The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-31
THE DEMAND OF THE sUFFRAGIsTs.

Strong Opposition to IL and Prolonged Dis
custom IN the Committee Oh Resolutions.
The question Of suffrage plank or no suffrage
plank was the one thing Of absorbing interest to
the delegates all day yesterday and all even
ming. There were . great many attempts to
formulate platforms that would be agreeable to
all sides. but the matter failed. The two wings
were too far apart The fact is that there is .
general feeling among the statesmen Of
the convention that the party Ia for
iner conventions unnecessarily handicapped
itself by declaring in favor Of male
suffrage. but that 1T presentit would be unwise
to 60 back on it. They are, SO to speak, between
the devil and the deep sea on the matter. The
whole South, with the exception of one or two
States, is rieidly opposed to it. Sam Small 10
making an active fight against it. He says he
can't see that a suffrage plank will benefit any
body but the Republicans in the North. as the
Democrats will refuse to affiliate with the Pro-
hibItionists down South on account OF it.
He contends earnestly against il for tho reason
that female Suffrage in the South would mean
the enfranchisement of the colored women-a
class which he pronounces utterly unit for the
ballot: whose Acknowledgement would do vastly
more harm than the enfrsnchisement OF white
women would do good. Prof. Olin, of Wiscon-
sln, mr. hastings, OF the same otdte, anu q
number Of others are also radically opposing il.
The ground o. opposition In nearly every case
10 not on account of principle, but on the ground
OF expediency. A great many Of the deleea ties
who express themselves In favor of woman's suf-
frage when the time comes say that IL 10 uunec-
essary now to make it an issue, and detract
from the paramount Importance Of prohibition.
They concede that the adoption means the loss
o. many thousand votes in both sections OF the.
country, and possibly the recession OF the tenn
perance movement for some time. The cool
headed men Of the convention are undoubtedly
opposed to indorsing the suffrage movement.
but It Is the hurrah element that wants to carry
everything with . whoop that insists upon it.
The committee on resolutions took up. the
matter at its meeting yesterday afternoon, at
the New Denisop, at 2 o'clock, and discussed it
vigorously until Z o'clock. The whole ground
was covered in every direction, and every range
and phase of the subject debated. When the
committee came TO vote. it developed that there
was a large majority in favor of recognizing the
women in some way-the vote standing p to 8
In favor OF making some sort OF an Endorsement
of woman's suffrage. The committee thsn ad-
journed unit, 8 o'clock this morning, appointing
q sub committee, however, to draft the sresolu-
tons which will be submitted to the full COM
mittee when it meets.
The subcommittee will report in favor of Q
ballot unlimited by sex or race. properly based
will be Endorsed and . free ballot and q fair
count In all elections will be- demanded. The
tariff will be touched liRhtly-a demand being
made for its revision. The rest of the platform
will be devoted to the temperance issue. Bishop
Turner went before the committee and talked
earnestly in favor of doing something for the
negroes.
The debate ever the report of the COMMITTEES
to the convention promises to be an animated
ono this morning. .