Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1913-08-08
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION:.

The SUFFRAGE QUESTION:.
An interesting line on the status of
She woman suffrage question in the
United States senate was furnished
4on July 31st when the petitions
brought to Washington by a delega-
tion of suffragists from each state in
the union were presented to the SEN
.iate. The senate committee on woman
suffrage met the delegations outside
OF Washington and escorted them in
procession into the national capital,
An effort was made by the suffragists
no deliver the petitions from each
state into the hands of one or both of
che senators from that state. The ef-
tort was so nearly successful that
senators from As of the 4S states took
part in the formal presentation of the
petitions in the senate. Only three
Estates, Idaho, Nebraska and New
Mexico, were not heard
A considerable number of senators
embraced the opportunity, while for
smally presenting the petitions en-
trusted to them, to express their per-
sonal view on the question. These pc
'ntlons which carry in the aggregate
more than $4,000 names, all pray for
the enactment of the resolution now
pending in the senate, providing for
Inc submission to the various states
,of an amendment to the constitution
specifically granting the suffrage to
women throughout the nation. In the
course OF the presentation of the ne
iIl1ons, % senators expressed them
aselves in favor of the adoption of this
resolution. In doing so, most of them
speclflcally declared in favor of wo-
man suffrage. Two or three, however
afed language which, if construed pre-
@clsely, meant only that they favored
submitting the constitutional amend
Snent to the state legislatures and
'dld not commit them to active SUD-
port OF the suffrage cause Whether
this language was deliberately precise
: Or merely accidental did not appear.
Ihree senators, Bankheadof Ala
S0auIa, Thornton of louisiana and Mar
tine of New Jersey, declared them
selves either against the adoption of
the resolution or against woman suf-
.arage. Sixty-four senators took part
an the presentation of the petitions. Of
'these, 50 contented themselves with
the mere routine customary in the pre-
sentation of the petitions in the SEN
ATE and did not embrace the opportun-
lily TO declare their personal position
sJn the suffrage question. Thirty-two
senators E1either-swere not present in
the chamber or, it. present, took no
part whatever in the proceedings.
Some of those who were not present
were engaged upon important COM
-mittee work elsewhere.
There are 9 states N which women
now have the suffrage, Arizona, Cali
Gornia, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Ore
-son, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
fOf the 1S senators from these states.
IL went on record not only as for the
proposed constitutional amendment,
souf as in favor generally of woman
&suffrage. Three were noncommittal,
Messrs. Smith of Arizona, Perkins of
California, and Sutherland of Utah.
Three took no part in the proceedings,
Messrs. Borah and Brady of Idaho, and
Clark Of Wyoming.
ar the 10 senators from the New
England states. only one, Mr.. Calm.
ger of New Hampshire, declared him.
:*seH in favor of woman suffrage He
Ssaid that he favored it for more thar
fifty years. Three of them, Mr. Bur
leigh of Maine, who is i'll, Mr.. Hollis
of New Hampshire, and Mr. Lippitt
were not in attendance during the
! proceedings. The other s, Messrs
Brandegee and Mclean of Connects
7as;ut,s Johnson of Maine, Lodge j.. anG
! Weeks ,of Massachusetts, Colt oil
Rhode Island, and Dillingham; anG
Page of Vermont, were noncommittal
Mot: a voice from the middle Atlantic
states was heard in favor Of suffrage
but one voice, that of Mr.. MARITIME Of
New Jersey, was raised against it
Those who did not express their per
Bonal views were Salisbury of Della
ware, Smith of Maryland, and Oliver
and Penrose of Pennsylvania. Roo
and OhGorman of New York, were no
present, but other senators presented
petitions for them. Mr.. MARITIME pre-
scented some petitions on behalf o
Senator Hughes, who was not pres
ssent Re .2 & sj... .#S.
Only one senator from the south de
SCARED himself for the amendme emit
This was Mr.. Ransdell, of Louisiana
He was one Of those, however. wht
seonhned their expression Of supper
merely to the joint resol ution. Of y tn
s5ys,fher south rn senators, both Bryan
and Fletcher of Florida both Bacoi
and Smith on Georgia Vardaman 10
gissi 81 nmolls Of North Caro-
EIna, Smith of South Carolina Shield
s.pEE tennessee shepp ard of Texas, an,
both Martin and Swanson of Virginia
Ssssgere noncennnit 81
In the middle west ssh herman OF Al I'LL i
y1SST1s ;r,olre elocfaerltly for suffrage