The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-29
Modern Women
xxxv-VoTES FOR WOMEN.
Rv Frederic j. Aaskin.

Never in the history of the suffrage
movement has the sentiment in favor
of votes for women been SO strong and
SO far-reaching. Despite the recent de-
feat of the effort in three state legis-
latures and in n state at the polls,
the leaders never were so hopeful. To
the general public the defeat in Michi-
gan seemed a hard blow to "the cause"
To the leaders of the suffrage move
ment it was only a stimulus to en-
courage them to greater effort, as the
enthusiasm owe the enormous parade
in New York this week bears testi-
mony.
Many leaders frankly admit that the
recent militant demonstration in Eng
land was the prime reason for the de-
feat in Michigan. Others ignore that
theory and accredit the defeat partial
ly to the floods which prevented many
rural voters from reaching the polls.
The short voting hours in many towns,
it is said, prevented a large number of
men from voting. The majority of the
leaders agree. that the combined forces
of the liquor interests had a most po-
tent influence in addition to these
other causes. At the election last fall
the liquor interests scattered their
forces over the different states in
which the suffrage amendment seemed
likely to be adopted. Little. attention
was paid to Michigan then because
even the leaders themselves had not
regarded the situation as promising.
This spring, however, Michigan was
the one. state upon which the liquor
intnrpCtc had hnop nnNnrtratipp their
efforts for six months and the power
of their influence, in the minds of the
suffrage leaders who have been carry
ing IN the campaign in that state, is
largely responsible for the result of the
vote in the legislature. Of course, all
such views are secuted as ridiculous
by the opposition.
The loss of the state of Michigan is
not regarded by the s~uffragists as more
thar a temporary defeat. 1t is more
than balanced in their minds by the
increased interest in the submission of
the federal constitutional amendment.
On the very day Michigan voted adj
versely regarding granting the vote to
women. the congressional committee. of
the National American Woman Suf-
frage association marched to the capt.
tol in Washington at the head of a.
long procession to present its petition
to the new congress to submit to the
states an amendment to the constitu-
ton of the United States so as to
give political rights to the Women of
the nation. This petition has been
made to numerous other congresses. but
with far less apparent results. The
committee this year was received at
the capitol steps by a committee rep
~resenting both the senat and the house
of representatives. 1t was extended
every courtesy and has the assurance
now that a respectable percentage of
the members of both bodies are active
~ interested instead of being paSsively
unopposed, which was the. most hope
full attitude encountered even five years
ago.
Further than this, the woman suf-
frage committee. which has always
been regarded as inactive, is to be a
most active n in the present senate
for the first time in the history of the
country. The democratic leaders no
titled the republicans that they in
tended to take over the committee on
woman suffrage which had hitherto
been known as a minority commit
tee" and enlarge it from five to nine
members. The senate committee on
woman suffrage now includes Senator
Thomas of Colorado, chairman: Sen
ators owen, Oklahoma; Ashurst. Ari-
IONA; Ransdell, Louisiana; Hollis, New
Hampshire; Clapp. Minnesota; Suther-
land. Utah; Jones, Washington, and
Catron. New Mexico.
While all the leaders of the great
suffrage movement in America work
tremendously together for the. good of
the cause, a great difference Of opinion