[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 14, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2640-S2645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
Mrs. KASSEBAUM. Mr. President, I rise today in celebration of the
75th anniversary of the founding of the League of Women Voters. Across
the country, the League of Women Voters has presented women the
opportunity to study national, State, and local issues without the spin
of outside interest groups of one kind or another. A nonpartisan
organization, the league has played a historic role in not only the
women's suffrage movement, but in a variety of issues including child
labor law, education, and environmental concerns.
As a woman from the State of Kansas, I believe it is important to
recognize the league's efforts to reach out to women from rural areas.
Providing a forum for honest discussions, with a concentration on the
facts rather than prejudiced thought, the league has proven an
inspiration and an awakening for many. The league encourages women to
think analytically and independently, creating opportunities to lead
discussions, present the pros and cons of an issue, and learn practical
use of parliamentary principles. As a result, the league has instilled
in many women the belief that their contributions and opinions can and
do make a difference. More importantly, however, is the realization
that world issues, no matter how complex, can be understood and
discussed by ordinary people.
Our current political climate includes and welcomes the participation
of women at all levels of national debate and government. This is a
sharp contrast from the early days of the League of Women Voters.
Today, I imagine that many young women find it difficult to comprehend
that women's suffrage was even an issue at the time. And, although I
believe this means we have made progress, I also feel it is important
to remember our history. We owe a debt of gratitude to the League of
Women Voters for encouraging women everywhere to help bring this about.
Freeing women of all educational backgrounds to believe they could
study significant issues is a gift the league has given to women all
over America.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, February 14, 1995, marks the 75th
anniversary of the founding of the League of Women
[[Page S2641]] Voters of the United States, a nonpartisan organization
with more than 1,100 chapters and 150,000 members throughout the
country.
In 1848, the first national convention for women was held in Seneca
Falls, NY, to discuss the conditions and rights of women in America.
The suffrage movement grew out of this meeting, and in 1890 the
National American Woman Suffrage Association was formed. In 1920, this
organization became the League of Women Voters.
Due to the efforts of the National American Woman Suffrage
Association and later the League of Women Voters, the 19th amendment to
the Constitution was declared ratified by the legislatures of 36 of the
48 States. This amendment, which declares that the rights of citizens
of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any State on account of sex, was first proposed to
the State legislatures for ratification by the 66th Congress on June 5,
1919. My own State of Maine was the 19th State to ratify the amendment
on November 5, 1919.
Fortunately for the millions of Americans over the last 75 years who
have benefited from the work of the league, the vision of Carrie
Chapman Catt, the league's founder, was much larger than the single-
minded achievement of the ratification of the 19th amendment. She
envisioned an organization which would continue to educate and motivate
Americans for citizenship and responsible voting. And the league has
done an excellent of achieving this vision.
For example, in my own State of Maine, the Maine League of Women
Voters has over 400 members, with local branches in Portland,
Brunswick, and Mount Desert Island, in addition to many members-at-
large. One very important objective of the Maine League is to
understand and improve the way Maine's government works. I am
particularly proud of the way the Maine League carefully analyzes
issues to develop consensus and follows that with strong advocacy
efforts. Issues studied recently include health care, families at risk,
and the environment.
I would like to submit for the record two very informative articles
which were recently printed in the Brunswick Times Record. One article,
written by Julie D. Stevens, discusses the history of the National
League of Women Voters, while the other, written by Nan Amstutz,
discusses the history of the Maine League of Women Voters. Together,
these articles illustrate the profound impact of the league on Maine
and America, and I ask unanimous consent that these full articles be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Times Record, Feb. 10, 1995]
The League of Women Voters of Maine--75 Years
(By Nan Amstutz)
``If only one woman in Maine wants to vote she should have
that chance,'' Governor Carle Millikan argued in November
1919 when he opened the special session of Maine's
legislature called to ratify the 19th amendment to the United
States Constitution. Although the amendment giving women the
right to vote was ratified in Maine with only a few votes to
spare, it was the successful culmination of a long struggle
by the Maine Woman Suffrage Association. Within a year, the
Association would hold its last meeting and be replaced by a
new organization, the Maine chapter of the League of Women
Voters.
The road to equal suffrage in Maine had not been a smooth
one. Success had appeared near when the legislature in 1917
amended the state constitution to allow women to vote, only
to have the measure overturned at the polls several months
later by a vote of almost two to one. Some of the parties on
both sides of the debate bear names which are still familiar
today. One bill to give women the right to vote had been
introduced by Senator Guy Gannett and Representative Percival
Baxter, both of Portland, and women's suffrage had been
supported by most of the state's newspapers, including the
Brunswick Record. In few other states, however, had women
anti-suffragists played so conspicuous a role as in Maine,
arguing that most women didn't want to vote and that
participation in political life was inimical to women's
natural role. Giving active support to this view was Miss
Elizabeth McKeen of Brunswick.
