The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-14
woman Suffrage Before Congress

The vote in the House OF Represen. |
tatives upon the proposed woman SUI. |
frage amendment, ia in favor of and |
204 against the Mondell resolution. |
pleases both the suffraglsts and the
anti-suffraglsts, judging by the com
ments Of the leaders on both sides. |
Thus DR.. ANNA Howard SHAW, presi. |
dent OF the National Suffrage Associa |
ton, says that equal suffrage "is now
a political and national question" and
that Eve 1.-THE suffragistsl now have an
alignment from which we can move
forward" ON the other hand. Mrs.
ARTHUR NJ DODGE. president Of the Ma
tional Association Opposed to Woman
Suffrage. concludes that ''the final vote
was such as TO persuade the country
forever that the national Congress will
not undertake to dictate to the various
States what they shall do In the regn-
lation OF their franchise" DR.. SHAW is
right hut does not Mrs. DODGE assume
too much?
The House of Representatives as well
as the Senate having debated the equal
suffrage question and voted on reso!u-
tons proposing to submit a constltu
tional amendment to the States, il may
be taken for granted that such resolu-
lions will be presented from time 10
time to Congress for its consideration.
The question has therefore become, as
Or. ANNA SHAW says political AMI
national When almost as many votes
are cast in the House, the popular body,
for such regulation as against IL. DIR.
SHAW Is right again when she says that
1--WE now have an alignment from which
we can move forward" The suffrd-
gists know that so far as the present
House is concerned the Republicans
approve OF a constitutional amendment
| and the Democrats do not. But no
less than sc Democrats voted for the
Mondell resolution. In the Slxty-fOurrh
Congress there will not he 80 many
Democrats and there will be many
more Republicans than sit in the pres
ent House The Democratic ma jority
will be reduced from lG7 10 IS. So
close will he the margin in the Sixty.
/ fourth Congress that the minority, led
by Mr.. MANN of Illinois, who Is now
a full blown suffragist, will he dis
posed to regard such resolution
as MIR, MoNDEIL's with peculiar favor.
| The vote taken on Tuesday has no re-
| latlon to an election for members Of
Congress- perhaps II an election had
been impending the score for a consti.
| intfnna1 amendments urAnlI hn birhaI
hut apparently not high enough to as
sure the two-thirds vote required. In
the next House. and with national
election to come, the result might he
more favorable to the Suffraglsls
Whether the Senate. where the Demo
cratic majority Is to he materially In
creased, would give them any more
cause for encouragement may bc
doubted. II would depend in a meas
ure upon the vote recorded In the
House. There would certainly he no
hope for the sunrngists in the Senate
If they could not secure n two-thirds
vote IN the popular body
Much stress is laid by the suffrngists
upon the fact that the House debated
their cause for ten hours. II is good
deal of time for the Representatives 10
give to any question nowadays, but
ten hours was far from adequate The
question Is much too important to he
disposed Of in rapid fire speeches. 1t
should he debated exclusively until
every member has full information to
guide him, and II would be Il great pity II
partisan considerations were to control
his vote. To the American people the
issue Is one Of transcendent Importance.
The responsibility Of submitting con.
stitutlOnal amendment TO the State
Legislatures IL so great that mere sen
tlment or party advantage should have
no weight in its exercise.
Woman suffrage as national ques.
ton Is now up for the continuing con.
sderation OF Congress, and 1t Is In the
power ~ Congress 70 refer y IN the
form OF constitutional amendment TO