The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-24
WOMEN GRADUALLY
WINNING VICTORY.
Legislators at Washington No
Longer Calmly Ignore
Their Arguments.
BIG CHANGE IN FIFTY YEARS
Leaders Hold Their Own in
Rapid-Firc Debate Before
Committee.
Especial 10 The Times Dispatoh. |

iSDcCi1l 10 me 4 IleS-IlSpAtCn.t
Washington, Ma.ch 22--For nifty
years the women OF the United States
hive been coming 10 Washington to
plead with the national legislators for
constitutional amendment, giving
them the ballot. And for nifty years
the legislators have sta back and yawn-
ed indincrcntly as the women pleaded.
md have then gone about their work
OF legislating. TO forget all about the
voice of the women.
But the women who appeared before
the committees Of the present Congress
we're greeted with a very different re-
ecption TO that accorded uieir predcces-
sors OF three generations ago. And
they carried behind them the influence
Of millions Of women throughout the
eountry, whore nifty years ago the de-
mand for equal suffrage came from IA
bmall. eager. earnest group OF women
lar in advance of their time.
Fifty years ago the women who APP
pcared before Congress TO plead for
outrage were either professional aGI-
lators. or new women" III a type that
gained little consideration at the hands
Of the men representing the people in
She national Legislative body. When
.hey came TO Washington they were
crowded into small, poorly ventilat-
I'd committee room, where dozen
bacco, listened i'll a bored way to their
pverenthusiastic stump speeches, and
promptly forgot about them Sut|
three generations have passed since
Then, and when the suffrage committee
II the Senate and the judiciary Com
alittco OF the House Of the present
Congress decided TO hold hearings the
arrangements were somewhat altered.
Things Done Dincrcntl..
d
When the House Judiciary Committees
opened it's hearings there were some
800 women waiting to watch the COM
mtttee and to hear the speakers. They,
represented every class Of women in
the life OF the country, and they were
not there TO forward any vague ILL
defined propaganda. Nor did they pre-
sent the appearance Of professional !
4 Gitators. There were women who stood
high In society, rubbing elbows with
the representatives Of the women and |
girls who live out their lives in the
shops and mills and factories There |
were women Of leisure and working |
women. There were women known the !
world over for their work along philan
thropic lines and women whose entire |
lives were planned alons lines of social
distinction. But all We're there with
but single objcct-the forwarding oil
same plane with men In the POLITICAL
life of the country.
The most commodIous committed
rooms III the big new House and Senate
office buildings were opened to the wo- |
;ncn who made their pleas On the House |
SIDE, mere men. whether members OF /
Congress or not, were OF no account.
The women crowded the men out of |
the room, and even one member OF the
committee, upon arriving late, found
his place at the big committee desk.
on the dais. occupied by fair suffrac-
list lie made no protest. but mcekly
TOOK his place among the mere men
standing in odd corners about the
room.
Where fifty years ago members OF
me congressional committees looked
askance at any woman who was an
arowcd supporter of the campaign for
the suffrage, in this Congr =ss there was
apparent the Eravest respect for the
women who presented the arguments in
FAVOR OF the various resolutions And
where few decades ago resolutions i'm