The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-01
SUFFRAG|ST ARMY
INvAOES CAPITOL
DEMANDING VOTES
Women Paired Off to Meet
and Interview Senators in
Behalf Of Cause
SOUTHERNERS PAY
GRAVE ATTENTION
All Portions Of Nation Repre-
sented---Believe Serious
Impression Has
Been Made

WASHINGTON. July 31.-The suf-
fragist supporters of an amendment
to the constitution of the United
States visited the senate today TO
plead their cause. They came, not
In a solid phalanx. but two by two.
each pair of opponents of the gentle
doctrine of votes for women" bent
upon interviewing the senator's from
their respective states. There are 90
senator's: there were a6 interviews:
there are IS states; SO there were 4s
pairs Of special pleaders But. of
course. not all the petitioners saw
their senators.
The suffragist army assembled at
Hyattsville, Nd. six miles northeast
of Washington. at 10 o'clock this
morning. There was a reception and
a rally in The pretty suburb and then
the concourse OF women embarked Tor
Washington In gaily decorated auto
mobiles In line were ~ motor cars,
their tonneaus and hoods swathed in
yellow and white bunting. with
streamers. remnants and rosettes
strea ming behind. The six-utie run
TO Washington was SO paced as to
bring the head of the procession to
the foot Of the great stairway leading
to the senate end of the capitol at
high noon. All along the route of
the parade there were outbursts or
aapplause. A Gordon of mounted po-
lice preceded the procession as far
as the entrance To the capitol grounds.
but in striking dissimilarity to the suf-
frage demonstration of March Sd.
The presence of the bluecoats was
wholly unnecessary. although they
presented an ofIs&snental feature of
the parade.
Participating In the demonstration
were prominent suffragists from all
quarters. nf the Inhcr rxcept the Pa
ttfc coast Miss JSAnnette Rankin,
president Of the Montana Suffragette
association. held the record. however,
for distance travelled to attend the pre-
sentation Of the mass of petitions.
Army CorraIled In Lobby.
Arriving at the senate floor. the pc
titioners were corralied by ushers and
doorkeepars in the outer lobby near
the entrance to the marble room. The
names of the visitors were then sent
two by two TO the floor of the senate
and the attention of the senators in
vited to the visitors. AS each senator
responded to the call to stand and
deliver an 'opinio@.' the suHragists
were ushered to the marble room
Their reception was cordial in the last
Il
Southern states. who in the senate
i will oppose the general proposition
of a constitutional amendment. listen
ed with grave attention to the brief
arguments of the women. In every
instance the senators were presented
with the petitions of the various
states which the suffragists brought
with them. Pennsylvania, New Jer-
sey. Ohio. Illinois New York. Massa-
j. a t,n for
! from the trans Mississippi region re-
! ceived the more bulky petitions, pu'
none was forgotten.
The morning hour In the senate
chamber was given over to speech
making in behalf of the suffrage
cause In anticipation of the visit 6
special section of so seats had beer
/ reserved in the ladies' galleries for tht
representatives Of the suffrage move
ment They heard speeches from Sen
ators Shafroth. OF Colorado. Owen. o.
Oklahoma. sherman. of Illinois
Works, Of California; Amhurst, OF Arr
coma; Smoot. of Utah: Lane. Of Ore
eon, and PoindeXter. of Washington
! All the speeches delivered in the sen
ate were in support of the suffragists
contention, 1t was not a debate, but {
suffrasist seemed TO enjoy the demon
stration of friendship and fealty TO thu
1
The National Council of Womel
xoters were among the leading partici
mnts OF today's demonstration ant
the Federal Women's Equality League
was another organization which en-
gagged in bringing about the effort a
presenting so graphically the feminine
side Of the suffrage argument
There is reason to believe that tn
vote of the senate will show hardly
majority in favor Of submission of tn
amendment to the legislatures OF tn
various States. whereas twothirds o
the senate must vote in favor Of tn
resolution to pass 1t under the con
I stit1tion.
A banquet at which covers were lai'
for 500 was given tonight at tn
Brighton hotel. Miss Alice Paul
chairman of the Women's Congress
sional union. presided. and the re
spondents to the list OF toasts includ
ed Senators Thomas. Of Colorado
RansdeIl, of louisiana: Ashurst, o
Arizona. and Owen, Of Oklahoma. an
Mrs. Lees Laidlaw. Mrs. Susan Fitx
: gerald and Mrs. Mary Ware bennett