The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-07-08
TACKLE THE PRESIDENT
FIVE HUNDRED SUFFRAGETTEs
TRY TO WIN HIS APPROVAL.

Wilson Tells Them His Party Has
Not Declared for Cause-Personal-
ly Thinks it is Business Of States.
Five hundred members Of the Cen
eral Federation of Women's Clubs
marched to the White House Tuesday
and drew from President Wilson a
final refusal to accede to demands
that he support the movement of
woman suffrage amendment to the
federal constitution. The president
reiterated his statement to previous
delegations that his party had not
embodied this question in its plat
form, and then for the first time an
nounced his personal conviction that
the suffrage issue was one for settle
ment by the states and not by the
federal government.
The women went away plainly dis
appointed and chagrinned, some of
them talking of immediate action
against the Democratic party. Head
ed by such leaders as Mrs. Ellis
Logan, Mrs. Harvey W. Wiley, Mrs.
Rheta Chile Dorr and Miss Alice
Paul, they had marched to the White
House with bands playing and ban
ners flying. They massed themselves
| in the historic East room, many car
ryiug babies who added their share
to the unusual scene by cooling or
crying accompaniments to the
speeches. Once inside the White
house the women made no demon
strations and allowed their leaders
to do all the talking. There was no
applause as the president entered the
East room, accompanied by Col.
Harts, his military aide, in full dress
uniform. Mrs. Ellis Logan, presi-
dent of the District of Columbia Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs, told the
president of the adoption Of a suf-
fragist resolution at recent general
convention of her organization in
| Chicago. She then introduced Mrs.
Wiley and Mrs. Door. The latter
spoke of the strength Of the suffrage
movement and said that the situa-
ton has changed materially since the
Baltimore convention. There was a
short pause and then the president
stepped forward and addressed his
callers.
"No one could fail to be impressed
by this great company Of thoughtful
women" said the president, "and I
want to assure you that it is to me
most impressive. I have stated once
before the position which, as the
leader Of party, feel obligated to
take, and I am sure that you will not
wish me to state it again. Perhaps it
would be more serviceable if Ven-
tured upon the confident conjecture
that the Baltimore convention did
not embody this very important ques-
ton in the platform which it adopted
because of it's conviction that the
principles of the constitution which
allotted these questions to the states
were well considered principles from
which they did not wish to depart.
"You have asked me to state my
personal position with regard to the
pending measure. 1t is my convic-
ton that this is matter for settle
ment by the states and not by the
federal government, and therefore,,
that being my personal conviction
and it being obvious that there is no
ground on your part for discourage
ment in the progress you are making.
and my passion being for local self
government and the determination by
the great communities into which tho
nation is organized of their own pol
icy and life, can only say that, since
you turned away from me as a leader
of party and asked me my position
as a man, I am obliged to state It
very frankly, and I believe that in
stating it am probably in agree
ment with those who framed the plat
form to which allusion has been
made.
81 think that very few persons,
perhaps, realize the difficulty of the
dual duty that must be exercised.
whether he will or not, by president
of the United States. He, as presi-
mt of the United States, is an ex-
ecutive charged with the Sadministra-
ton of the law, but he is the choice
of a party as leader in policy. The
policy is determined by the party or
else upon unusual and new circum-
stances, by the determination OF
those who lead the party. This is my
situation as an individual. I have
told you that 1 believed that the best
way of settling this thing and the
best considered principles of the con-
stitution with regard to it is that it
should be settled by the states. I am
very much obliged to you"
STORM HITS COLUMBIA.