The Washington herald., 1913-11-10
SUFFRAGE TO BE
THRESHED OUT
Hearings VIII Begin Decem-
Der 2 on Question Of
House Committee.
BOTH SIDES MAKE PLANS
VIII Be Represented by AbIest Speak
ers and Most Prominent Leaders.
Views Of Mrs. Dodge.

Women-those who want to vote and
those who don't-win be heard on the
question Of suffrage In this country by
the House Committee on Rules during
the first week in December. Chairman
Henry, OF the committee, has announced
officially that the hearings will begin
Tuesday morning. December ., and will
last az long as there are any women who
want to speak for or against suffrage.
THE proposition on which the hearing
is given" said Mr.. Henry, ''is the re-
quest of the suffragists that this COM
mittee make a favorable report to the
House for the creation of a standing
committee on woman suffrage"
Both sides win be represented by their
ablest speakers and most prominent lead
ers- Both sides will have men speaking
for them as well as women, and it is
believed that more real information will
be brought out regarding suffrage and
its effects than ever before.
Statement by Mrs. Dodge.
Mrs Arthur NJ. Dodge, of New York.
who, as president Of the National Asso-
citation Opposed to Woman Suffrage, will
marshal the forces of anti-suffrage in
the hearing. was in Washington yester-
day and. when informed by Chairman
Henry of the date set for the hearing,
said:
I'VE are ready for it, and we are con-
WINGED that neither the Committee on
Rules nor the membership of the House
should favor the establishment of a
standing committee on woman suffrage.
There is no doubt that the Committee
on Rules is opposed to woman suffrage,
ana when. the members realize that the
creation of the committee on woman suf-
frage would be an unfair encouragement
of suffragism they will not, / am sure,
favor such a thing. My information Is
that the suffragists expect the commit
tee to deny them what they ask.
"A fallacious argument has been
brought forward by the friends of the
suffragists to the effect that 1t would
be good thing for the Committee on
Rules to report favorably the proposition
to create a committee on suffrage under
the impression that this would quiet the
cIamor of the suffragists and give them
place into which they could throw all
their petitions and resolutions. That is,
they would make of the committee a
burying ground of all suffrage propa-
ganda.
Would Consider 1t Victory.
However, such a concession would not
quiet the suffragtsts at all II would
merely result in their utilizing 1t as an
alleged proof of victory. In fact they
would attempt to point out that 1t was
the entering wedge, that it meant that
Congress favored an amendment to the
Federal Constitution for women suffrage,
and that it committed the Democratic
party to suffrage. Members of the House
should remember that it is the custom of
the suffragists to adopt a rubberlike
point of view, and, when they are given
an inch, to stretch it inIo a mile. OF
course, this would be absurd when il is
remembered that both the Committee on
Rules and the House are undoubtedly
opposed to woman suffrage.
Moreover. the only reason for the suf-
fragists' request for this committee is to
make a fictitious showing of strength in
the remote event of its being granted. AS
a matter of fact, there is now a House
committee which handles all resolutions
on this question. 1t is the Committee on
the Judiciary