The Washington herald., 1913-12-28

| body to remain in Washington lonl
i enough to give the business men oi
| this country a banking and currency sys.
/ tenn by means Of which they can make
use of the freedom Of enterprise and oi
| Individual initiative which We are aboui
| to bestow upon them"-referring to the
/ tariff measure.
| Despite the earnest effort OF the Presi
4 dent and his spokesmen in Congress tC
promote agreement upon the banking anc
| currency measure, II was not brought e
a conclusion during the special session
but was carried over.
Amendments to the Constitution.
One OF the most interesting political
events of the year was the coming into
force of the Sixteenth amendment,
through its ratification by the requisite
number of States. Thirty-fve States had
already accepted it, and President-elect
Wilson, still governor Of New Jersey,
was anxious to have that Commonwealth
make the decisive thirty-sixth. When
| T. became known that New Jersey was
about to adoot this income-tax amend
ment, several other States entered the
race. The legislature of Delaware
adopted the amendment on the morning
OF February 3, but later II was found
that Wyoming, under suspended rules
: had acted an hour earlier. This new
article of the constitution, the first ad-
dition to that venerable document In
forty-three years. reads as follows: THE
| Congress shall have power to lay and
| collect taxes on incomes, from whatever
| source derived, without apportionment
among the several States and without
| regard to any census or enumeration. -
On April s, the Connecticut legislature
4
| the popular election Of United States
Senators, and the measure became a
part Of the constitution.
The action OF the California assembly
on April Is in passing a measur pro.
hibiting alien ownership Of land. against
which Japan had protested with marked
| emphasis, caused a distinct furry In
political circles. President Wilson.
through Secretary Of State Bryan. made
a strong appeal to the California law
making body not to discriminate against
the Japanese, and sent Mr.. Bryan to
confer with Gov. johnson and the leg
islature on the matter. After several
conferences between Mr.. Bryan and the
California lawmakers the latter passed
revised alien-land bill which was still
| Objectionable TO Japan and to the Wash
ington administration. On May 5. the
| Arizona legislature passed a bill pro-
though President Wilson urged Gov.
johnson to withhold his approval OF the
measure, the latter signed II on May -.
three days after Gov. Hunt, of Arizona,
had signed a similar bill.
The woman suffrage movement-mili-
tant abroad and without violence at
home-has made marked progress. AT
the collapse OF a franchise bill from
which they had expected to derive con-
siderable benefit, the British suffragists
concluded they had been tricked, and they
promptly declared war to the knife. :.
Meetings of protest were held. incendiary
speeches made and militant expeditions
went forth to destroy. Plate glass win
dows in government offices were smashed,
telephone and telegraph wires were cut
and Parliament House and other public
buildings were threatened. A verttable
state Of siege existed. The disappointed
suffragists threatened ali methods OF
warfare short of murder.
In this country the votes-for-women
propaganda proceeded far more sanely,
and made distinct progress. Since add
ing three States to the suffrage ranks
in the fall elections of last year. making
nine States in all, a number of legisla-
lures have acted favorably on the woman
suffrage amendment. In January, the
Texas legislature put the question of
Nevada legislature submitted the Ques-
ton to popular vote and the New York
assembly adopted a resolution already
passed by the Senate, but the measure
must be approved by another legislature
and ratified by the people In February,
the Pennsylvania house passed a resolu-
ton providing for the suffrage for
omen. In the same month the Oregon
senate passed a woman-suffrage resolu-
he Iarxav aaGaT1nhIv
the Arkansas senate adopted suffrage
amendments.
At the April election in Michigan, the
proposed woman suffrage amendment TO
the constitution was defeated. A Bit
ter contest between the liquor interests
and the Anti-Saloon League was being
waged at the same time, and the suf-
fragists ascribe their defeat to that
cause. In March, the first measure
passed the Alaska legislature conferred
the suffrage upon woman and the Mas
sachusetts house failed to pass a woman
suffrage amendment. In June the ILL.,
nois house passed the senate measure
conterring upon women the right to
vote for Presidential electors and city
and town officials, and the bill was
signed by Gov. Dunno on the Goth. Thus
Illinois became the first State east Of the
Mississippi River to confer any consider
August /, the mayor OF Chicago made a
record by appointing ten women as men,
bers of the police force of that city.
Thus, with ne. especial show of bel
ligerency, American suffragists are keep
ing their cause effectively before the
public. One OF the new expedients which
they have adopted is the so-called hike, /"
cross-country taunt accompanied by
an automobile commissariat and a plenti-
full supply of war literature. A small
company Of enthusiastic suffragists
marched all the way from New York City
to Albany to present a petition to Gov.
Sulzer on the day of his Inauguration.
Another company made a pilgrimage to
Washington to participate in the suf-
fragist parade and pageant of March 8,
in which 5000 women marched.
In June, the women OF the world met
in several important congresses. At the
sixth convention of the International
Woman Suffrage Association, held at
Budapest, June 15-20, twenty-six countries
were represented, including all the Euro
pean nations except Turkey. Tho presid-
ing officer of the convention was a New
York woman, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait.
The Norwegian Storthing gave the full
franchise to women. by a unanimous
-ote, on June II, the same day on which
Illinois gave limited suffrage to women
by a large majority.
On November IL, the French Chamber
of Deputies rejected a woman suffrage
amendment by a vote Of three to one
During the month. Mrs. Emmeline Pank-
hurst, the militant suffragist leader.
whose violent efforts in behalf OF the
cause have more than once subjected her
IN fha dfacinlfna 0f British prison life