Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-09
ASK FOR MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Executive Given Chance to Remedy
Alleged Oversight,
DEFINES OFFICIAL POSITION
He Says Votes for Women is Not
in Platform.
PERSONALLY FAvoRs MOVE
Thinks the House Should Have =
Committee ON Woman Suffrage,
but as President he Cannot
Recommend II.

WASHINGTON. Dec. s.--President Will
son today told delegation from the
National American Women's Suffrage
association that he favored standing
woman's suffrage committee in the house
OF representatives, but he denied their
request that he send a special message
to congress urging the reform.
Marching by twos and fours. with ban
ners aflost, the suffragists braved the
chill winds of a raw day to storm the
White House offices They were soon
ushercd into the presidents private Of
flee and formed in circle about Mr.
Wilson.
DR.. Anna Howard Shaw, president Of
the association, summarized briefly their
appeal to the president to assist the
movement either by sending a special
message to congress or by including ref
eIence to suffrage In any general message
he might deliver. or by using his in
fluence to have a special committee of
the house appointed to consider the sub
ject.
In cold. biting wind, that whipped
their banners and 1played havoc with
feminine flnery. about 100 leaders OF the
cause who remained here after their last
weeks convention assembled at suffrage
headquarters near the treasury for the
march to the White House.
Between lines of police and bearing
banners representing nearly every state.
the women tramped off, headed by DR..
Anna Howard Shaw, Mrs. Medill McCor-
mick. Mrs. Susan W.. Fitzgerald and
others appointed on the committee Of
fifty-five by the convention to arrange
for the meeting with the president.
Defines official Position.
Il want you ladies. IL possible" said
the president to the delegation. III can
make II clear 10 you, to realize just what
my present. situation 10.
whenever walk abroad I realize that
/ am not q free man; I am under arrest
/ am SO carefully but admirably guarded
that / have not even the privilege of
walking the streets. That II. aslt we're,
typical of my present transference, from
being an individual with his mind on any
and every subject to being an official
of q great government and, incidentally,
or SO II falls out. under our system OF
government, the spokesmen of a party.
II set myself this very strict rule when
] was governor of New Jersey and have
followed II as president and shall follow
II as president--that am not at liberty
to urge on congress in messages. policies
which have not had the organic consid-
Grafton of those for whom l am spokes-
man.
In other words, I have not yet pre-
sented TO any legislature my private
views on any subject and 1 never shall
because conceive that TO be part of the
whole process Of government that shall
be spokesman for somebody, not for my
self. II would be an impertinence. When
l speak for myself / am an individual;
when I am spokesman for an organic
body, am representative.
Speaks as individual.
For that reason, you see, I am, by my
own principles, shut out, in the language
Of the street, from starting anything.
] have to confine myself to those things
which have been embodied as promises
to the people at an election. That is the
strict rule l set for myself.
Il want TO say that with regard to all
other matters, ! am not only glad to be
consulted by my colleagues in the two
houses. but I hope they will often pay
me the compliment OF consulting me when
they want TO know my opinion on any
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