CATT, Carrie Chapman SPEECH, ARTICLE, BOOK FILE Article: "More Votes for Women" About 1909 B22 The Woman Voter CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT THE PARTY PLAN MRS. CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT is the founder of the Woman Suffrage Party of New York and the originator of the party method of work. As the suffrage movement evolves from a period of education and propaganda into a political and campaigning stage, the value of her great plan becomes apparent. In fact, woman suffrage parties are springing into existence all over the country. Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and even Hoboken, now work by means of a party organization. In Ohio, the method has been applied successfully in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and other cities. Mrs. Dennet, of the National Woman Suffrage Association, has been so besieged for information with regard to the details of the party plan that she has been unable to meet all the requests. To meet this need, a leaflet is in process which may soon be procured at the National Headquarters, 505 Fifth Avenue, New York. Woman suffrage has been called a religious movement and in some respects it does emulate church methods. Suffragists hold revivals, talk of conversions, never forget to take a collection and preach without ceasing. A suffrage missionary is one of the more recent innovations. Mrs. Catt is President of the International Suffrage Alliance and is making a world tour in the interests of woman suffrage. In Africa, India and China she is spreading the faith winning many converts to the cause and binding the women of the world together with stronger ties of friendship and co-operation. In a letter to a friend, Mrs. Catt wrote, "When I pause to think that I have seen Mohammedan, Hindu, Parses and Buddhist women who have voted and are voting and that in our enlightened Christian country I and my American sisters are not, I feel pretty rebellious. This world is surely a curious mixture and no one country, I find, has all the virtues or all the liberality." In her travels, Mrs. Catt does not forget the home organization. She sends greeting and encouragement on every mail, watching the tremendous growth of our organization with deep satisfaction. From India she sends the following article for THE WOMAN VOTER: MORE VOTES FOR WOMEN BY CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT. IF the report is correct that the women of China have been granted the suffrage by the new Republic, it will not be the first time that Asiatic women have exercised the franchise. The women of Rangoon, the metropolis of Burmah, have been voting for thirty years! So far as I know, this city has never been on our lists of places where woman suffrage exists, yet women of advanced years have been voting there all their lives! Nor is the suffrage confined to a few rich widows, as may be imagined. As one man told me, "nearly every one but the coolies may vote in Rangoon." The election law prescribes that "he or she must be over 21 years of age." There is a careful registration of voters and very liberal qualifications exist. Land holders, tax payers and occupiers of houses who pay not less than 10 rupees (about $3.00) per month, boarders who pay not less than 50 rupees per month (about $15.00) etc., may have the vote. When we asked members of the Municipal Council if the women used their voting privileges, they looked surprised at the question and replied, "of course they do." "Do the women eligible to the suffrage vote as generally as the men," we asked. "Certainly," was the reply. With the memory fresh in mind, of the long, hard contest in American Legislatures to secure the right for married women to own and control their own property, Americans may ask, "but it possible for many women to qualify?" Alas, for our Burmese women were never reduced to the humiliating pitiful subjection visited upon all THE WOMAN VOTER and the house the clothes. That is good sense and I help you." Like manna, these words fell and then and there I enlisted my first ward and precinct worker in the region "over the Rhine." It was a good start and more things of the same kind followed. Frequently what appeared to be animosity was simply misunderstanding. A few days later a German lady, a teacher, asked me to come as her guest to an important meeting of a large and representative German society, a woman's auxiliary to one of the large mens' societies of Cincinnati. I was told that I should not be asked to speak as the ladies had a terrible fear of controversial discussion and militant tactics, but that they would be glad to receive as their guest a woman of their own nationality. I went early and sat through the business session, observing with great interest and edification the business-like dispatch with which these ladies who a short time ago had unanimously declared that "Woman's place is in the home and not at the ballot box," now discussed and voted upon a large number of measures and passed a series of resolutions recommending in no uncertain terms, certain measures to the men and their organization. After the coffee, which followed their business session, and during which I had been introduced personally to most of the members, a request came to the president that the guest be asked to address the meeting. Evidently their fears of militancy had been assauged. I rose, intending to speak for ten or fifteen minutes, but the rapt attention and frequent bursts of applause led me on to a forty minutes plea, at the end of which time the ladies gave a three times three, which would have done honor to a set of college girls. So the German woman is by no means as silent or subjugated and as absolutely contented with her lot as she is popularly supposed to be. Here again, as in the street talk, it was primarily a question of explanation and information, and many of the ladies declared they were going home to explain things to the mothers of the house. Of course it must not be supposed that all our experiences were as rosy as these two. Opposition, but more frequently indifference and ridicule, met us only too often. The German press is a difficult problem. Miss Anna Karger, German press agent for Ohio, is bringing to bear upon the numerous German newspapers of that State that continuous pressure and ever repeated demand which helps to wear out masculine resistance. The Cincinnati Volksblatt gives us fair treatment in its columns. The Dayton Volkszeiteung showed itself not only just, but generous and Miss Karger is making headway throughout the State. To lure the German into our headquarters in Cincinnati, we instituted a German evening for Thursday of every week. Here the question is viewed from both sides. Sometimes in formal debate, sometimes in open informal discussion. Sufficient interest was aroused among the Germans that a very active and enthusiastic committee of twenty women was formed with Mrs. Hermine Wulff as Chairman, for the purpose of continuing the work among the Germans. Up to September 3rd, four street meetings a week a weekly debate and energetic ward and precinct work are being carried on. The German-American alliance has declared itself definitely against Woman Suffrage, but many other German societies among them, the Turnerbund, have endorsed our movement and the individual German shows himself by no means impervious to argument and fair representations. Mrs. Elizabeth Schauss of Toledo Appealing to workingmen to support equal suffrage Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.