The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-04
Both Suffragettes and Antis Have Inning Before
 Committee
J. T. HEFLIN KISSED
 BY ANGRY WOMEN
TrOusered and Silk Halted, Dr. Walker Presents Browning Argu- ment"-Threaten Administration
 Unless Their Wishes Are Met

Washington. March 3.-AH phases of sentcd to the House judiciary commit tee today. accompanied by cheers. jcers. misses and applause.
 Deserting sentimental phases of the suffrage argument. Mrs. Crystal East man Benedict and Mrs Mary Beard New York lawyers. threw 6own the gauntlet to the democratic party in no uncertain terms, warning the committee that the political wrath of the 40,oo0.00o women in suffrage states would he visited upon the party unless favorable consideration were given the constitutional amendment Tor woman suffrage
 Ant-suffragists told the committee that woman suffrage would be harmful not only to women. but to the country" At the conclusion of the hearings, Dr. Wal l<er trousored and silk hatted presented to the committee what she called the crowning constitutional argument to show that women already have the right to vote under the constitution"
 Debate Continues In the meanwhile debate on the suf-
 frage amendment was continued in the Senate
 The suffragists who appeared before the committee were divided. Mrs. An
 tonette Funk. Mrs Medll Mccormick | and Mrs William Kent, representing the National Woman Suffrage association. urged that if the c>>Smittee would not report the proposed amendment that it report an amendment to all of the suf- frage question to be decided by referen- dunn in the various states. instead of the legislatures Mrs. Benedict, Mrs, Beard, liMrs. Glendower Evans of Boston and Dr. Cora smith King for the congressional | union, declared that the time had come
 to make the suffrage question one Of political expediency.
 1 '1t is because have the interests of ! this administration at heart, said Mrs. 1 tvans. that hope the democratic ma jority in the House will see it's way clear l to reconsider what after all was a some what unconsldered action of the demo l cratic caucus"
 | Mrs, Evans and Mrs. Benedict warned l the democrats not to dodge the issue l and declared that action on the suffrage question must be taken at this session i Of Congress.
 States Rights Movement "Gentlemen,' said Mrs. Beard, you cannot answer us by shaking in our faces | that tattercemalion of states rights scarecrow and chen expect us not to read the newspapers when you repudiate /, your platform and violate express states l rights in the matter tf a presidential | primary. You cannot tell us that the plat l form will not allow this suffrage dis l cussion because it is silent regarding it. 1 but will permit tho repeal of the canal l tolls exemption which It expressly for l bids. It Is understanding our resources | to suppose that We can't put these facts
 into the hands of l5,0o00o0 voters. includ- 1 ing over 100000 free women. The polit-
 ieal party which will enter into possession l of the federal government on March 1, | 1917 will believe that woman suffrage
 is matter of national concern and
 transcendent national uportance' 1 The representatives of the National ] Woman Suffrage association dlsclaimed
 participation in the political warning of l the congressional union. and for some l time the committee room was in confusion with half a dozen women trying to ex- l plain things. At times during the hear l ing the spectators who crowded the room gave vent to their feelings. Represeutp- tive Heflin of Alabama, who spoke
 against suffrage was frequently hissed. ] Conducts Opposition 1 Mrs Arthur NJ. Dodge, president of the | national association. opposed to woman suffrage. conducted the opposition to the amendment Mrs. Henry White of Bos- ! ton declared that woman has succeeded i in getting all of her legal rights without the ballot. and that ballot was unneces sary.
 "The wise state recognizes that woman n must be preserved for the work she only i can do for the state" said Miss Alice l H. Chittenden, of New York, "when a
 woman attempts to fight with the weap i ons of men she is playing a losing game 1 Mrs. Margeiy Dorman of the Wage Farmers Suffrage League of New York | says that working women did need the 1 ballot. She said that women in the labor world were "transitory and accidental
 and could not have thc experience neces- | sary to cope with government problems. l During the debate in Senate Senator 1 Clapp declared that all the sinister in-
 fluences of the country were lined up
 against woman suffrage. He said he re- l gretted that good people. in opposing
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