Many of the same women who had been active in the suffrage
movement now became active members of the new League of Women
Voters of Maine, which began with some 60 to 75 members. Its
principle legislative interest in the early years concerned
the welfare of women and children, and it supported aid to
dependent children, strengthened child-labor laws, improved
adoption procedures, and better court treatment of juvenile
offenders. Today the Maine League has over 400 members, with
local branches in Portland, Brunswick, and Mt. Desert Island.
As a rural state, Maine has many members-at-large, too
scattered to belong to a local branch, although they
sometimes gather as an informal unit as has happened in
Ellsworth. Issues studied by the state League today, health
care, families at risk, and the environment, are as relevant
to contemporary problems as were the issues studied in 1920
to concerns of that era.
Throughout its almost 75-year history, the League of Women
Voters of Maine has retained as a major focus, understanding
and improving the way Maine's government works. This has
meant taking on issues that are important, studying them
carefully, reaching a consensus among members, and then
undertaking concerted advocacy. It has meant studying such
subjects as jury selection, better ways to reapportion the
legislature, lengths of term in office, the state tax
structure, and how to finance education. An early example of
the League's focus on state government was its long and
successful effort to interest the public in the need for a
merit system in Maine government, an effort which culminated
in the passage of the 1937 Personnel Law.
In promoting the active and informed participation of
citizens in government, the League's goal is to train it's
members to become leaders, although, as a non-partisan
organization, it can not support them if they run for
political office.
A number of League members are in the present state
legislature. Rep. Jane Saxl of Bangor, a former state League
president, sees the League as a training ground which gave
her background and information on local and state issues and
also provided her with confidence to run for office. ``I met
elected officials and discovered they weren't all that
different from the rest of us. Then when I read the Wisconsin
League's publication, See Jane Run, I knew it was meant for
me.'' Saxl served first on the local school board and later
on the Bangor City Council, before running for the state
legislature. ``My one claim to fame on the City Council,
curbside recycling was a direct result of my League
experience. Where else would I have studied subjects such as
waste management or water quality?''
On February 14, members of the League throughout Maine will
celebrate the national League's 75th birthday at the State
House in Augusta during the League's annual ``Keys to the
Capitol'' program. As Nancy Neuman, keynote speaker at the
celebration, has written, ``The purpose of the League is as
relevant today as it was in 1920. Making a success of
American democracy is a never-ending commitment, requiring
tenacity, patience, and a sense of humor.''
____
[From the Times Record, Jan. 27, 1995]
League of Women Voters, at 75, Is Still Going Strong
(By Julia D. Stevens)
On Feb. 14, 1995, the League of Women Voters of the United
States and of the state of Maine will celebrate 75 years of
promoting the active informed participation of citizens in
government.
Although the League was not officially founded until
February 1920, on the eve of final ratification of the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote,
its roots had begun almost 75 years earlier. In 1848 the
first national convention for women was held in Seneca Falls,
N.Y., to discuss the social, civil, religious conditions and
rights of women. The women at this meeting decided to fight
for the right to vote, but it was not until 1890 that the
National American Woman Suffrage Association was formed. In
1920, this organization became the League of Women Voters.
mighty experiment
Carrie Chapman Catt, the League's founder, designed the
League to be ``a mighty political experiment''--``an anomaly,
we will be a semi-political body--we want political things;
we want legislation; we are going to educate for citizenship
. . . we have got to be nonpartisan and all-partisan.''
Seventy-five years later, the League is still an anomaly in
American politics. It is non-partisan and political. It
educates and advocates. Its members are feminist, but the
League describes itself as a citizens' organization. It
trains women and men leaders, but it cannot support them if
they run for public office.
social reformers
The founders of the League were social reformers, concerned
with protecting the rights of working-class women and
advancing the status of women in American society. The first
League program included: protecting women factory workers
against sweatshop conditions; promoting pay based on
occupation, not gender; maternal health and child welfare;
independent citizenship and equal property rights for married
women; uniform marriage and divorce laws; jury service for
women; election law reform; a Women's Bureau in the
Department of Labor; pure food laws; prevention of venereal
disease; a merit system at all levels of government, and
compulsory education.
