[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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