The Enfranchisement of women and the League of Women Voters, 1914-1944, by Marguerite M. Wells, 1946

The collection consists of a typed manuscript (dated August 12, 1946) containing excerpts from speeches and writings of Marguerite M. Wells and entitled The Enfranchisement of Women and the League of Women Voters, 1914-1944. The excerpts include Wells's statement in 1919 that "The League of Women Voters is the political thing in the world;" her response to claims that the organization constitutes a third party; plans for annual conventions, Wells's remarks at conventions, and reports on those conventions; her views on women's relative freedom from "bad political habits;" her thoughts on the proposed child labor amendment and on the League's achievements in its first ten years; and advice on increasing membership, with Wells noting that the best way of improving membership is by "satisfying those [members] you have." Columns by Wells on topics including "Public Welfare in Government," "What Women are Thinking--Four Years of Suffrage," "When Father Pays the Bills," "Making the Job Fit for Your Daughter," and "Voting Is Not Easy," and excerpts from letters Wells wrote to a former board member are also included. Publications in which articles by or about Wells appear include The Smith College Quarterly, The Washington Post, The Woman Citizen, The Christian Science Monitor, and the League's member magazine. The collection includes explanatory notes by Jeanette Bailey (Mrs. M. Adolphus) Cheek and Wells regarding Wells's motivation in compiling the document.