The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
Suffragists Ready for Tug Of War
How Elections Are Whitewashing Map

but on larger scale. This il q State
800 miles long by 800 wide intersected
by high mountains; the cities and towns
widely scattered; enormous ranches; is
olated mining camps, and among all
these the women must reach the hum
dred thousand voters Montana is called
the "wettest'' State in the Union. There
are practically no laws restricting the
liquor trafic, and he-legislature is OPEN
Iy dominated by the liquor interests.
Never IN any other State have they
made so open, direct and determined a
fight on a woman suffrage amendment.
Their oficial organ. The Forum, in dis
cussing II, said: ''An the saloon men in
the State are lined up for united effort
in behalf OF the business" and IL called
on not only the State, but the National
Liquor Associations for help. The Mon
tana Protective Association sent out
over the country a circular calling Itor
funds and saying: Our State legis-
Iature has just closed its session and
our association has been very successful
in defeating every measure which would
have harrassed our trade. We are
now preparing a Statewide campaign
against woman suffrage, which will be
submitted to the electors at an early
date" The money has been hoerally
supplied, and what the women can ac-
COTnDllSn lUClT bllAdlA AhCoAAS e--N
no votes y their own will be known
within the next ten days. II the amend
ment fs carried it will be principally by
the farmers and the labor unions
A Peculiar situation.
A peculiar situation exists in North
Dakota The last legislature adopted
resolution TO submit a woman Suffrage
amendment, but It requires to be acted
upon by a second. The last one, however
by a clause in the State constitution was
able TO enact a law removing the word
male" as a qualification, but it cannot
go into effect until approved by the vo-
tiers, who will pass on IL at the coming
election. Unfortunately such a referen-
dunn to succeed requires majority OF
the largest number Of votes cast AZ the
election and no measure IL ever carried
IN any State with this handicap. Probably
woman suffrage never in any other state
has received such Endorsement, which in
cludes that OF the Democratic. Repuol-
can. Progressive Socialist, and Prohibi-
ton State organizations; the labor asso-
Citations: the clergy of almost the whole
State, and the State Sunday school conven-
ton: the Tri-State Grain Growers Asso-
citation; the State Educational Association
in fact practically all the organized
bodies that stand for progress. Neverthe-
less it is considered extremely doubtful
IL il can get the necessary two-thirds vote.
1t seems. however. that a constitutional
amendment which has been submitted by
two legislatures requires only a majority
of all the votes cast on 1t. 50 IL the
proposed law fails the women will only
have to wait until 1916 for their victory.
The women of South Dakota feel hope
full of success even though an amend
6afa a1
that State. There is a considerable foreign
population from parts of Europe that do
not believe In equal rights for women
and they have contributed largely to pre-
vious defeats. Little doubt exists that
an amendment was carried in 1886, but,
counted out by a small majority after the
returns, had been held back several
weeks. There is a strong prohibition senti-
ment-in the State; the WOman's Christian
Temperance Union has led in suffrage
work. and in 1909 the liquor interests de-
feated the amendment Since then five
more Western States have enfranchised
their women and this action especially in
the nearby State Of Kansas has had
great influence in South Dakota. The leg
islature submitted the question by 10 70
30 in the House and Il to in the Senate.
All of the prominent organized bodies
of women have indorsed 1t, the State
Teachers Association, the churches gen.
orally, and many organizations OF men,
but not so many as in North Dakota
The Mitchell Clarion says: The man
ager for the Retail Liquor Dealers As
sociation is now purchasing space in the
various newspapers to be used in oppos-
ing woman suffrage" The South Dakota
Messenger says: We are reliably in
formed that 5000 sample ballots for use
by the -suffragists have been printed.
Who paid for them? There is no anti
suffrage organization in the State.