Newark post., 1914-12-16
SUFFRACISTS BUSY
in DELAWARE
Amendment Possible Without
A Referendum

with the Congressional Union is
laying plans for a strenuous cam
paign in this State, whereby the
members hope to secure franchise
in Delaware.
At the next session of General
Assembly in January, a bill will be
introduced asking that the sez
qualification be abolished. Women
are asking for the privilege OF
franchise on the same terms that
it is now extended to men. Della
ware is peculiar in the fact that an
amendment to the state constitu-
ton is possible without a referen-
dun. There is no other state in
Union where this condition exists.
On account Of this situation in
Delaware it is believed the pros
poets for securing the amendment
are very favorable.
There is now an educational
qualification for men in this state
and the bill which. will be introduc-
ed to the House provides, "That
no person shall have the right to
vote unless he or she shall be able
to read the constitution in the Eng
lish language and write his or her
name" 1t is hoped that this stip-
ulation will meet with the approval
Of persons who declare that they
are in favor of an educational
standard for both men and women.
The act proposes an amendment
to Section 2 Of Article 5 Of the con-
stitution Of the State Of Delaware
for both male and female citizens.
In order for this bill to become a
law, it will have to be voted upon
by two-thirds of all the members
elected to each house and in 1917
it is necessary for the same bill to
go through the same procedure,
providing it passes through both
houses at this coming session of
General Assembly.
Equal Suffragists Of this State
are optimistic over the passage Of
the bill since it is believed that the
new legislature will be a favorable
one.
Each member Of the legislature
has had a letter addressed to him,
asking him how he stands on the
question. A number Of favorable
responses have been received. It is
believed that about 80 per cent of
those who have expressed an opin-
ion have given a favorable answer.
1t is genuinely believed that there
is much favorable sentiment. for
equal suffrage throughout the State
While there has not been as
much activity in the two lower
counties as there has been in Will
mington and New Castle county,
still it is believed there is much
dormant spirit down the State.
Every measure will be employed
to stir up activity and enthusiasm
during the campaign, which will
begin now shortly. One Of the first
activities of the campaign will be
speech-making in Wilmington and
down the state. Some of the best
suffrage speakers in the country
will be brought here during the ses-
sion of legislature. That body en-
braces only SO members, one of the
smallest bodies of any state in the
country will be brought here dur
ing the session of legislature. That
body embraces only 50 members,
one of the smallest bodies of any
state in the union, and for that
reason the task of seeing each man
personally will not be such an ar
duous one. Personal solicitation
will be employed as well as written
communications. A neat campaign
has been mapped out Each men,
Der of the General Assembly will
be waited upon by a delegation of
men who will try to ascertain how
the legislator stands on the ques-
ton of equal suffrage.
lIcduu ttdIlcIS Will Dt OpCutu dt
Dover during the session Of legisla-
ture, with Miss Mabel Vernon,
Congressional Union organizer, in
charge. Miss Vernon has recently
returned from Nevada, that vic
torious suffrage state, and there is
no doubt but that Dover and the
General Assembly will know she is
on the spot Miss Vernon did splen-
did campaign work in Nevada and
the women of that state give her
much credit for the part which she
played in the campaign.
One of the celebrities in the work
of Equal Suffrage who will visit
Delaware during the campaign and
aid in the speechmaking propa-
ganda will be Miss Anne Martin,
president Of the Nevada Equal