The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-09
IAGISTS
IrIINED DOWN
By PRESIDENT
IloDn Refuses To Send Special
4 Message TO Congress Urging
Votes for Women
WILL NOT ASK FOR
N AN INVESTIGATION
Private Views Cannot Govern
Y His Oficial Acts, Execu-
tive Says

WASHINGTON. Dec. s.--Facing a
aeIegation OF representative American
4 cu1ragists. President Wilson, this
"a Afternoon refused 10 send a special
>neosage to congress urging votes fo-
S women. He also declined to incorpo.
ote such a suggestion In one OF his
+ SECULAR messages. And, until congress
1tself asks him to. he said. he could
not recommend that the house Of rep
resentatives appoint special com
EEmittee to investigate the question OF
nuNfage such rs now exists In the
nanate.
However, the president was SO dip
1omatic In handling the delicate situa-
xion that tbs women left him satisfied
That II he ever gets the oppor unity
Ao viii aid their cause.
The president based his refusaI on
- tAct that his private views could
Hu< govern iis actions.
~ leader Of his party. he insisted
INK only such organic questions ~
AnA been passed upon by q nationa,
&onventi0n or . conference Of elected
OF the party were sub
0e1 - his action.
he conference In the executive Of
- was picturesque. Every state and
>ifE1torial organization representing
~ national suffrage movement hao
II 0oloGnto present They marched 10
k1k~ uussso II. n toofh rSf h1f.
& bittnk wind. fully determined that
Mt Z chief executive OF the nation
rQM b forced into the open either
3fs or against the vital question for
11ch they xre 6ghtAng.
fosident Wilson received them
Glng IN front Of his big desk. His
~ wss drawn and haggard from the
D&cts OF his recent illness, but no
ook hands warmly with Dr. Anna
&nrd shaw. president - the No
~ association. and MA MediM Nc.
knIck, chairman Of tn speoial conn
- The women gatnsrp4 = ~ aik
M about the chiaf axa04ttS6 Ann
nmiled HE weIcome - three Or four
HEN whom IA knew pefsOnally.
Gm Al vASe In position. DR.. Shaw,
0oatng President Wilson. said:
Ne havo-Uade pilgrimages to the
1ol every yeaF. y-x5p have always
y recoivnd epuytei6y1y. 81 Yet the
DIn11on W Aaxo - StSOagly advo
has been buried IN tAo pcommit
~ ne senate and thA house"
t shaw gevieWod the suffrage
Sfoment, insisting congress had dc.
~ women the right Of equal repre-
nt1on and to q voice In the making
No laws.
NJ. shaw said the sufIragists real.
o4 ~ presidents liberal position
& Qmee&ious affecting the rights OF
~ people" and felt they could ap-
d1rectly to him. She suggested
- ways In which he could help-a
GcIBt message: = paragraph In .
NlAr message. or to use influence
nv house to have special SUI
1Go c6mmlttee named.
~ committee said the president
~ extremely courteous In his talk
III them He explained that he
511e4 70 make his present situation
16& ~ them. and. as an illustration.
6ngeosted that instead Of being .
II 1ifison who coul0 60 and some as
w W111ed, he was now so carefully
n11od that he does not have even
1 prtvileee q walking the street un-
C6lhponied. This, he said, was typi-
1 0f his transfer from al individual
1(k a. opinion on all subjects 10 an
cial OF q great government.
He said that as governor Of New
6ooey. he initiated rule. which he
NJ lotIowing strictly as president. that
10 II not It liberty to urge upon con-
OUo policies which have not had the
(xnnic consideration OF those for
Nom he II spokesman. He said that
wv has never presented his private
Ej0Ws Of legislation on any subject
KIND mover shall. THIS limitation has
roonuod him to those things which
hoye been embodied as promises to
1ao people at an election. Under no
$bfrcumstances, he said. can he depar.
'fFom this rule, excepting where he IS
4oNsulted on new matters by mem
toeS Of congress.
x n this connection he explained that
member of the house rules commit
bkoo had asked him to favor special
onxrage committee for the house. ana
<nk he had replied that he thought
Ioo creation OF such q committee
1oper thing.
Dt. shaw interrupted the president
II Inquire how, II the sufYragist!
}WorOnt members OF an organic body
mat paso on such questions, they
Goa6ht get hearing.
Tie president explained that he hat
{A6ofht a tlik, but he believed tina
4xnw are 0auable of speaktna 10