The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-10-24
ROOSEVELT BAIT
FOR SUFFRAC|STS
Third Term Candidate Was Con-
sistentIy Their Enemy TIL
He Needed Their Votes.
COULD HAVE CARRIED OHIO.
But Big Bull Moose Took to the ver-
mont Woods--Noted Woman Exposes
His Change of Front.
BY IDA Hustled HARPER.


BY IDA Hustled HARPER.
The Progressive party had its first
opportunity to show its loyalty to the
woman suffrage plank in its platform
when the vote was taken in Ohio on
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 Mr.. Roosevelt expects
to secure its electoral vote. In order.
to do this a plurality of the electors
must be Progressiyes, and they could
therefore have easily carried the suf
frage amendment If all the others had
voted against it, as the vote on the con
stitution was very light, only a few
hundred thousand out of more than
million who were eligible Did he is
sue any orders to this effect? Did he
say to his followers: Now, here is our
first chance to show the women that
we mean business. or course il 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 suf-
frage amendment" Did he do thisi
On the contrary, he completely ig-
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 q large
part of his speech to showing how
strongly he believed in the ballot for
women and how anxious he was akr
them to get it. The question was not
an issue there or likely to be, but ii
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 people
of Ohio that he knew of its existence.
Two days after the Progressive party
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 suf-
frage to men and women alike" says
its national platform, and Ohio has
just given the first example of the way
1t apparently means to keep that
pledge
In Mr.. Rooseyelt's second term the
suffragists determined to make every
possible effort to secure an Endorsement
from him. AS Miss Susan B, AnthonEs
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 womanS
claim to a voice in the government.
Laying her hand on his arm. she looked
up into his face and said, Il beg of you
to be the emancipator of woman\ as
Lincoln was the emancipation on the
slave" He was not resembling Lin
coin SO much in those days as he is at
present, and he remained totally I'M
moved by her appeals.
Scant Courtesy at White House.
Shortly before he left the White
House several officers of the National,
Suffrage association, realizing his great
influence on public opinion, made one
last effort to have him speak favor
able word He came into the outside
lobby Of the executive office, required
them to state their business before the
crowd waiting to see him and would
hardly give them chance to- speak.
but kept saying, eco and get another
state" He shrugged his shoulders and
turned on his heel, and then they said.
IF we will get up petition of a mil
lion names will that influence your
mo" he replied, mot one particle"
That was in 1909. The next year a
letter from him was read at 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
ment has no more implacable enemy
than the Outlook. and Mr.. Roosevelt is
on the editorial staff. Last February
he had in that magazine ten column
article entitled "Woman's Rights" but
the only right considered was that of
the suffrage The article was such an
excellent exposition Of the attitude OF
women who do not wish to vote that
the Anti-suffrage association ordered
copies for distribution In this article
4 he said again, ain our western states
{ where the suffrage has been granted To
women | am unable to see that any
great difference has been caused as
compared with neighboring states
And yet just four months after this
publication. When Mr.. Roosevelt had
definitely decided to make the contest
for the presidential nomination. all his
scfupIes about forcing suffrage on a
hostile and Indifferent majority van
ished in thin air because million and
half already had votes and the colo
mel wanted them, and he knew they
wouldn't stand for any nonsense about
referendum.