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-AII Fail to
Produce Tangible Results.

WASHINGTON. April AFTER a
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-
sentatives in Congress.
The suffragists, falling to get a
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 increasing. 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
lions 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 constl-
tutionai amendment giving women the
right to vote. While the Senate was
debating such a 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 tho
there viii 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 sutfragists have made
four valiant attempts during this ses-
sion to get action. on each occasion
the anti suffragists have been on hand
stubborn!y fighting their suffrage
craving sisters and declaring that the
majority of women throughout the
country GO not want the ballot. SO
far Congress has APPEARED to take t
its face value the latter statement,
not unmiNed 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 a
resolution creating a distinct commit
err 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 Democratic
caucus. The suffragists were 1ubi-
liant at the prospect Of bringing ;he
members into the open.
HefIin Defeats Move.
After a stiff caucus fight, the wom-
en- We're defeated through a resolu-
ton offered by representative Thorn 4
as He1in. of Alabama which declared
that suffrage was a State and not
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 sur
fragists They lost out. getting ma
ioritY of but one, whereas a two
thirds majority was required
For six hours the House judiciary
Committee. with its big room packed
10 the walls with suffraglsts and ants.
heard the feminine orators attack the
House ramparts.
The House committee listened pa
tiently. respectfully, as II always
does The women filed out Of the
room and then the committee turned
to the trusts and to impeachment
cases. and showed aside the cause"
Undisma yed, the women trudged 20
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-
tion. which provides merely that the
question Of sex shall not he raised in
elections for Senators and House
members This last appearance late
I'm March was the final stand Of TIE
suffragists for action at this session
Of Congress.
May Take Warpsth.
II is now improba BILE that any SC
ton whatever in either branch OF
Congress can be had before the ad
tournment OF the first regular session
~ the SiXty-third Congress. Nom
action means that the suffragists VIII
go on the warpath in many districts
next fan and attempt to swing votes
against Democrats believed to have
been instrumental in denying the
women the right to vote, or, at least,
81 affording Congress proper the OBJ
portunitv TO vote on the submission
~ an amendment.
The main argument ~ the suffra
Fists before the committees has beel
that 10 Is wrong to prevent TINS issue
from coming to vote in Congress,
Report out the resolution and let
tle members vote on IT. Don't chloro-
form 70 IN the committee" argued the
euffraeists IF We are defea ted when
the matter is souarely presented 20
he people. All right"
The arguments pro and con have
flown thick and fast about the Capitol
building all winter and the Demo
crat. have been a pestered lot The
anti. have threatened retribution -
the Democrats acted the suffraRiss
NaNp warned what might happen n
their resolutions are sent 10 graveyard
committees. ana the moor legislators
have peeu between something Ike nle
slfani, Majesty and the deep blue