The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-23
House Committee Rec
ommends That 1t
Be Rejected.
LARGE MAJORITY
OPPOSES MEASURE
Equal Suffrage League Members
Say They Expected Defeat at
This Session and Will Carry
on Fight in 1eI4-Roll
Call Is Doubt
full.

Women who enlisted "for tho war.
to obtain the Lallot in Virginia. sur-
fered their first defeat yesterday. when
the Committee on Privileges and Elcc-
tons Of the House OF Delegates deter
mined 10 report the Montague amend
ments TO the Constitution with A rec
ommcndation that they do not pass.
This decision was reached in an exccu-
two session lasting only few min :
utcs.
Although the committeeman deter
mined among themselves to tell moth
Ing about how the vote stood or abou,
the attitude Of any member, a little
bird whispered il about the Capitol
that only two voted for the Joint res.
oiution approving the amendments,
while ten heartiess men voted to cx-
clHdc women from the duties and re-
spons'bilities OF the elective franchise
One member. /, is said, was absent
Proposition Is Dead
This action not only means that a
large majority of the committee voteu
against woman suffrage but IL also
means thut the proposition has not q
shost OF chance for approval ut til.
session of 1912. For hardly any mem
bers Of the Legislature save those on
the committee heard tho Impress We
argument for female suffrage on Fri.
gay night last The rest of them wcn,
10 the reception given By the DauRh,
tiers of the Confederacy at Lee Camp
Hall. and heard none OF the interesting
argument on the subject The supposi :
ton Is that they viii take the commit
tees word for IT.
Opponants OF the bill said last eve
ming that 1t would never come TO a
vote. While II will be on the calendar
and VIII be reached In due course. IL
can DC defeated on Its second reading
by show OF hands II Is said conf.
IDENTITY that there will not be a suni-
Client number to force u roll call on
the question OF engrossmeat They
may, however be mistaken about this,
and recorded vote may follow. In
which there is little doubt OF defeat
by large majority.
Take 1t PhuosopbiculIy.
Well" said one OF the women who
have worked so faithfully In legislative
loooies for the success of the Montague
propositions last night, I'VE did not
expect to win at this time In fact,
It was for months question whether
or not we should bring the matter to
the attention of this General Assembly.
we at last decided to do SO, IN order TO
nave II brought TO the front as n pub
lie question. Ia this We have succeed
ed. and we shall continue 10 press the
point to Il vote in the House. and shall
ask the Senate committee for a public
nearing and for a report. either ia
Torable or unfavorable.
IL co tfot
BY the fight and that we have gained
much. We have gained the attention
OF those members who saw what we
could do in the way of bringing our
forces 70 the Capitol and who heard
what we had to offer in the way OF ar
gument. We are satisfied and but little
disappointed. White VIC would have
been much pleased to have secured a
favorable report from the committee,
II would have been q distinct surprise. .
Made Hard Fight.
The birthday OF General Lee of 1912
was signalized by the appearance al
the Capitol of hundreds of women ana
of their men friends and supporters,
asking the passage of the two amend :
ments to the Constitution proposed by
lin Montague. of Richmond, and pro-
viding. first, that the words and fe-
male be added in all places In the
article in the Constitution dealing with
male citizens" in connection with the
elective franchise, and. second, that tho
sections relating to the prepayment OF
the poll tax as prerequisite to voting
be made to include women as well as
men.
For FIVE hours the committee listened
to the arguments. in which logic, SEN
timent and oratory were blended. Every
attention was given the suppliants
Closing his argument, Mr. Montague
asked the committee. If it did not APP
prove the proposition, to at least make
a report OH 1t. so that II might each
tho calendar and be fought ont on ITS
merits on the floor Of the House of Del
egates.
The committee met at 5 80 yesterday
afternoon in the courtroom of the state
Corporation Commission and gave =
few minutes to the matter. 1t .accedci
to the request and made a report 10
the House. recommending that the
joint resolution be defeated
1t Will be impossible, by any sort OF
legislation or referendum, for any ,yo-
men In Virginia to vote prior to 1917.