, as usual, the Woman’s Party asked the women voters to defeat the Democrats as the Party in power and therefore the Party responsible. In two States in the East—New Jersey and New Hampshire—where the Republican candidates were anti-Suffragists and the Democratic candidates were Suffragists, the Woman’s Party supported the Democratic candidates.

That campaign, short as it was, was intensive. In the West Elsie Hill took care of Nevada; Catherine Flanagan of Montana; Anita Pollitzer of Wyoming; Clara Wold of Oregon; Louise Garnett of Kansas; Iris Calderhead of Colorado. In the East, Doris Stevens, Betty Gram, 381Bertha Arnold, Ruth Small, Rebecca Hourwich, Vivian Pierce, Bertha Moller, Lucy Branham, Caroline Katzenstein, Florence Bayard Hilles, Agnes Morey, Gladys Greiner, Maud Younger, Mary Beard, Abby Scott Baker, Mary Dubrow, Grace Needham, Lucy Burns, Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, Katherine Morey took care of New Jersey and New Hampshire.

The two vacancies in the Senate from New Jersey and New Hampshire had been caused by death. The Senators who would take those seats in November would fill out the remainder of the Congress then in Session. In New Jersey the Republican candidate—Senator Baird—had voted against the Suffrage Amendment in the Senate on October 1. The Democratic candidate—Charles O’Connor Hennessy—had fought all his public life in New Jersey for National Woman Suffrage.

In New Hampshire the Republican candidate—George H. Moses—was an anti-Suffragist. The Democratic candidate—John B. Jameson—was for the Federal Amendment.

The National Woman’s Party thought of course the President would assist them in their campaign for Hennessy and Jameson, as they were both Democrats as well as Suffragists and, in particular, because he had just told the Senate that the passing of the Federal Amendment was necessary to the successful prosecution of the war. But he gave them no help until the Woman’s Party forced him to do so, and then it was too late. But when the news came back from the Suffrage States of the West that the Woman’s Party speakers were telling of his inaction, he sent—in the last week in October—the following letter to Hennessy of New Jersey:

May I not say how deeply interested I am in the contest you are conducting? I cannot but feel that in ignoring my earnest appeal with regard to the Suffrage Amendment, made in public interest, and because of my intimate knowledge of the issues involved both on the other side of the water and here, Senator 382Baird has certainly not represented the true feeling and spirit of the people of New Jersey.

I am sure that they must have felt that such an appeal could not and should not be ignored. It would be a very great make-weight, thrown into the international scale, if his course of action while in the Senate could be reversed by the people of our great State.

Also, before the end of the campaign, the President came out in a statement endorsing Jameson. But he did not work so hard to elect these two Democrats, who were also Suffragists, as he did to defeat Vardaman and Hardwick, both of whom were Democrats and one a Suffragist. Hennessy and Jameson were both defeated. In the West, the election resulted in the defeat of Senator Shafroth of Colorado, thereby handing the Senate over to the Republicans. The defeat of Shafroth is universally ascribed to the Woman’s Party. The Woman’s Party believed that this election had brought them one vote, Pollock of South Carolina.

The Borah incident of the campaign of 1918 is a black page in the record of any gentleman who has Presidential aspirations. Catherine Flanagan and Margaret Whittemore were campaigning in western Idaho, asking the Idaho people to bring pressure on Borah to vote for Suffrage.

Shortly after casting his vote against the Federal Amendment, Borah came to Headquarters to see Alice Paul. He said that that vote represented his personal belief, but that in the future he would have to be bound by the Idaho Party (Republican) platform which had endorsed the Amendment. He said he would not give a public statement as that would look like trying to get votes, but he wrote out a statement that the Woman’s Party could understand as indicating his position. That statement is as follows:

We have talked over the Suffrage situation with Senator Borah and our understanding from the interview is that he will carry out his platform and vote for the Suffrage Amendment if re-elected.

The Woman’s Party telegraphed this statement to Idaho and asked his constituents to get him to confirm it. He was 383very evasive in replying to their questions and Alice Paul finally sent him the following letter:

October 29, 1918. Senator Wm. E. Borah,

Senate Office Building,

Washington, D. C.

Dear Senator Borah:

In view of the statement that you have just telegraphed to one of our members, Mrs. Marcella Pride, in Boise, and in view of the statements which you have made to various newspaper correspondents in Washington since Mrs. Baker’s and my interview with you, giving them the impression that there was no basis for our understanding that you would vote for the Suffrage Amendment after November 5th, we feel that we have no course left but to throw all the strength which we possess in Idaho against you. I have, therefore, telegraphed to this effect today to Miss Whittemore, who is in charge of our Idaho work.

I am sure I need not tell you how much we regret that you have not felt able to say frankly what you would do after election, and that you are not willing to stand by the statement which you authorized us to give out as expressing the understanding to be derived by us from our interview with you.

Sincerely yours,

Alice Paul, National Chairman.

Thereupon the Woman’s Party campaigned against him until election. Borah was re-elected. Here—anticipating by three months—it must be mentioned that when on February 10, the Amendment came to a vote, Borah voted, “No.”