The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-04-01
SHOWS TWO Things.
SENATE VOTE ON THE SUFFRAGE
AMENDMENT INTERESTING.
MAY Lead TO SURPRISE

MAY Lead TO SURPRISE
Only Hope Left for Suffragists IS to
Aeitate Repeal Of the Fifteenth
Amendment, Thus Securing Solid
Southern and Western Support in
Their Cause.
Last Thursdays vote in the Senate
on the Ashurst resolution to submit a
constitutional amendment prohibit
ing States from discriminating on the
ground of sex in their suffrage re-
strictions, together with the vote on
the amendments submitted to the res
olution by the Mississippi senators,
leaving to the States the choice Of re-
strictions in all respects except sex,
made two points plain.
The first is that Senator Borah Of
Iowa was right In warning the wo-
man suffrage advocates that they
could not hope to accomplish their
purpose through the Federal consti-
tuition while the Fifteenth amend
ment remained in that instrument,
complicating the question of sex with
that Of "race, color or previous condi-
ton Of servitude." Many believe,
with Mr.. Borah, who is the giant of
the Republican side, that racial
amendments in the constitution abb
solutely preclude the adoption Of vo-
man suffrage by Federal interposi-
ton.
Others, however, see hope for the
shortcut attainment Of woman suf-
frage in the possibilities Of the Sec
ond point, which was made clear by
the vote OF last Thursday. That is
the demonstration that the Southern
and some Of the Western senators
are ready to vote for woman suf-
frage amendment if it be coupled
with repeal Of the racial suffrage
provisions of the constitution. Some
observers in Washington, including
anti-woman suffragists as we'll as
pros, look for a juncture of these
two currents of political thought
which will have an effect in increas-
ed force like that Of the juncture OF
the Mississippi with the Missouri.
| Thursday the suffrage senators
mustered thirty-fiVe votes for their
proposition. About a score Of sena-
tors who voted against it voted for
the amendments coupling it with the
repeal Of the racial suffrage provi-
sions Of the constitution. If these two
forces had been united there would
have been a total Of over fifty votes,
possibly ffty-four votes, for woman
suffrage.
To carry the resolution for sub
mission of an amendment to the
states would have required two.
thirds, or sixty-four votes. Without
such a union Of forces it would be
even harder to get suffrage amend
ment ratified by the states than il
would be to get it submitted by con-
gress, because the ratification Of the
constitutional amendments requires
the affirmative votes Of three-fourths
Of the states, casting their ballots as
units.
There are Southern senators who
admit privately, though not them
selves advocates of woman suffrage
as separate issue, that they regard
the adoption Of constitutions
amendment by the combination just
described as among the reasonable
possibilities of the present decade
They believe that the suffragists will
profit by the object lesson given by
all of the Southern and some Of the
Western senators in Thursdays vote
and undertake to furnish the South
and Pacific West the necessary s'quid
pro quo.
It is amusing to supporters of the
Wilson administration to hear the
outcries that proceed successfully
from the two Republican rings of the
political circles because of the alleg.
ed purloining Of "tricks" by the
Democrats in the big central ring
When President Wilson made his de-
liverance early in the session in favor
Of presidential primary elections, the
Bull Moosers emitted loud yell tc
the effect that this was avowedly and
originally Progressive Republican
doctrine, and that the Democratic
president was committing politica
larceny in appropriating it without
any acknowledgment.
The administration has never tax
en- any notice Of this complaint, the
existence Of any foundation for it be-
ing entirely a matter of opinion. II
IS, no doubt, the view of the major
ity of the Democrats in congress, per-
haps, that it would be best to leave
to the Bull Moose the business Of ad'
vocating such a primary by constitu'
tional amendment and make the
Democratic movement one towards
accomplishing the same result by the
Independent action Of the states.
Now the regular Republicans are
addressing the welkin vociferously
with the charge that the administra-
ton policy of establishing an inter
state trade commission, provided fol
In the CoVington bill, recently intro
duced, with the presidents backing
is an infringement upon the regular
Republican patent. The Republicans
point out that their platform Of 1912
contained a specie endorsement OF
the interstate trade commission idea
whereas neither the Democratic MOI
the Moose platform had anything on