Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1912-10-25
ROOSEVELT u. | | ! BAIT ) | L
FOR SuF +:
Third Term Candidate Was Con-
sistent|y Their Enemy Till
He Needed Their Votes.
COULD HAVE CARRIED OHIO
But Bio Bull Moose Took to the Yer.
mont Woods-Noted Woman Ex-
poses His Change Of Front.
By IDA Hustled HARPER.

The Progressive party had it's first
opportunity to show its loyalty to tho
woman suffrage plank in its platform
when the vote was taken in Ohio on a
new constitution. Forty-two amend
ments were on the ballot, and all were
adopted except the one for woman
suffrage!
Ohio is one Of the "banner' Progress
sive states, and MI. Roosevelt expects
to secure its electoral vote. In order
to do this q plurality Of the electors
must be Progressives, and they could
therefore have easily carried the SUI
frage amendment If all the others had
voted against 1t, as the vote on the
constitution was very light, only .
few hundred thousand out of more
than million who were eligible. Did
he issue Gny orders to this effect? Did
he say to his followers: 'Now. here IL
our first chance to show the women
that we mean business. OF course II
we win in November we will give the
franchise to all in the United States,
but just now we can make good by
giving it to those in Ohio, so let every
Progressive vote for the woman SUI
frage amendment" Did he do this
On the contrary, he completely 1g.
nored the matter, although he passed
through Ohio the very day Of the cleo
ton.
A few days before, at st. Johnsbury,
VT, Mr.. Roosevelt had devoted large
part Of his speech to showing how
strongly he believed In the ballot for
women and how anxious he was for
them to get it. The question was not
an issue there or likely to be, but 1t
was a vital issue in Ohio, to be settled
in four days, and yet not by spoken or
written word did he show to the peo-
pie of Ohio that he knew of its ex.
istence
Two days after the Progressive par
ty in Ohio permitted the defeat of this
amendment it's state convention met.
If any women were elected delegates
the press dispatches failed to mention
1t, and in the platform woman suf-
frage plank was conspicuous by its alb
sence. "The Progressive party pledges
itself to the task of securing equal SUI
frage to men and women alike" says
it's national platform, and Ohio has
Just given the first example of the
way it apparently means to keep that
pledge.
In Mr.. Roosevelt's second term the
suffragists determined to make every
possible effort to secure an indorse.
ment from him. AS Miss Susan B.
Anthony's most eloquent letters to
him received no answer, she went In
person to see him in November, 1905,
just four months before her death.
With all her powers Of persuasion she
pleaded with him to recommend in his
forthcoming message some recognition
of woman's claim to a voice in the
government. Laying her hand on his
arm, she looked up into his face and
said, II beg Of you to be the enamel
pator Of woman as Lincoln was tho
emancipation Of the slave" He was not
resembling Lincoln so much In those
days a. he is at present, and he 70
NAMED totally unmoved BY her ap-
peals.
ecant Courtesy At White House.
Shortly before he left the White
House several officers Of tho National
Suffrage association, realizing his
great influence on public opinion,
made one last effort to have him
speak favorable word. He came into
the outside lobby Of the executive Of
flce, required them to state their bust
ness before the crowd waiting to see
him and would hardly give them a
chance to speak. but kept saying, "Go
and get another state" He shrugged
his shoulders and turned on his heel,
and then they said, IF we will get up
a petition Of a million names will that
influence you?" NO." he replied, mot
one particle"
That was In 1909. The next year q
letter from him was read 1t an anti.
suffrage meeting In the Berkeley thea
ter, New York, In which he said: II
am very tepid on woman suffrage"
The cause Of woman's enfranchise-