The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-20
WOMAN SUFFRAGE
LOSES IN SENATE
Resolution for Constitutional
Amendment Defeated by
Vote OF IS to 81.
FOLLOWS WEEKS OF DEBATE
Southern Senators Line Up
Almost Solidly Against
Measure.

Washington. March 1e.--Woman suf-
fragc advocates to-day lost their fight
in the United States Senate for reso-
luton proposing an amendment to tho
Federal Constitution giving women the
ballot The vote was 80 for the meas
ure to "a against II. Il two-thirds ar-
firmativc vote being required for pass
age, and when il was over suftragist
Leaders juDi!antly pointed To the ma
jority If one as conclusive proof that
their cause had scored triumphant
defeat and was immeasurably stronger
than Us opponents ever had been will
in.- To cvnCcdc.
To-day's action. following weeks Of
debate on tho floor of the Senate
marked the climaN of "A spirited cam
paiSn launched here the day before
the inauguration of President Wilson
Immediately after the vote, Senator
Shafroth, OF Colorado. sought to In
t'oducc new resolution for constitu-
tional amendment requiring each State
TO vote on granting suffrage to women
OH petition from per cent of its vo-
ters. The Senate went into executive
session before tho Senator could get
the iloor,i and the resolution will be
offered later.
Tho resolution defeated to-day was
the first Introduced in the present Con-
grcss. 1t was presented by Senator
Chamberlain, OF oregon. and the Wu-
man Suffrage Committee later author
lied Senator -Ashurs> 10 report 1t fav-
orably.
Opposed by Southerners.
Though otherwise the vote virtually
WAS nonpartisan, the Southern Sena-
tors. all Democrats. lined up almost
soiidly against the amendments They
i,.l, ,..H
gro question in their States. OF the
SouthcrncrS. only Senators Ransdcil
Louisiana: Sheppard, Texas, and Lea
Tennessee. voted for the resolution.
Senator Nnrdaman led a movement
among the friends of woman suffrage
in the South 10 repeai the fifteenth
amendment to the Constitution, by
which the states aro prohibited from
denying negroes the right TO votc.
With the negro question removed, he
said. he favored the granting of suf-
fragc to women. His proposal was de-
fcatcd. ~ to 10, and proposition by
senator Williams to give the baffot to
white women only was defeated, Al
to 81.
The vote was preceded by n three
hour. Kaleidoscope debate on the va
rioua phases OF suffrage. Senator Mar
tine, of New Jersey, was tho only mem
ber WHO said he was opposed to woman
suffrage on principle.
Senator Galiingcr declared II would
be crime TO repeal the fifteenth
amendment. even If it were a blunder
to have passed ii. Senator Townsend
insisted 1t was no blundcr 10 have
passed il, and added it was not ncccs-
sary to do injustice to tho negro to do
justice To women. Senator Ncwlands
declared lie favored making this "a white
mans country, so as to shut tho jap
ancse out we'll as tho negro, but
questioned the proprlety OF doing that
on Il woman suffrage proposition.
Claim Vote ~ Victory.
Mrs. Mcdill Mccormick. chairman OF
the congressional committee of the Ma
tional American Woman Suffrage AS
sociation, issued statement tonight.
ella lining the majority vote az n victory.
a statement issued by Miss Alice
Paul. chairman of the Congressional
Union for Woman Suffrage, regretted
that the Democratic leaders In charge
of the suffrage amendment In the Sem
ate allowed the measure to bo wrecked
for tho time being by forcing 1t to Il
premature vote" Miss Paul added
that the union hoped that in tho two
or three months remaining before the
session closes, Congress would recon
cider its action.
Senators voting for the Ashurst
Continued On Fifth Pago.)