[[Page S2642]] voter education
Voter education has always been a central focus of the
League. Before every election, the League provides voters
with nonpartisan information about candidates and issues. In
its early days, citizenship schools to study basic principles
of government were conducted across the country, and women
voters were instructed how to register and vote. Nonpartisan
voters guides were distributed and many state and local
Leagues held candidates meetings. In 1923, ``Know Your Town''
questionnaires were developed to help new Leagues study
conditions in their own communities.
Nonpartisanship, consensus on issues, and concerted
advocacy are central to the League's philosophy. The League
thoroughly researches and studies issues before it arrives at
a public position. After weighing the pros and cons of policy
choices, League members discuss areas of agreement and
disagreement, eventually arriving at a consensus.
changing issues
During World War II the League educated the public about
the importance of American democracy and was a vocal advocate
for the formation of the United Nations.
The 1950s were years of growth in membership--by 1958, the
League had 128,000 members. The League was active in water
resources issues and through its ``Freedom Agenda'' took a
visible leading role in opposing McCarthyism.
In the 1960s, the League was involved in apportionment, air
and water pollution control, equal access to education,
employment and education, civil rights and the women's
movement.
During the 1970s, the League was active in issues such as
campaign finance, voting rights, international trade, land
use, solid waste, urban policies and presidential debates. In
1974 the League admitted men as full voting members.
Membership peaked in 1974 at 177,838 members, with 1,340
local and 50 state Leagues.
The 1980s were years of involvement in social and
environmental issues, fiscal policy, arms control,
reproductive choice and agriculture. In the 1990s the League
has established positions on health care and gun control, and
has been instrumental in the passage of ``motor voter''
legislation.
middle of the road
Within the American political system, the League is a
moderate organization: It has been attacked by the left as
too conservative, by the right as too liberal. Maud Wood
Park, the League's first president (1920-24) noted that the
League: ``has chosen to be a middle-of-the-road organization
in which persons of widely differing political views might
work out together a program of definite advance on which they
could agree. . . . It has held to the belief that no problem
of democracy is really solved until it is solved for the
average citizen.''
For 75 years the League has prodded the nation to fulfill
its promises. Making a success of American democracy is a
never-ending commitment, requiring tenacity, patience and a
sense of humor. In the next 75 years, the League intends to
continue its efforts to educate and motivate citizens. The
League plans to further diversify its membership, programs
and approaches to better meet the needs of U.S. citizens. The
League welcomes any citizen over 18 years of age to become a
member, either as active participants or as supporters.
The League's 75th birthday party will take place on Feb. 14
at the State House in Augusta during the League's annual
``Keys To The Capitol'' program.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the League of Women
Voters which is celebrating its 75th anniversary today. On February 14,
1920, in anticipation of the ratification of the 19th amendment
granting women the right to vote, this group was formed to educate
these new voters about politics. By encouraging informed and active
participation in government, this organization continues to play an
important role in American politics. The league deserves both thanks
and recognition for its efforts.
The fight for women's suffrage is a part of our history that, in my
opinion, doe not receive enough attention today. We would all do well
to reflect on the incredible courage and strength the women of that era
demonstrated in their quest for the right to vote. The battle for
women's suffrage lasted generations, and many forget that women were
jailed and physically punished simply because they believed that women
were created equal to men. The suffragists hoped that by winning a say
in their Nation's affairs, they could better the conditions of all
Americans. They were right, and the continued work of the League of
Women Voters is testament to that fact.
Carrie Chapman Catt, founder of the National Woman Suffrage
Association, proposed ``a League of Women Voters, nonpartisan and
nonsecretarial, to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of
the nation.'' By encouraging the participation of all citizens in
government, the league has adhered to that charge, and remains a
powerful force for productive change.
Today, the league is composed of both men and women who work together
to strengthen the democratic process and to seek positive solutions to
the problems of our time. Their efforts to increase citizen
participation and educate voters exemplify the spirit that makes
American government unique in the world. Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the
league's more famous members, once said: ``Life was meant to be lived,
and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason,
turn his back on life.'' These words accurately describe the league's
ongoing activities. On issues ranging from agriculture to arms control,
the league has been a tireless voice, and it continues to influence the
course of our Nation.
I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the members of
the League of Women Voters in my home State of Connecticut. Their work
is indicative of the broad range of activities the league is now
involved in nationwide. In addition to the many local voter education
projects, Connecticut members have been extremely active working behind
the scenes to gain passage of numerous pieces of crucial State
legislation. They have also participated in several recent
international fellowship programs. This past summer, the Connecticut
League of Women Voters hosted two Hungarian fellows in the interest of
promoting the exchange of democratic ideas worldwide. It is this type
of information exchange that embodies the work league members have
accomplished during the past 75 years.
