Mexico Missouri message., 1913-12-25

their support. They were given q
tient hearing by committee o, o.
gress. Women can now vote in n po,,,
many states and while It may be- Nm.
gracious to say SO, 1t seems TO be- tb.,
acknowledged fact OF their political
influence which has changed the ottI.
tude OF many men toward their cause
Marked Growth Of Sentiment
II makes no difference how ma
views the question of suffrage the
fact of the growth of sentiment in ts
favor Is so plain that 1t cannot be 10.
nored. Even In the south, where Oh.
position has been marked, the women
report progress. In New England.
where the anti-suffrage state organiza.
tions have been strong and in per-
sistent fighting mood for years. the
suffrage cause is gaining rapidly.
In Maine only two years age there
were few to listen to the cry Votes
for Women" Maine all at once un-
derwent a change of manner. IndiRer.
ence became interest and sleepiness
became wakefulness. In one year the
women of Maine succeeded in winning
to their cause almost a majority OF the
legislature of the state. They arc at
work now trying to make victory a
matter Of the near future.
In Massachusetts the women suiira-
gists have turned their attention to
the work of defeating for reelection
members OF the legislature who op-
pose their cause. Last year there was
a majority OF the lower house in Mas
sachusetts in favor of woman SUI.
frage, but the majority was not large
enough to secure a submission to the
people OF an amendment to the state
constitution. The women already are
at work again In Massachusetts, trying
to make their victory complete.
In Connecticut the woman suffrage
movement has gone ahead rapidly in
the last year or two. There were
certain disclosures of vice conditions
made In the cities of Connecticut
which aroused the women OF the state
to action and which they say made
them feel that unless women could get
the ballot the family life was not safe.
As to Presidential Primaries.
President Wilson's recommends
tion for the selection of candi-
dates for the presidency by means
of general primaries has been the
subject OF discussion and actual
controversy among the politicians in
Washington every day since the mes
sage was written. The Republicans
and the Progressives think that they
see symptoms Of alarm in the Demo
cratic ranks over Mr.. Wilson's pro
nouncement.
1t Is a fact, because the Democrats
have made It plain, that some OF them,
few at any rate, are worried over this
thing because, as some OF them view
1t, the presidential primary in way
would give a state like new York with
its immense population an influence
and power equal to that of eight or
ten states in the south. This view
OF the matter has been set forth by
Democratic journals in the southern
states.
Now while some of the Democrats
of the rank and fle are worried over
Mr.. Wilson's desires in this matter.
there are chieftains of the party who
seemingly do not worry at all SO far
as the next national campaign is con-
cerned, and II they feel any fear 1t is
solely because the primary may be a
stumbling block In the path of ambi-
tion In the far future
The friends of William J. Bryan,
Champ Clark, Oscar w. Underwood
fn tfa1
possibilities, or probabilities, seem to
day to look forward to the next cam.
paign with eyes that see things only
one way. They say that presidential
primaries or no presidential prima-
ries, If Woodrow Wilson's administra-
ton is a success he is bound to be
renominated and probably elected.
and II it is not success he will be
renominated just as certainly and
probably defeated.
1t is very simple proposition ap-
parently as the followers of Mr..
Bryan, Mr.. Clark and Mr.. Underwood
view 1t, and as probably also the three
chieftains themselves view 1t. With
Mr.. Wilson successful in his admin
istration, not one of the three prob
ably thinks that he has chance for
the nomination, and with Mr.. Wilson
unsuccessful not one of them thinks
a Democrat would stand much chance
OF election and consequently no one
of them cares to be offered up as a
sacrifice.
How They See the Future.
Democrats I'm congress- already are
talking of the campaign two years
hence. They seem to think that If
the tariff law works well, II the cur
rency measure does not founder the
finances and IL antitrust legislation
does not disrupt business, not only
will Mr.. Wilson be assured of the
nomination, but Clark and Under
wood. following the lead of Bryan, will
come out in public statements en-
a IL