Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-05
Baked in Senate, Unable to
Get House Judiciary Body
to Act, Women Turn to
Group Governing Elections.
Four Valiant Attempts Made
by PIeaders for the Cause
to Get Action-AIl Fail to
Produce Tangible Results.

WASHINGTON, April AFTER
setback in the Senate followed by in
activity on the part of the House
Committee on judiciary, the woman
suffrage advocates have begun to be-
siege another Congressional body
the House Committee on Election of
President, Vice President and Repre-
sentattves in Congress.
The suffragists, failing to get
whole loaf, now are asking the latter
committee to give them half a loaf
and the troubles of the responsible
Democratic majority over the suf-
frage issue are inCrea sing. The fem
mime pleaders, checked temporarily
in their plan for a constitutional
amendment for woman suffrage. are
insistent that Congress shall, at least
give women the right to vote in cleo
tons where Senators and House
members are named.
1t was~a disCouraging blow when
the Senate went back on the cause"
and failed to muster the necessary
two-thirds majority to submit to the
people of the various States a const-
tutional amendment giving women the
right TO vote While the Senate was
debating such resolution, the Wom-
en- were before the House judiciary
Committee seeking a report on a sim
liar resolution in the lower body. The
House hearings were held early in
March, but the committee has so far
failed to report in favor of the suf-
fragists, and the prospects are that
there will be no report.
Men Turn Deaf Ear"
Year after year, the suffragists say.
they have been appearing before the
Judiciary Committee, and each time
the mere men of the committee
have turned the deaf ear.
In all, the suffragists have made
four valiant attempts during this ses-
sion to get action. On each coca sion
the anti suffragists have been on hand
stubborn,y fighting their suffrage
craving sisters and declaring that the
majority of women throughout the
country do not want the ballot so
far Congress has appeared to take at
its face value the latter statement.
not unmixed with certain reasoning
that suffrage is a State matter and
that the Federal Government should
keep hands off"
First the suffragists begged the
House Rules Committee to report
resolution creating a distinct commit
tee to handle suffrage bills in the low
er body of Congress. They claimed
the women were tired of going to the
Judiciary Committee which always
was busy and never seemed to care
much about the suffrage cause. The
Rules Committee endeavored to side
track the issue and was successful
until members of the House from the
suffrage States forced a Democratic
caucus. The suffragists were jubi-
liant at the prospect of bringing The
members into the open.
Heflin Defeats Move.
After a stiff caucus fight, the wom-
en- were defeated through a resolu-
ton offered by preventative Thorn
as He1in, of Alabama, which declared
that suffrage was a State and not a
Federal issue. No separate House
committee was created.
Then came the long contest in the
Senate, with Senators Ashurst and
Thomas leading the fight for the suf
fragists They lost out, getting ma
iority of but one, whereas a two
thirds ma jority was required.
For six hours the House Judiciary
Committee, with its big room packed
to the walls with suffragists and ants,
heard the feminine orators attack the
House ramparts
The House committee listened pa
tiently, respectfully, as it always
does The women filed out of the
room and then the committee turned
10 the trusts and to impeachment
cases, and showed aside the cause
Undismayed the women trudged %
the Capitol the fourth time within the
session and piled into the committee
room of the Elections Committee,
They argued that, at least, Congress
might report out the French resolI-
ton which provides merely that the
question of sex shall not be raised in
elections for Senators and House
members. This last appearance 'ale
in March was the final stand Of tire
suffragsts for action at this session
of Congress.
May Take Warpath,
1t is now improbable that any &C
tion whatever in either branch OF
Congress can be had before the adj
iournment of the first regular session
Of the Sixty-third Congress. Nom
action means that the suffrag ists Will
go on the warpath in many districts
next fall and attempt to swing votes
against Democrats believed to have
been instrumental in denying the
women the right TO vote, or, at least,
of affording Congress proper the OPP
portunity to vote on the submission
of an amendment.
The main argument Of the suffra-
gists before the committees has bee1
that it is wrong to prevent this issue
from coming to a vote in Congress.
Report out the resolution and let
the members vote on 1t. Don't chloro-
form it in the committee, argued the
suffragsts. IF we are defeated when
the matter is squarely presented 10
the people. all right"
The arguments pro and con have
flown thick and fast about the Capitol
building all winter and the Demo-
Gratis have been a pestered lot. The
ants have threatened retribution II
the Democrats acted; the suffragIsts
have warned what might happen II
their resolutions are sent to graveyard
committees. and the poor Legislators
have been between something like uis
Satanic Majesty and the deep blue
sea.