Through its efforts, the League of Women Voters demonstrates that
politics need not be partisan, and that increased participation in a
democracy is always a change for the better. I congratulate and commend
all members, both past and present, who have worked on these efforts.
We should all take time to reflect upon the womens' suffrage movement
that brought the league into existence and the vital work this
organization continues to do today.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to congratulate
the League of Women Voters as it turns 75 years old today. Many
congratulations are certainly in order for this outstanding
organization that has done so much over the decades as ``a voice of
citizens and a force for change.''
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political group which
encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in
government, works to increase understanding of public policy issues,
and influences policy through education and advocacy. Every American
has benefited from the league's many contributions at the local, State,
and national levels of government during its 75 years.
In 1976, the league sponsored the first Presidential debates since
those famous ones in 1960. This capped a nationwide petition drive to
have candidates for Nation's highest office ``Meet in public debate on
the issues facing the country.'' The league also sponsored debates
during the general election campaigns of 1980 and 1984, and during the
primaries of 1988 and 1992.
Most of us know the league through our local chapters, since it is
organized in more than 1,000 communities, in all 50 States, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Its
education fund, founded in 1957, provides local and State leagues with
information and educational services on elections and on current public
policy issues. It is renowned for its ability to make complex and
controversial issues accessible to the average citizen in a clear and
balanced way.
There is no more important civic duty we have as Americans than
expressing ourselves through informed, consistent voting. I am proud to
commend and congratulate the League of Women Voters for helping to
foster that civic expression for 75 years.
commemorating the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, today we celebrate an important
organization in the modern history of American politics. The League of
Women Voters, a
[[Page S2643]] nonpartisan organization which encourages informed and
active participation in the political process, celebrates its 75th
anniversary.
The League of Women Voters is open to all of American voters. The
League of Women Voters is an established grassroots organization;
encouraging and enabling individuals to become true participants in the
important public policy and political debates of our time.
The League of Women Voters has an active presence in each of the 50
States. In North Dakota, the League of Women Voters has had an active
presence for the past 45 years. The North Dakota League of Women
Voters' activities include preparing voters' guides which explain
ballot measures, helping communities draft governing documents, and
supporting bills before the State legislature. The North Dakota League
of Women Voters is a valuable asset to my State.
Mr. President, I join my Senate colleagues and the American people in
congratulating the League of Women Voters on its remarkable
achievements. I wish the League of Women Voters many years of continued
success.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, 1995 is the 75th anniversary of the
passage of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
The year 1995 is also the 75th anniversary of the founding of the
League of Women Voters. I want to commend the league for its efforts to
encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in
government. I particularly want to recognize the activities of the
League of Women Voters in New Mexico.
In 1924, 4 years after the formation of the national league, the New
Mexico League started its first chapter in Albuquerque. The league
concentrated upon informing citizens on legislation before the New
Mexico House and Senate. By 1949, three league chapters were active in
Albuquerque, Los Alamos, and Las Vegas, NM. By 1953, two more chapters
had been added in Las Cruces and Santa Fe, and members were being
recruited for chapters in Tucumcari and Gallup. As membership grew,
local league chapters began to work on local and federal issues in
addition to issues before the State legislature.
Today, before every general election, local leagues publish voters
guides and hold candidate forums and debates. Between elections, the
league publishes Who's Who pamphlets listing the names of local elected
officials and holds seminars on issues important to New Mexicans.
Issues including health care, transportation, and children and youth
have been the topics of recent seminars. These publications, forums,
and seminars are valuable resources for citizens.
I would like to salute the New Mexico league for its untiring efforts
to inform citizens about State, local, and national issues. I would
like to particularly recognize five members of the New Mexico league
who will be honored by our Governor Gary Johnson on February 24: Trula
Johansson, Jessie Rudnick, Marjorie Burr, Barbara Bell, and Elizabeth
Platts. Trula Johansson joined the New Mexico league in 1948 and was
president of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County chapter; Jessie Rudnick
started a league-sponsored farmers market in Los Alamos; Marjorie Burr
was a founder of the Las Cruces chapter; Barbara Bell organized a
member-at-large league in Grants; Elizabeth Platts is past president of
the Santa Fe league. These five women are outstanding examples of the
contributions the league has made to New Mexico.
