The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-16
Senate Approves Plan
to Submit Question
to the Voter. By 81
Yeas to IL Nays
WOMEN OF BOTH.
SIDES ON HAND
They Pin Roses or Jonquils on the Coats
of the Salons and Applaud Ere
quently as the Roll Is Being Called
-Beidleman With the Ants

The strenuous suffrage war which
has been waged for the last Tour year:
came to an end, so far as the Legisla
ture is concerned, last night in the Sen
ate when that body passed the resolu
tion to submit to the people at the
polls in November the question OF
whether women shall vote. The mat
ter will come before the people in the
form of constitutional amendment
The bill TO submit it to the people wss
passed by both branches of the Legisla
ture two years ago, but the constitution
requires that it pass two successive
Legislatures before it can be voted on
at the polls, This year it was intro
duced in the House by Mr.. Wilson, oi
Philadelphia, and passed that body 10y
1870 to 10, and last night in the Senate
it passed by 81 yeas to IL nays, a
greater majority than its friends ex
pected.
The Senate chamber was crowded
with visitors last night. 1t was gen
orally agreed that the suffrage women
would win and they were present in
great numbers, occupying the space on
the floor of the Senate to the left of
the presiding officer. All wore yellow
ionquils and they carried hundreds OF
the flowers with them with which they
decorated Senators and others favoring
their cause.
The advocates of suffrage were head
ed by Mrs. Frank Roessing, of Pitts
burgh, State president; Miss Hannah
Patterson: president of the Woman Suf'
frage League, and Mrs. Mabel Cronise
Jones, of Harrisburg, president of the
Central Pennsylvania Woman's Suffrage
Association. With them were delega-
tions from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
Harrisburg, Lancaster, Wilkes-Barre,
Lewisburg, Selinsgrove, Williamsport
and York.
The Ants Largely Represented
The suffragists were led by Mrs.
Horace Brock, of Lebanon, president of
the State Association of Ants; Mrs. J.
Gardner Cassatt, vice president; Mrs,
John B. Heron, Pittsburgh, and Mrs,
Eliza ID. Armstrong, Pittsburgh. With
them were delegations from Philadel-
phia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, West
Chester, Bryn Mawr and Mechanics
burg. The ants wore pink roses and
pinned similar flowers on their friends,
and Lieutenant Governor McClain, who
was a neutral and wore both rose and
jonquil.
The suffrage amendment measure was
near the head of the calendar, and was
soon reached in the regular order of
business. When the Lieutenant Cover
nor has put the question: "Will the
Senate agree to the bill on final pas
of
chairman of the Republican State Com
mittee, arose and urged the passage of
the measure as a means of keeping the
pledges of the party platform. The Re-
publican party had embodied the pledge
in its platform, and legislators had
been elected on that platform, and he
called upon them to support it.
"They are not, however, he said.
"obligated to support this measure at
the polls, but at present it is question
whether a party platform deliberately
made shall be deliberately kept" Loud
applause greeted the Fayette Senator IS
declaration.
Beidleman Against Measure
Senator E. f. Beidleman, of Harris
burg, who two years ago made speech
against the measure, was the principal
speaker against it last night. He de-
clared that he voiced the sentiments of
his constituents who are almost unani.
mously opposed to woman suffrage, and
this, he said, he found to be the case
wherever ne had made inquiry. He de-
MED that Senators elected last fall are
obligated to stand by the party plat
form because that platform had not
been adopted until long after they were
nominated. This question, he held, was