The Progress of the Women's Suffrage Movement Presidential Address to the Cambridge Branch of the C. & U. W. F. A. at the Annual Meeting on May 23rd, 1913

In this thoughtful address, a seasoned advocate reflects on the remarkable strides women’s suffrage has made over the past half‑century, while candidly confronting the setbacks caused by increasingly militant tactics. She argues that the movement’s strength lies in steady, lawful progress and warns that violent protest not only harms the cause but also tarnishes the public’s perception of women’s judgment and prudence.

The speaker also outlines a strategic view of social change: lasting reform emerges when a broad, previously indifferent public gradually adopts a benevolent neutrality toward the issue. By emphasizing patient persuasion over coercion, she underscores the importance of winning hearts through reasoned debate and the subtle shift of societal attitudes, rather than through forceful agitation.