The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1912-10-21
ROOSEVELT BAIT
FOR SUFFRAC|STS
Third Term Candidate Was Con-
sisteRt|y Their Enemy Til
He Needed Their Votes.
COULD HAVE CARRIED OHIO.
But Bio Bull Moose Took to the ver-
mont Woods-Noted Woman Exposes
His Change of Front.
BY IDA Hustled HARPER.


His Change of Front.
BY IDA Hustled HARPER.
The Progressive party had its first
opportunity to show it's loyalty to the
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 Mr.. Roosevelt expects
to secure it's electoral vote. In order
to do this plurality of the electors
must be ProgressiveS, 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 a
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. Of course if 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 amendmentY Did he do this
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 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 vital issue in Ohio, to be settled
in four days, and yet not by spoken OF
written word did he show to the people
of Ohio that he knew of rs 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
it, and In the platform woman suf.
frage plank was conspicuous By its aI
senee. he Prog "A |
frage to men and women alike, say
its 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 Endorsement
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- voice in the government
Laying her hand on his arm, she looked
up into his face and said, 81 beg of you
to be the emancipator Of woman as
Lincoln was the emancipator Of the
slave" He was not resembling Lin
coin so much in those days as he Is at
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 a 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, 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 mill
lion names will that influence your
"No," 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: 81
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 ordere
copies for distribution In this articl
he said again. In our western states
where the suffrage has been granted to
women l 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
scruples about forcing suffrage on a
hostile and Indifferent majority van:
ished in thin air because million and
a half already had votes and the colo
mel wanted them. and he knew they
wouldn't stand for any nonsense about
q referendum.