I also want to recognize the efforts of those who helped New Mexican
women gain the right to vote. The New Mexico Federation of Women's
Clubs and the Congressional Union, an organization of suffragettes,
were instrumental in pressing the New Mexico State Legislature to
ratify the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Mr. President, I
request that an article that better describes women's suffrage in New
Mexico be inserted into the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
Mr. President, I salute those who worked to give women the right to
vote. I salute the members of the New Mexico League of Women Voters and
the principles in which they believe and support. The league believes
in representative government and in the individual liberties
established in the Constitution of the United States, that democratic
Government depends upon the informed and active participation of its
citizens, and that responsible government should be responsive to the
will of the people. The league's education and advocacy activities in
support of these principles have served all New Mexicans well by
helping them better exercise their right to vote. On behalf of all New
Mexicans, I want to express my appreciation for the hard work and
dedication of the members of the League of Women Voters.
[From The League of Women Voters of New Mexico, Winter 1995]
Suffrage in New Mexico
(By Shelly Shepherd, President, LWV/ABC)
I recently spoke before the Federal Aviation Administration
for Women's Equality Day on the topic of Women's Suffrage in
New Mexico. I am particularly interested in this topic, as we
are approaching the 75th Anniversary of Passage of the 19th
Amendment and the 75th Anniversary of the National League of
Woman Voters of the United States.
I was surprised to find that little has been written about
the Women's Movement in New Mexico. I learned that most
people, including myself, have little or no knowledge about
the efforts that were made and who made them. Older accounts
of Women's Suffrage in the west omit New Mexico because it
was the only western state without Women's Suffrage by 1914.
I thought I'd share a few historic facts that I have
uncovered in my research.
The first organized pressure groups for Women's Suffrage in
New Mexico came during the Constitutional Convention of 1910.
Before 1900, Hispanic and Anglo support was insufficient to
make suffrage a real issue. In 1910, the National Women's
Suffrage Association (NAWSA) had only two subscribers to its
publication on suffrage. One name had ``dead'' scribbled
after it, and the other person was in a Silver City
sanatorium. This was hardly a suitable base for an active
women's movement.
Letter from Ada Morley to the Congressional Union reporting
on the campaign to have the New Mexico delegation support
passage of the Susan B. Anthony Women's Suffrage Amendment in
Congress, together with other letters in the National Women's
Party Papers in the Library of Congress, indicate the
existence of an active women's movement in New Mexico during
the early 20th Century.
During the first decade of the 20th Century, several
hundred New Mexico women organized into nine clubs in which
women could work together on civic, educational, and cultural
affairs. In 1909, women's clubs federated into a state
organization. In 1910, the president of the federated
organization presented a petition to delegates of the State
Constitutional Convention in support of women's suffrage. Of
three published memoirs, only two mention women's suffrage.
One says, ``Members compromised on women's sufrage'' while
the other notes, ``The very nature of New Mexico's background
was against giving women the voting privilege with men.''
The 1910 Constitution gave women the right to vote in
school district elections and made them eligible to hold
public office as superintendent, director, or member of a
local board of education. However, Article VII restricted the
right of women to vote for these officials if enough men
objected.
In addition, the constitutional compromise protected the
elective franchise of Hispanic males, through whatever
mechanism it might be achieved and `make it virtually
impossible to amend
the Constitution to give women the right to vote.'' To amend
the franchise provision, three quarters of the voters in each
county had to approve; and this made it exceedingly difficult
to achieve voting rights for women. Ada Morley wrote to the
Congressional Union, ``Federal action is our only hope.Amid
the celebrations of new statehood, a small group of women
were dissatisfied with their disenfranchisement. At first,
some of the club women worked through the National American
Women's Suffrage Association (NAWSA) which attempted to
expand its activities in New Mexico between 1912 and 1915.
Deane Lindsey, an active club woman and former teacher from
Portales, became State Chairman. NAWSA offered little
incentive for New Mexico to become politically active,
however, because it had begun to focus on suffrage
referendums that were inappropriate in New Mexico.
More important than NAWSA for fueling the engine of women's
discontent in New Mexico was the National Federation of
Women's Clubs (NFWC) with which the New Mexico Federation of
Women's Clubs (NMFWC) became affiliated in 1914.
When the Congressional Union sent their first organizer to
New Mexico in 1914, New Mexico club women were ready to act.
A splinter group under the leadership of Alice Paul that
separated from NAWSA in 1912, the Congressional Union (CU),
had adopted the militant and sophisticated pressure tactics
of the ``British Suffragettes,'' as the British called their
campaigners. The group of women that the CU pulled together
in New Mexico launched its first campaign in 1915,
[[Page S2644]] continued to mobilize during the war, and
remained the most active organization during the ratification
battle. Once the state network was set up, CU organizers
planned the type of pageant that the CU had made famous--a
mass meeting, a parade, and a deputation to Senators Thomas
Catron and Albert Fall.
