South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-03

OF the prohibition question from a
force hindering suffrage To a force
helping the women: a sweep of suf-
frage sentiment through the men Of
the south which has astonished the
suffrage campaigners themselves: a
good natured. tolerant attitude on the
part OF male legislators displaying
active hostility o. brick-wall indiner-
ence: and q movement in the north
10 demand woman's right to vote for
presidential electors as a precursor TO
full ballot privileges,
IL IS well recognized that when the
women battle for suffrage in a nom
prohibition state. the forces against
them are led by the liquor interests.
This is taken for granted. and rightly
by all informed persons. The distil-
lers. brewers. and saloOnkeepers fear
that II women vote their state VIII
go dry. But prohibition IS now
sweeping the country faster than wo-
man suffrage. IL has Overtaken and
passed the ballot movement.
In states which have become pro-
hibition territory the women find their
work is made easy. With prohibition
fact the liquor interests give up
the fight against votes for women"
The opposition 10 the suffrage work
ers dwindle and loses it's organized
force. The drink question becomes
the WOman's greatest ally.
Nation Half White"
The change which has come over
sentiment in the south is one of those
political phenomena which are not
entirely explicable. The United States
are now half white" as the suffra-
gists say Looking at the suffrage
map. One-half the territory Of the
county is now white. having given
~-ful suffrage To women. Another
portion is gray, meaning partial suf-
fFase. while a comparatively small
part is black.
The white territory is a solid block
IN the western half; the gray extends
through the middle and the northern
states while the big black block is
the south, corresponding nearly TO
the sO-called solid south" Of the
democratic party.
The south up to now has been a
suffrage Wilderness where the seed
seemed To fall on barren soil. But
today the belief i'm suffrage is growing
there faster than in the northern half
OF the states east of the Mississippi.
This change has come about princi-
Dally IN the last = months and is in
tlmately connected with the new atti-
tude of the members of the state leg
islatures- Politicians usually have
looked on the votes for women"
speakers or lobbyists either with
acute fear and hostility These
three stands, all dangerous TO woman
suffrage. are giving way TO "A smiling.
good natured cOmplacency. 1t is
somewhat the same attitude that the
VIGOROUSLY easy going American hus-
band and father in comfortable fnan-
cial circumstances takes toward a re-
quest on the part of his wife for some
unprecedented piece of finery.
"Oh. let her have it," is his
thought she seems to want il and
don't see how il will do me any harm
compared TO the satisfaction she ap-
parently will feel"
1t is American chivalry coming to
the fore Chivalry toward women is
especially characteristic of the better
blood of the south. The south loves
and respects WOmanhOOd and this
noble feeling is just swinging around
stS a desire on the part Of the men
that their women have as great po-
litical privileges as the wives and
mothers OF the far west.
a Shrewd Movement
The movement for presidential suf-
frage is a shrewd tactic on the part
of the women. The constitution of
the United states gives to state legis-
latures the right to decide who shall
vote for presidential electors. No
amendment 10 any state constitution
is necessary in order TO give the WO-
men this amount of suffrage.
II is obviously much easier To get a
state legislature TO pass a suffrage
! statute than to effect an amendment
! 10 the state constitution. The latter
I Is a tedious business. involving not
4 only action by the legislature but a
NOte by the men of the state in some
cases and in other cases the passage
of the amendment by two LEGISLATURES
before it is submitted to the voters.
With presidential suffrage in their
; grasp, the women will find the rest of
I their way easier. they believe. They
4 viii have a powerful weapon in their
hands 10 force full suffrage. Illinois
now has presidential suffrage for wO-
men.
The principal fights for suffrage
this year are being made in the east
ern big fOuT"-New York, New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts,.
Every state in the union now has
an active woman suffrage organization
; but in this quartet aggressive often
sive campaigns are being carried on.
Unless entirely unexpected trouble
arises, state constitutional amend
meats in these four viii go before
the voters-that is, the men-this
/ Iall
Es.rh OF the four states has a cam
! paign committee. The principal lead
! ers are Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait
New York city New York state, Mrs
Frank NJ. ROossing. Pittsburgh. Penn
4 sylvania: Mrs. +. r. Feickert. Dunel-
len y J., New Jersey. and Miss Alice
Stone Blackwell and Miss Mabel Gill
lespie. Massachusetts.
Mrs. Gait has invented novel
form OF cooperation between these
four campaign committees. somethine
like the grand general stan of the
German army.
The four committees meet the
places OF asscmblage being in success
Newark and Boston. To compare note.
and exchange ideas. They fix on
comprehensive campaign plan
Delaware is a distinctly hopeful
state. The state constitution may he
amended by the legislature AT
amendment is now before the legisla-
ture and 81 it passes IL goes into et-
feet
splits DUPONT Family.
Suffrage has split the women OF tbs