Amendment if the President gave his support

1
N
Since that date women have realized that they needed to make a more constant, direct, and public
appeal to the President, as head of the governme
through the cold of winter and the heat of summer, women have stood at the gates of the White
House, holding in their hands their suffrage banners of purple, white, and gold.
For five months they were allowed to stand there in peace. But last month the District police
began to arrest them for holding the same banners in the same place.
Please understand that there is no law again building a banner at the gate of the White House.
The charge brought by the District police against the suffragists is the technical charge of
“obstructing traffic.”
Everyone who has followed the history of the suffrage activity at the Capital knows that this
charge is brought by the police to compel women to withdraw from the
demand for suffrage.
… Women are not asking the Government to do the
suffrage amendment if the President gave his support.
… But instead of assisting women to win freedom, the Government is trying to intimid
who ask for freedom.”
Source: Caroline Katzenstein Papers
Student Handout 3.C: NWP Primary Sources 1
National Woman’s Party
Excerpt: “Why We Picket” Flyer
“For nearly seventy years women have worked for
enfranchisement. They have held enormous mass
meetings in large cities, and have addressed tiny
groups in the remoter towns; they have held
innumerable street meetings and many great
processions; they have rolled up huge petitions to
Congress, aggregating millions of names; they have
sent to the President deputation after deputation of
women representing every walk of life. The question
of woman suffrage is probably better known and
more widely approved than any political question
which Congress has acted favorably upon for the past
five years. Last January a deputation of women
waited upon President Wilson, urging him to stop the
waste of energy and life that was being expended in
the long struggle to establish democracy for women.
His reply was that women must “concert public
opinion” in favor of their freedom.
Since that date women have realized that they needed to make a more constant, direct, and public
appeal to the President, as head of the government, for justice. Every day since January 10 1917,
through the cold of winter and the heat of summer, women have stood at the gates of the White
House, holding in their hands their suffrage banners of purple, white, and gold.
owed to stand there in peace. But last month the District police
began to arrest them for holding the same banners in the same place.
Please understand that there is no law again building a banner at the gate of the White House.
e District police against the suffragists is the technical charge of
Everyone who has followed the history of the suffrage activity at the Capital knows that this
charge is brought by the police to compel women to withdraw from the White House their
Women are not asking the Government to do the impossible. Congress could easily pass the
suffrage amendment if the President gave his support.
But instead of assisting women to win freedom, the Government is trying to intimid
Caroline Katzenstein Papers, retrieved from http://www.hsp.org/node/2755
Primary Sources 1
For nearly seventy years women have worked for
enfranchisement. They have held enormous mass
meetings in large cities, and have addressed tiny
groups in the remoter towns; they have held
innumerable street meetings and many great
rolled up huge petitions to
Congress, aggregating millions of names; they have
sent to the President deputation after deputation of
women representing every walk of life. The question
of woman suffrage is probably better known and
n any political question
which Congress has acted favorably upon for the past
five years. Last January a deputation of women
waited upon President Wilson, urging him to stop the
waste of energy and life that was being expended in
blish democracy for women.
His reply was that women must “concert public
Since that date women have realized that they needed to make a more constant, direct, and public
nt, for justice. Every day since January 10 1917,
through the cold of winter and the heat of summer, women have stood at the gates of the White
owed to stand there in peace. But last month the District police
Please understand that there is no law again building a banner at the gate of the White House.
e District police against the suffragists is the technical charge of
Everyone who has followed the history of the suffrage activity at the Capital knows that this
White House their
impossible. Congress could easily pass the
But instead of assisting women to win freedom, the Government is trying to intimidate those
http://www.hsp.org/node/2755