LEAGUE WOMEN VOTERS DECIDES
COURSE IN CITY ELECTION AT
MEETING THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Whether to Support Woman for City
Council As a Body or Play "Hands
Off" May Split Organization.
Will the members of the Knox
county League of Women Voters decide, as an organization, to work for
women candidates in the coming city
election, regardless of the ticket represented, or will the organization refuse to declare for women?
This is the question to be decided
at the meeting of the league to be
held at the Health Center, Thursday
afternoon at 3 o'clock. The action taken by the organization on the woman
question, will also decide whether or
not a number of the members will
continue with the league or will withdraw, to form a new organization for
the support of the woman's cause, according to Mrs. L. C. French, who,
with supporters who are indignant
over the league's failure to demand
that a woman be nominated for coun-
cilman-at-large, will bring up the
question and call for a vote on this
matter.
The opinion of certain league members seems to vary in regard to
what the policy of the League of Wo-
man Voters with reference to the
woman's cause should be, some stating that the purpose of the organization is merely, as stated in article
two, of the by laws of the national
constitution, to foster education in
citizenship, and support needed legislation. Those taking this view quote
this paragraph from the statement of
the purpose, program and organization of the National League of Women Voters.
Not "Woman's Party"
"It is not a woman's party; it is
a civic organization whose work is
supplementary to the parties and it
urges every woman to enroll in the
party of her choice."
In explaining their position that
the league should not endorse, as a
body, specific candidates, those of
this opinion also quote this paragraph taken from the same document
as previously quoted:
"It (The League of Women Voters)
instructs women in all the machinery of elections, but does not tell
them for whom to vote."
Mrs. Wm. L. Morris, president of
the league, is one of those who take
the view that the purpose of the
league is educational and that it does
not favor a woman's party.
Mrs. French, and a number of supporters, take a different view of the
purpose of the league. They believe
that the League of Women Voters
which was organized to take the
place of the old suffrage party, is,
while, not strictly a woman's party,
yet an organization, not only for educating women in citizenship, but for
placing women in office in national,
state and local government, where
their viewpoint and influence will
accomplish much for their country,
state or community.
Point to Preamble
In support of this theory, its adherents bring forward this statement
contained in the outline of the policy
of the National League of Women
Voters, which follows the statement
above quoted, that the league is not
a woman's party:
"It is an organization of women
working for women—not because women have a separate stake in government, but because their simultaneous
enfranchisement has made them a
group with a collective need for education and experience; and because
they can bring a characteristic woman's viewpoint to the solution of the
nation's problems."
Also from the report of the third
annual convention of the Tennessee
League of Women Voters, held in
Nashville, last January, in a statement of the beliefs and purposes of
the league, following the endorsement
of the state and national by laws,
those who believe the league should
support women for office, quote the
following:
Women for Office
"The league believes that qualified
women in administrative office, upon
boards and commissions and legislative bodies, will contribute a necessary point of view to the government
in the United States, and to its international relations. The league,
therefore, urges the election and appointment of qualified women in positions in national, state and local
government."
The controversy between the supporters of the two conflicting views,
with reference to the purpose of the
League of Woman Voters, will most
likely be a spirited one and will probably occupy the greater part of the
time devoted to business.
Following the business meeting, an
address by Manager E. N. Farris, of
the Board of Commerce on "What
a Real Public Health Department
Should Be," and a talk by Miss
Louise Bignall of the Associated
Charities, on the mothers' pension
bill will be heard by the members of
the league. The program for Thursday was arranged by the civics department, of which Miss Jean Crawford is chairman.
