Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-20
RIOT PLOT STORY
BRINGS A DENIAL
Statement by Lobby Denounces
Tale of Plan to Disturb
Legislature.
SHERMAN BOOTH BLAMED
Wife and Others Say He Acted With
out Knowing What He Was
Doing.

Springfield, Ill, June 2o.-Illinois
suffrage leaders have no ambition to-
ward militancy. Members of the wo-
mems lobby at Springfield could
scarcely contain their feelings at the
publication of a statement in Chicago
yesterday purporting to have been
framed by Mrs. Sherman Booth and
given out in Chicago by Mr. Booth,
which set forth the details of an al
legged plcn to start riot in the house
if Speaker Mckinley filled tc deal
fairly with the suffrage bill.
Mrs. Booth herself denied all re-
sponsibility for the statement credit
ed to her She joined with Mrs. Grace
Wilbur Trout and Mrs. Antoinette
Funk, the other members of the suf-
frage lobby, in reputation of the
story.
Mrs. Trout, Mrs. Booth and Mrs.
Funk issued the following statement:
I'VE were aghast, astounded and
dismayed when we read that the suf-
frage lobby at Springfield was mill
tant and had planned riot and chaos
in the house of representatives. 1t
was our first intimation of such a
state of affairs.
1T is reported that Sherman
Booth is responsible for the state
ment, which was erroneous in its ev.
cry recital and without foundation in
/ fact.
| I'VE jointly and severally deny that
any such action or any action of riot
and disorder was ever contemplated
| by any of US, and we hereby protest
against militancy in any form either
on our part or upon the part of 9th,
ers working with us in the interest
of suffrage.
ANY idea of militancy being abhor.
ent to the lobby. its policy has been
at all times to gain votes by argu
ment and by otherwise spreading suf
frase propaganda among the mo1bers
Of this assembly,
GRATEFUL. TO MCKINLEY.
! Thu suffragists feel deeply grateful
to Speaker Mckinley for his aid dur.
! ing the critical moments of the battle
over their bill when placed on it's fin.
al passage. Accordingly they regret
! exceedingly the publication of the
statement given out by Mr.. Booth.
Attorney General IuCey indicated
that he will send his opinion regard
ing the constitutionality of the SUI
frage bill to Governor Dunno mex
Monday.
The attorney general expects t.
deal in his opinion only with the fun
damental proposition as to whether o.
not under the constitution equal su:
frage may be granted to women fol
statutory offices by legislative enact
ment. There is no doubt that he viii
hold that the bill is constitutional il
this respect.
TO IGNORE QUESTION.
In all probability Mr.. Lucey viii
not go into the question raised b.
himself in an informal opinion givei
Senator Glackin regarding the inclu
sion of county collector, one of tn,
titles of a county treasurer, among of
fees for which the right of suffrag,
is extended.
Another point which has been made
which MIR. Lucey probably will no
touch relates to the wording of tn,
part Of the bill dealing with "presi
Dental electors" 1t is held the phras
eology should have been electors fol
president and vice president"
The impression now prevails tina
Mr.. Lucey will hold that so far as til,
fundamental questions are concerned
the bill is constitutional.
. Governor Dunno is receiving so
kilograms a day dealing with the sui
frage bill. A majority of them com,