The Washington herald., 1915-02-14
SUFFRAGE CAUSE
MOVES BY LEAPS
Great Progress Made Since
Amendment Came to a
Vote in Congress.
WIN IN SEVEN STATES
Women Have Obtained Favorable
Action by One OF Both Houses
in Several Legislatures.

The action of the SiXty-thrd Con-
gr"ss in breaking all precedents and
allowing the woman suffrage amend
ment to come to a vote is having a
marked effect on State legislatures
according to a statement by a mem
/ Der OF the Congressional committee of
the National Suffrage Association who
has been lobbying for suffrage in
Washington.
This week marks the lapse of n
month since the vote was taken in
the House on the Bristow- -MondeI
amendment to the Federal Constitu-
ilon. During that time. suffrage sue
Cesses have followed one another in
various State legislatures with ra-
pidity that is Unprecedented in the
history of the movement. according
to the statistics of the suffrage as
sOCiation.
Seven state legislatures have taken
favorable action in one or both houses,
and in others the amendment has
passed Tho committee stage and is
now pending
First Act on Suffrage.
Thr SiNty-third Congress was the
hrst that ever acted on the suffrage
amendment II was argued bv the
sufraEists that if the question was
allowed to come to Il vote. it would
thereby he given a standing that
would compel it's serious consideration
on the part of every State Iegisla-
ture. This. they claim, the events of
the past two %eeks have shown.
ON January - the West Virginia
senate voted to submit a suffrage
amendment by vote of % to l. 4
few minutes later the house followed
SUIT giving final ratification on jan
uary IS by vote of 76 to s. West
Virginia has thus put itself on rec
ord as the first State of the wear to
become campaign State. though
since the amendment will not be sub
mitted until the next general election.
1t Will not be voted upon until 1916.
The committee on constitutional
amendments OF the Texas house on
January 27 reported favorably a suf-
frage amendment by n vote of &c to s.
The Tennessee senate on January Is
voted to submit a suffrage amend
ment. &c to 3. The next day the house
likewise passed the amendment, "A to
IA.
Vote in Arkansas Senate.
On February l the Arkansas senate
voted to submit a suffrage amend
ment % to -. February 5. the house
passed it by vote of 81 to IS.
An amendment was introduced in
the North Carolina legislature on Feb
ruary and later favorably reported
by the committee. The hearing on
the bill attracted a larger audience
even than that which attended Secre-
tary Bryan's speech before the legis-
lature, when he too advocated equal
suffrage. The house refused to pass
the bill. but by vote of only sS to
80, which in that stronghold of con-
servatsm is accounted an honorable
defeat.
Meanwhile, the South Carolina
house, which last year laughed at
the introduction of a suffrage amend
ment, voted to hear the president of
the Virginia association speak in ia
vor of it. and frequently interrupted
her with cheers.
The action in each of these State
legislatures is absolutely without
precedent in the South. Moreover,
three of the Southern States have
taken favorable action on minor suf- |
frage bills which have been introduced
in their legislatures at the same time |
with the constitutional amendment.
On February l the suffrage amend
ment passed the New Jersey house |
unanimously. 1t will come before the |
senate Monday night, where similar |
action is expected. New York was the |
next State to act, and with the pas
sage of the amendment through the
two houses of the legislature on /
successive days. February 8 and 4, is
now ready to submit the question to
the voters.
Favorable Action Expected.
On February the amendment was
passed by the Massachusetts, senate
with snly four dissenting votes, and
on February the Pennsylvania
house passed il by a vote of $50 to
IL. In both of these States favorable
action by the other branch of the
Legislature is expected daily.
In these four big Eastern States, the