Evening journal., 1914-07-01
SUFFRAGE IS FOR
STATES TO solve
So President Wilson Tells
the Delegation at Hear
ing Yesterday
LOCAL WOMEN ARE NOT
PLEASED AT OUTCOME

This city was we'll represented at the
reception accorded suffragists Of the couu.
try by President Wilson yesterday al
ternncn. None OF those who attended
the reception returned until early this
afternoon. Desire to attend party
given by Mrs. Kent, wife Of Congress
man Kent. last night detained them in
Washington. Those who went from
this city were. Mrs. Robert T. Fletcher,
Miss Elizabeth Speakman, Mrs. J. +,
Thomas and Miss Mary II. deNou. From
the Equal Suffrage Franchise League
/ Alrs. Annie Aniell, Airs. Francis !. du.
lpont, Miss Marie Lynch, Miss Rather
inc kyrsa. Mrs. Harry Hearn, Miss
Statnekoo, Mrs Howard detiayen Ross,
Mrs. G. 4. lizard, Mrs. J. u. Hughes Of
Dover.
The sufiragists are disappointed over
the outcome OF their hearing before the
! President Yesterday afternoon. Regard
ing the hearing o Washington despateh
SAYS
ltise hundred women representing
clubs in all parts OF the country, called
on President Wilson yesterday at the
White House to urge him TO support The
cause OF womcn's suffrage. The reeep-
tion broke up in a ''near row The
President stated his position-that sui
frage was state and not federal
question. Suffrage leaders attempted
to argue with him. He declared that
he could not permit himself TO be cross.
examined and with the remark "li
has been a pleasant occasion" he backed
ont OF the great door in the East Room,
leaving the women dumbfounded.
A hiss from one corner Of the
room interrupted a silence that for q
moment was funereal. A faint hand
clapping was heard in another corner
but the leaders of the delegation knew
4 the full import of the Presidents
action. The women filed out, but fol
more than half an hour they remain
cd in groups near the White House
discussing the turn Of events.
Mr. Wilson told the sufhragsts III
very plain words that if he We're in.
fiuential enough the federal govern.
ment would not consider the ques.
tion of equal rights He said It was
matter for each individual State
to decide. He declared that IL this
Bristow- Mondell resolution providing
constitutional amendment were
passed, 1t would indict women's suf.
frage on every State in the Union
This, he said, would be an injustice
to any of the States that did not wish
to ratify the amendment
Mrs. Rheta G. Dorr, the party's
chief spokesman. put matters to the
President very plainly She declared
that as his stand on the Panama
Canal tolls question repudiated
plank in the Democratic platform
he could consistently favor wumeni
suffrage.
Mrs. Wiley, wife Of DR. Harvey w
Wiley. the pure food expert, assiste
Mrs. Dorr in framing the questions
Mrs Ellis Logan, chairman of tb
District Federation present the res
olution adopted by the National Fed
Grafton Of Womens Clubs at the hi
ennial convention in Chicago las
week to the President
In his address to the women, th'
President said:
You have asked me to state M,
personal position with regard 10 m,
pending measure. 1t is my convic
tion that this is a matter for settle
ment by the States and not by IN.
) federal government, and therefore
that being my personal conviction
and il being obvious that there is n,
ground on your part for discourage
ment in the progress you are making
and my passion being for local self
government and the determination b.
the great communities into whicl
! this nation is organized of their owl
policy and life, I can only say tina
since you turned away from me as
leader of a party and asked me mi
position as a man, / am obliged t
: state it very frankly, aud / believ
: that in stating it / am probably il
agreement with those who framed th
platform to which allusion has beei
made.
This is my situation as an indi
vidual. | have told you that / belioV
/ ed that the best way of settling thi
/ thing and the best considered princi
pies Of the constitution with regar,
TO it is that il should be settled b.
fhp Gtafce