She linked feminism and socialism to women's suffrage, and many statements produced by the movement at the time were inflammatory and vitriolic, which became known as "Wadsworthy" tactics.

Until this time, the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS), founded in 1911 by Josephine Jewell Dodge, had been headquartered in New York City.

In 1917, Wadsworth replaced Dodge as president of the NAOWS, and the headquarters of the organization were moved to Washington, D.C.[4] On December 11, 1917, while serving as president of the NAOWS, Wadsworth wrote a memorial to Charles E. Fuller, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, outlining the group's continued opposition to a federal suffrage amendment.

Wadsworth proposed that the issue of women's suffrage should be decided by popular vote and opposed ratification of the federal amendment through the state legislatures.

Alice Hay Wadsworth ended her public opposition to suffrage and returned to her role as wife of a senator until her husband's death in 1952.