The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-03-26
VOTES FOR WOMEN LOST.
s5 VOTE FOR RESOLUTION, 81
AGAINST.
Suffragettes Jubilant Over Majority
of One Vote, Which Was
Surprise.

Washington. March 19.-Women
suffrage advocates to-day lost their
fight in the United States senate for
a resolution proposing an amend
ment to the Federal constitution CIV
ing women the ballot The vote was
35 for the measure to "a against it.,
tWo-thirds affirmative vote being
required for passage, and when 1t
was over suffragist leaders jubilant-
ly pointed to the majority of one as
conclusive proof that their cause had
scored a triumph in defeat, and was
immeasurably stronger than it's oppo-
nents ever had been willing to con-
cede
To-day's action, following weeks
of debate on the floor of the senate,
during which many leaders in the
suffrage movement pleaded for post
ponement of the final vote, marked
the climax of a spirited campaign
launched here the day before the
Inauguration of President Wilson.
Immediately after the vote Sena-
tor Shafroth sought to introduce a
new resolution for constitutional
amendment requiring each State to
vote on granting suffrage to women
on petition from per cent of its
voters. The senate went into execu-
tive session before the senator could
get the floor, however, and the reso-
luton will be offered later.
First by Chamberlain.
The resolution defeated to-day
was the first introduced in the pre-
sent congress. 1t was presented by
Senator Chamberlain, of Oregon, and
the woman suffrage committee later
authorized Senator Ashurst to re-
port it favorably.
Though otherwise the vote virtual
ly was non-partisan, the Southern
senators, all democrats, lined up al
most solidly against the amendment.
They contended it would complicate
the negro question in the States. OF
the Southerners only Senator Rams
dell, of Louisiana; Sheppard, of
Texas, and Lea, of Tennessee, voted
for the resolution.
Senator Vardaman led move
ment among the friends of woman
suffrage in the South to repeal the
fifteenth amendment to the constitu-
ton, by which the States are prohi-
bited from denying negroes the right
to vote.
Vardaman's Position.
With the negro question removed,
he said, he favored the granting of
suffrage to women. His proposal was
defeated, 49 to- d9, and PROPOSE
ton by Senator Williams to give the
ballot to white women only was de-
feated, A to 21. The vote was pre-
ceded by three-hours kaleido-
scopic debate on the various phases
of suffrage. Senator MARITIME, OF
New Jersey, was the only member
who said he was opposed to woman
suffrage on principle. He declared
the participation of women in poll
tics had failed to purify the ballot,
and that it would be a sad and sor-
ry day for both women and men
when they were given the ballot uni
versally. The speeches of suffrage
senator's, he added, had excited in his
mind the wonder if they found OBJ
lection to the saviour for not
choosing six of the apostles from
among the women"
Senator Gallinger declared it
would be a crime to repeal the flf-
teenth amendment, even if it were a
blunder to have passed it. Senator
Townsend insisted it was no blunder
to have passed it, and added it was
not necessary to do injustice to the
negro to do justice to women.
White Mans Country.
Senator Newlands declared he fav-
ored making this white mans
country. so as to Shut out the Japan
ese, as we'll as the negro, but ques-
toned the propriety OF doing that
on woman suffrage proposition.
Mrs. AIedill Mccormick, chairman OF
the congressional committee of the
National American Woman Suffrage
association, issued a statement to-
night claiming the majority vote as
victory. For the first time in
fifty years." she said, the women
of America demonstrated their i'm
preston upon the United States SEN
ate.- 1t is a sign of the times and 1t
portends that all womenhood in this
country will be emancipated within
this generation.
A statement issued by Miss Alice