The woman who rallied to the CU were not representative of
various regions of New Mexico, ethnic groups, or classes.
They were predominantly Anglo elite centered in Santa Fe,
Albuquerque, and other northern cities. An overwhelming
number of the members' husbands identified with the
Republican Party, the dominant party in the state at the
time.
Ella St. Clair Thompson, CU organizer in New Mexico in
1915, made efforts to recruit daughters of Hispanic
politicians. Thompson had leaflets printed in Spanish and
English. Although the CU records only mention six Hispanic
women as participants, these six were key players. Aurora
Lucero, daughter of the Secretary of State, joined, as did
three nieces of Solomon Luna, including 34 year old widow
Adelina Otero-Warren, who became the most influential woman
in the CU.
If any woman could be credited as being the ``Susan B.
Anthony of New Mexico,'' it would be Adelina Otero-Warren.
Beginning as a timid woman unwilling to speak in public,
Adelina gradually became a political force. Her uncle,
Solomon Luna, the powerful and popular head of the Republican
Party, had died in 1912; but her father was still active in
politics. And other Otero males were moving into positions in
the Republican Party. In 1917, Otero-Warren was appointed
school superintendent in Santa Fe, and in 1918 she defeated a
male opponent to retain this elective position. Otero-Warren
guided the last phase of the campaign to pry the amendment
out of Congress. She accepted leadership of the New Mexico CU
and was soon skillfully evaluating local tensions among
factions. She stated, ``I will keep out of local fuss but
will take a stand and a firm one whenever necessary.'' Otero-
Warren kept the group intact through the war and only
resigned from the CU to become chair of the Women's Division
of the Republican State Committee for New Mexico.
The women in the CU realized, after storming the office of
US Senator Catron (Senior congress Member) on the suffrage
matter, that he would not budge from his anti-suffrage
position. ``He thinks all we are good for is to stay home,
have children, have more children, cook and wash dishes,'' a
suffragette complained bitterly after Catron rebuffed one
delegation. Other U.S. Congressmen from New Mexico were
unwilling to openly endorse suffrage as long as Catron
opposed it.
Republican women moved into action by nominating another
candidate to Catron's seat. They were unsuccessful in urging
the Republican party to nominate pro-suffrage candidate Frank
Hubbel in 1916. That year, for the first time, parties in New
Mexico supported the suffrage amendment.
The CU maintained its bipartisan stand in the election of
1916, opposing Democrats who would not endorse suffrage and
refusing to campaign for Republicans. Both Hubbell and
Hernandez (Republicans) were defeated in the Wilson landslide
of 1916. The 1916 election placed two pro-suffrage Democrats
from New Mexico in Congress--William Walton and Andreius
Jones.
Senator Jones, who replaced Catron in Congress, moved into
the chair of the Senate Committee on Women's Suffrage. He
proved his support by visiting CU militants jailed for their
Washington protests.
When Senator Walton began to waiver on suffrage, Otero-
Warren turned up the political heat. This last minute
pressure steadied Walton so that he voted for the 19th
Amendment that passed the House of Representatives in
January, 1918. The Senate voted favorably in June, 1919.
With the federal amendment out of Congress, political focus
now shifted back to New Mexico where the Legislature had to
approve the amendment. Suffragettes were so confident that
the amendment would easily pass in the January, 1919 session
that the new head of the state CU, now calling itself the
National Women's Party (NWP), made the mistake of leaving for
California. Otero-Warren lobbied among the Hispanics, and the
amendment passed the House early. New Mexico was predicted to
be one of the first states to ratify the amendment. However,
in the Senate a Republican member sidetracked the
amendment by substituting a state referendum measure which,
as everyone knew, could not pass. This defeat bitterly
disappointed women and national suffrage leaders.
Women knew that the longer the ratification process took,
the more the opposition would organize against its passage.
Anti-suffragists began labeling those supporting suffrage as
disloyal and Bolshevik agents. Suffrage leaders were
compelled to spend time refuting claims of the ``anti's''
that women would vote socialist once they were enfranchised
during this ``red scare'' period. The National Women's Party
was militant in its activism during the war, even picketing
the President. This distressed more moderate suffragists. The
two major suffrage groups thus became divided because the
leadership believed in different tactics.
Early in 1920 Arizona and Utah ratified after governors
from these states promised their support. Governor C.A.
