Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-11
Ask Voice in the Choice Of
Federal Electors.
SUGGEST PLATFORM PLANK
Prepare Petition to Republican Ma
tiopal Convention.
TEXT OF THE COMMUNICATION
Look to the g. o. p. as the Great
Exponent Of the Ameri-
can Ideal.

The Federal Suffrage Association OF the
United States will petition the republican
national convention. which meets In Chi
Cage next Tuesday. to insert In the re-
publican platform a plank declaring that
women citizens should be given the priv
ilege of voting for federal electors wher-
ever they are willing to qualify and reg
lister.
The petition which will be presented to
the coT.ention follows:
The undersigned. representing the Fed
eral Suffrage Association OF the United
States. respectfully request you to place
In your platform a resolution recognizing
the right of women TO the elective fran
chise. at least so far as relates to the
choice of federal officers
Spirit Of Constitution.
I'VE believe that the spirit. IL not the
language. of the Constitution OF the
United States requires that the federal
officers. particularly the members OF the
House OF Representatives. should be elect
ell by the people, and we believe that
women are people and as such are entitled
to voice In those elections. This seems
to have been the opinion of the trainers
OF the Constitution. Madison. Jefferson
and even Hamilton insisted that the lower
house should be made to represent the
whole people; and. as women were then
voting In some parts OF the United States
and no exception was made. II seems
evident that the trainers intended to in
clude women among the people who
were to elect the members Of the House
OF Representatives. We simply ask a
return to the ideas Of the founders of the
republic. We look'to the republican party
as the great exponent OF the American
ideal. as the party of progress. having
in charge the highest interests of human
tty. and looking forward to the civiliza-
ti0l of the world, and as such We ask
the convention TO put itself on record as
In favor of Justice and equal rights for
the women of this nation
1t is signed by Mrs. Belva A. lockwood,
Washington. d. c.; Mrs. Clara b. Colby.
Portland, Ore; Rev. Olympia Brown OF
Racine, Wis. and Marilla NJ. Kicker.
Dover. y. II.
Text of Resolution.
The resolution which the convention IN
requested to incorporate in the platform
sets forth: That as in the rapid de-
velopment Of our country in every de-
partment of industry and science, in
which women have become so strong an
economic factor. and forming. as they do.
more than one-half of the graduates OF
our colleges and universities. and now
comprising three-fourths OF the teachers
Of the public schools of the country: ana
as they have become prominent factors
in every branch OF the federal govern
ment. that. in our opinion. woman citi-
zens should be given the privilege of yot-
ing for federal electors wherever they are
willing to qualify and register"
Views of Mrs. Lockwood.
In a statement made to a Star reporter
today Belva A. Lockwood. one of the
signers OF the petition. stated:
President Roosevelt has said to our
committee that the question OF woman
suffrage is not now before the country
William Jennings Bryan says lit fs
not national issue. but as his daughter
has been made one OF the deIepates To
the national democratic nominating con-
vention to meet in Denver three weeks
hence 1t may become a democratic ISSUE