NOW president marshals troops for ERA ratification

By Fran Arman

Staff writer

LOS ANGELES Heeding a warning that a "tough job will become so much tougher," the 850 voting delegates at the National Organization for Women Conference overwhelmingly reelected president Eleanor Smeal and the slate of officers she endorsed.

All winning by a large margin, Judy Goldsmith, Jane Wells-Schooley, Sandra Roth and Alice Chapman will join Ms. Smeal in fighting for NOW's No. 1 priority: Passage of the Equal Rigths Amendment.

Ms. Smeal's request that her slate be elected was clearly a bone of contention among some of the membership. Saturday night she was repeatedly questioned about her move, with some delegates referring to it as a political "machine" and others saying it was

tantamount to the president choosing a cabinet, not an election of officers as the organization's bylaws state.

A portion of the lesbian faction was angered because one of their most vocal supporters on the current executive committee, Arlie Scott, was dropped from the slate in favor Ms. Wells-Schooley. The lesbians had considered walking out of the conference in protest.

But Ms. Smeal said the staff changes were vital because the friction on the current executive committee drained energy that could have been used more constructively. She sighted lack of availablity and lack of honesty as two problems the committee had.

One delegate asked how NOW was able to achieve an ERA extension if the friction was so great.

"We achieved it by almost killing ourselves. I'll just be real frank," Ms. Smeal said. "The load I carried was too hard and too much. I believe these officers will be with me at 2 a.m., and by God, they better be."

When she was asked what the effect on her would be if the slate did not win, Ms. Smeal replied that her job would become tougher and she said, "I think I must be out of touch with the membership."

With those words, the conference. hall at the Bonaventure Hotel grew quiet, and Ms. Smeal added softly, "It would affect me greatly."

Ms. Smeal's policy commitments were reflected in the resolutions that were voted on and passed yesterday in the closing session.

First on the list was ERA, renewing the commitment to intensify the boycott în unratified

states and promising vociferous

presence both inside and outside the Democratic and Republican national conventions.

The second resolution dealt with reproductive rights. It called for an end to the discrimination in legislation relating to abortion, as well as asking for increased funds for research on contraception and on the diseases of pregnancy, such as toxemia.

Two other resolutions concerned sexual harassment on the job and equal rights for lesbians. The latter resolution called for coordinating a nationwide campaign to provide federal legislation on gay rights and development of an educational and public relations campaign.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Smeal emphasized that NOW's support of lesbian rights will be "up front," starting with high vis-

ibility at a gay rights march in Washington later this week.

Among yesterday's speakers were Addie Wyatt, one of the highest ranking executives in the labor movement and Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women.

One of NOW's founders, Betty Friedan, payed a surprise visit to the conference. Ms. Friedan critisized President Carter for not delivering what he promised. She said, "It's no secret many of us here are thinking of Teddy Kennedy. I will not support Kennedy or anyone else until I have a guarantee on the ERA and a guarantee about the rights of women."

One of the conferences most dynamic speeches came from Ms. Wyatt, who strongly addressed the concerns of minority women, shackled on one leg by sexism and

on the other by racism. She said some feminists don't understand that minority women must divide their fighting time between the two.

"If you take the chain of racism off my leg, I'm still bound. I have the chain of sexism on," she said. "If you take the chain of sexism off and don't remove the chain of racism from my leg, I'm still bound. Oh, set me free."

Ms. Wyatt told the audience that those who couldn't afford to come here were dependent upon them for help.

"Sisters, there's a world out there frustrated, deteriorated. You and I can make the big difference," she said. "My challenge to you is that regardless of color, regardless of education, whether you're on Weight Watchers or Sara Lee, reach out and touch each other's hand."