Larrazolo of New Mexico promised the NAWSA and NWP leaders
passage of the amendment at a special session called for
February 16, 1920. If New Mexico ratified as the 32nd state,
only 4 more would be needed for passage of the 19th
Amendment.
Final victory in New Mexico resulted from coalition work by
NWP and Republican Women. Otero-Warren swung into action in
January, lining up Republican leaders behind the amendment.
Republican anti-suffragists hoped to convince Hispanics that
women's suffrage was against their interests and convince
them to vote it down. Anglo politicians could then blame
Hispanic males for the defeat of a law Anglos did not want
enacted.
Suffragist women packed the Senate galleries to hear the
final debate, and Republicans shifted support to the
amendment. On February 19, 1920, the Senate ratified the
amendment by a vote of 17 to 5. On the last day of the
struggle, February 19, 1920, after the Senate had ratified
and the House had balked at passing the amendment, Otero-
Warren spent three hours in a Republican caucus. Dan Padilla
withdrew his referendum proposal; Republican leader R.I. Baca
shifted to support the amendment; and the House ratified the
amendment 36 to 10. New Mexico became the 32nd state to
ratify.
Oklahoma, Washington, and West Virginia followed New
Mexico. The final battle was fought in Tennessee, where anti-
suffragists were accused of buying votes and instigating
opposition of every sort. On August 15, 1920, Tennessee
ratified! After almost a century of talk about suffrage and
more than a decade of campaigning in New Mexico, women had
the right to vote. We owe a great vote of thanks to Adelina
Otero-Warren and all those who worked with her for so many
years. I only hope that we can have this type of dedication
to work toward favorable resolution of issues which face the
League and our country both now and in the future.
the 75th anniversary of league of women voters
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I am proud to join today with my colleagues in
celebrating the 75th anniversary of an organization that has focused on
bringing women into the political system:
As people who are informed.
People who ask questions.
People who take an active role.
People who can make a difference.
People who would become U.S. Senators.
I believe that it is fair to say that the League of Women Voters, not
alone, but with others, has served as the backbone, a sort of
grassroots engine moving women forward, not only as activists, but as
leaders.
The league was founded in 1920 at the Chicago convention of the
National American Woman Suffrage Association, 6 months prior to passage
of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote. On the eve of
its establishment, Carrie Chapman Catt, its founder said:
Winning the vote is only the opening wedge, but to learn to
use it is a bigger task.
And thus, for 75 years the league has been teaching its membership
and all citizens how to use the power of the vote. The league fought to
make candidate debates part of campaigning for elective office.
At the national level, it has educated and engaged women in the
debate over foreign policy and organized the grassroots on domestic
issues--the equal rights amendment, the Voting Rights Act, voter
registration reform, and campaign reform to name a few.
At the local level, the league has served to educate the electorate
about important public policy issues by sponsoring forums for candidate
debates, and providing guides to the issues on the ballot, and more.
In the February 1995, issue of ``Today's Voter'' a newsletter put out
by the League of Women Voters of San Bernadino, CA, the organization's
president, Jan Green, said there are four kinds of bones:
She said, and I quote:
The body of a club or group is made of four kinds of bones:
the wishbones, who spend all their time wishing someone would
do all the work; the jawbones, who do all the talking but
very little else; the knucklebones who knock everything that
everybody else tries to do; and the backbones who get under
the load and do the work as they enjoy the fun of fellowship
that come with it.
These words were obviously prodding the membership of the
organization toward greater participation in the work of the league.
But I believe that these words provide something even more for both
elected officials and the electorate.
For elected officials, it is a call for quality representation.
Leadership not filled with a lot of talk--political rhetoric on
partisan bickering. It is a call for leadership that respects the
political process, and the institutions that have served this country
well for over
[[Page S2645]] 200 years and hopefully long in the future.
For the electorate, it is a call to greater engagement in the
political process and the decisions that will shape our future. To go
beyond the surface of soundbites and look deeper to the heart of the
issues. And most importantly, to vote on election day.
While the influence of the League of Women Voters in shaping the role
of women in politics cannot be overstated, I believe their role in the
coming years will be equally as important, if not more important.
Important victories have been won for women, in terms of the number of
elected officials at the national, State, and local levels, and in
terms of the legislative victories that have resulted.
In this session, alone critical issues for women are on the table--
research for women's health, reproductive choice, welfare reform, and
equal opportunity to name a few. The role of the league becomes vital
in preserving those gains, whether it be by energizing women voters on
election day or galvanizing their forces behind important issues on the
legislative agenda.
