slative
committees of the two in order to secure more united action.

In the discussion of these suggestions it developed that at this
time the Congressional Union has no election policy and that its
future policy must depend on political situations. The Union
declares itself to be non-partisan according to its constitution,
which pledges its members to support suffrage regardless of the
interests of any national political parties. At this point the
report of the joint conference ends.

The committee of five representing the National American
Association recommends that no affiliation shall take place
because it was made quite clear that the Congressional Union does
not denounce nor pledge itself not to resume what we term its
anti-party policy and what they designate as their election
policy; also because it is their intention, as announced by them,
to organize in all States in the Union for congressional work,
thus duplicating organizations already existing. Your committee
further recommends that the incoming board of officers give their
serious consideration to the suggestion of conferences with a
view to securing more united action in the lobby work in
Washington.

At the conference Mrs. Catt explained to Miss Paul that the
association could not accept as an affiliated society one which was
likely to defy its policy held since its foundation in 1869, which was
neither to support nor oppose any political party, nor to work for or
against any candidate except as to his attitude toward woman suffrage.
Miss Paul would give no guarantee that the Congressional Union would
observe this policy. It was thought that some way of dividing the
lobby work might be found but in a short time the Union announced its
program of fighting the candidates of the Democratic party without
any reference to their position on the Federal Amendment or their
record on woman suffrage. They offered as a reason that as the
Democratic party was in control of the Government it should have the
Federal Amendment submitted. There never was a time when the Democrats
had the necessary two-thirds of the members of each house of Congress,
but enough of them favored it so that it could have been carried if
enough of the Republicans had voted for it. It was plainly evident
that it would require the support of both parties. The policy of the
Congressional U