The Washington herald., 1914-11-29

were wide open, the walks thronged
with drunken sailors, loafers and out
cast women. / went to the same place
and remained some time on election
day; saloons were closed and did not
see one intoxicated man or woman.
Most of the people were dressed up.
groups were chatting and laughing,
families were going together to vote.
young fellows were escorting their
sweethearts to the polls, and there was
not one discourteous word or act. l
watched one booth where more ma
tionalItles vote than any place on earth,
on the corner Of Chinatown and Bar
barry Coast; 1t was quiet and orderly.
motors were bringing up voters of
both sexes, the 100-foot regulation was
strictly observed. and there was just
one policeman on duty. At the other
booths in that part of town / did not
see any" This man had often stopped
at the suffrage street corner meetings
in New York and he compares these
with the campaign meetings in San
Francisco. Here the women also
spoke from automobiles" he writes.
but the contrast was marked. There
were no timid, coaXing appeals TO
rowdy, contemptuous men and boys, but
ringing campaign speeches for the
various candidates and AMENDMENTS;
sometimes there was a little 'jollying'
IL the orator was young and pretty.
but always among speakers and audi
ence there was an air OF self-respect-
ing equality. young men and women
together. husbands and wives. often
with their children. all intently listen
ing. 1t was a most interesting and
convincing experience"
Convention at Nashville.
Delegates have come back from Nash
willie saying that in all the history OF
national suffrage conventions there never
were such audiences in size and enthu-
siasm At the Sunday afternoon meet
ing, they say, 5000 people were in the
big convention hall. No theater in the
city would have held one-third of the peo-
pie who came to the meetings through
the week, and the effect on the COM
munity was like that of a big religious
revival, fairly sweeping them of their
feet. The South has been very slow to
take hold OF this question, but possibly
its women may be all the more intense
and determined because not chilled and
exhausted by many dhfeats, as Northern
women have been. They have pinned
their hopes to carrying the individual
States without the help of Congress, and
ii will be interesting to observe what re-
luIl VIII DC ny SoAAhClH AACh AOA
their confidence and faith. The temper
ance question. which so greatly compli-
Gates the work in the North, may prove
to be a help in the South. The so-caIled
administration" of the national body
was returned to office and had its way
in every respect, electing the same COM
mittee as last year to look after matters
before Congress. It Will therefore have
to take the responsibility for success or
failure. and all who are loyal to the cause
Of suffrage will hope for success.
A humorous feature OF the situation is
the effort now being made by the Con-
gressional Union for an interview with
President Wilson to know what he Is
going to do about woman suffrage during
the next session of Congress. II appears
that the president OF the Wilson and
Marshall League of the District OF Co
lumbia is to head the delegation, although
when the National Democratic WOmens
Association met in Washington last
spring il repudiated suffrage. The repre-
sentatives of the Congressional Union
have Just spent several months among
the women voters of the West to per-
suade them to defeat all Democratic can
dldates for Congress as a rebuke to the
Wilson administration. Now they want
to know what the President is going to
do to help suffrage. Really, by cOmpari
son. the situation in Mexico is quite clear
and simple.