Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/812

 796 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE granted in the Cantons. Whenever they have voted on it they have defeated it, the agricultural population being especially hos- tile. There are many organizations of women, the most important of which ask for the suffrage. The largest of them, the National Council of Women, with 20,000 members from all kinds of societies, was very slow to recognize the value of the vote but in January, 1919, when a revision of the constitution was expected, it took official action and unanimously adopted suffrage work. Mme. Chaponniere-Chaix (who is now president of the Inter- national Council of Women), Mme. Saulner and Mile. Camille Vidart were present at the forming of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance in Berlin in 1904 to represent a group in Geneva. In May, 1908, a Central Woman Suffrage Committee was formed in Berne of societies in seven cities and it was ad- mitted to membership in the Alliance. In January, 1909, a National Association was organized with M. de Morsier, a Deputy of the Council of the Geneva Canton, as president and lectures and organizing commenced. The work was continued and small gains were made. Vaud, Geneva, Neuchatel, Bale-Ville and Berne gave women a vote in the State church. They can sit on school boards in these Cantons and Zurich. They can vote for and serve on the tribunaux de prud'hommes industrial boards in two or three Cantons, these rights granted by the Councils. The universities and the professions are open to women. Work for woman suffrage was at an end during the War and after it was over there was not the disposition to enfranchise women that prevailed in 'other countries of Europe but it was taken up by the liberal parties. The suffragists entered upon vigorous efforts to have the rights of women included in the proposed revision of the national constitution. On March 17, 1919, in response to large petitions, the Council of Neuchatel by a vote of 60 to 30 submitted the question of woman suffrage to the voters. In June the National Suffrage Association held its annual meeting in this Canton with a large attendance and its president, Mile. Emily Gourd, gave an account of an active year's work. A petition signed by 157 women's societies asked the Federal Coun- cil to put woman suffrage in the revised national constitution.