I want to thank the League of Women Voters for the valuable work it
has done for 75 years and for it continued work on issues important to
women, in particular, and the electorate at-large.
Thank you, Mr. President.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters of the united states
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, today marks the 75th anniversary of the
founding of the League of Women Voters. It is with pleasure on this
auspicious anniversary to salute this organization that has become an
American institution.
Founded in 1920, the League of Women Voters was born out of the
women's suffrage movement, just 6 months before the 19th amendment
granted women the right to vote. During its 75-year history, the league
has made unparalleled contributions to the advancement of public policy
and to groundbreaking legislation that changed the Nation.
Across the United States, the League of Women Voters has worked
tirelessly to educate citizens about their rights and responsibilities,
and to increase voter participation in the political process.
Initiatives such as the public policy forums, candidate debates, voter
guides and courses in the schools are just a few examples of the
contributions by the league to the best of the American political
tradition.
Through its membership, the league has played an essential role in
promoting the involvement of citizens at all levels of government. Its
success in mobilizing voters and improving the
policymaking process is evident in the history of this Nation's most
significant legislation. The Social Security Act, the Clean Air Act,
and the National Voter Registration Act are examples of the league's
policy and legislative accomplishments.
In Massachusetts, the league has been a valuable and respected
presence. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts was founded in
1920 as one of the first leagues in the country, and continues to have
the largest number of local league chapters in the United States.
The Massachusetts league has been vigorous in the achievement and
protection of basic advances in reproductive rights, gun control,
education, and civil rights. It has worked hard to prevent and treat
child abuse and neglect, and to combat domestic violence against women
and children. It has also had a significant impact in the struggle to
preserve and protect our environment, and has been an effective leader
on issues such as recycling and hazardous waste collection.
I commend the League of Women Voters for its success, and for its
outstanding contributions to the Nation. It has been an honor to work
with the league over the years, and I look forward to working closely
with the league in the years ahead.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today we celebrate 75 years of achievement
by the League of Women Voters.
In the 75 years since women won the vote and the League of Women
Voters was founded, the league has enabled millions of women and men to
cast an informed vote through political education. The League of Women
Voters in my home State of California, while excelling at that worthy
goal, also has been a leader in the effort to promote equality, involve
citizens in shaping their government, and build a better California for
our children.
From filing a brief advocating a minimum wage in 1923, to producing
award-winning environmental videos in the 1990's, the League of Women
Voters of California has had a long and distinguished history.
In 1992, the League of Women Voters of California held their first
convention at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, and 70 delegates
attended. Today, the California league has over 70 chapters around the
State and over 10,000 members.
In 1935, the league of California spoke out in support of
unemployment insurance and they worked for tougher child labor laws in
1942. In 1969, the league helped pass stronger water pollution laws,
and then in 1976, they helped pass the Coastal Act Initiative to
protect California's coastline. In 1987, the league registered
thousands of high school seniors to vote. In the 1990's, the league in
California has spoken out and provided crucial information to voters on
issues ranging from hazardous waste to reproductive choice.
Most important, the efforts of the League of Women Voters to ensure
equality at the ballot box, in our schools, and in the workplace, have
helped open up opportunities for women to succeed at all levels of
American life. The league has inspired millions of women to learn the
issues, get involved, and vote.
The past 75 years have been filed with both struggles and
accomplishments. As I look back at the rich history of the League of
Women Voters, I can only hope that future generations of women will
have the league to educate them, inform them, and motivate them to
become involved in their communities.
the 75th anniversary of the league of women voters
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise this morning in honor of the 75th
anniversary of the League of Women Voters of the United States.
Founded in 1920, out of the Women's suffrage movement, the leagues
has served 75 years educating voters about the most complex public
issues of the day.
The league has an impressive history. It has a long tradition of
providing voters information--from the first national radio broadcast
of a candidate forum in 1928, to its Emmy-Award-winning 1976 debates
between former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.
The league encourages citizen participation in the democratic
process. The organization has educated and advocated on issues ranging
from--passage of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving
women the right to vote--to the passage of the motor-voter law in the
last Congress.
And, the leagues doe not shy away from taking on the issues. For
example, in 1955, the league's president testified against Senator
Joseph McCarthy's abuse of congressional investigative powers.
Organized in thousands of communities throughout the Nation, the
league emphasizes the need for government to be representative,
accountable, and responsive.
Mr. President, the League of Women Voters is an excellent
organization and I am proud to honor the league's 75th anniversary
today.
Mr. FORD addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
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