El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-06
Eleven States Already Have
Granted Full Suffrage
to Women.

TEW YORK, March 6-There are
M several big things happening
= right now favorable TO the
woman suffrage movement These are:
the change Of the prohibition question
! from a force hinderins suffrage TO a
7 force helping the women; sweep Of
suffrage sentiment. through the men
I Of the South which has astonished the
suffrage campaisners themselves; a
good-natured, tolerant attitude on the
part of male legislators formerly dis
playing active hostility or brick-wall
Indifference. and q movement IN the
north TO demand WOmau's riEht 10 vote
for presidential elec -Ors as a precursor
TO full ballot privileges
It is well recognized that when the
woman battle for suffrage in a non
prohibition state, the forces against
them s~e led by the liquor interests.
This is taken for granted, and rightly,
by all informed persons. The distllers,
I brewers, and saiOcnreepers fear that
L. women vote. their state will go
( dry" But prohibition is now sweeping
! the country faster than woman SUI
frage. It has overtakeu and passed the
ballot movement
Prohibition strong Ally.
In states which have became prohiLi-
ton territory the women find their
work is made easy with prohibition
a fact, the liquor interests give up the
fight against votes for women. the
opposition to the suffrage workers
dWindles and loses its organized force.
The drink question becomes the WO-
mans greatest ally.
The change which has come over
sentiment in the South is one of those
political phenomena which are not en-
tirely explicabie. Looking at the sur
1 Irage map, one half the territory Of
the country Is now white. having Civ
HHnMM
portion is gray meaning partial sut
( frage, while comparatively small
part is black, indicating opposition.
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 t--e
South, corresponding nearly TO the
so-called solid South" Of the Demo-
cratic party.
The South up TO now has been "a
. suffrage wilderness, where the seed
seemed to fall on barren soil But to-
day the belief in suffrage is growing
there faster than in the northern half
Of the states east Of the Mississippi
Marked Change in Past Year.
This change Gas come about princi-
pally in the last y months and is in
timately connected with the new atti-
tude Of the members of State iegisla-
terus- Politicians usually have looked
on the votes for women speak ers or
lobbyists either with amused contempt.
cold indiffence, or acute fear and
hostility. These three stands. all dan
geraus 70 woman suffrage, are giving
way to a smiling. good-natured COM
plecency. It is somewhat the same at
utude that the VIGOROUSLY easygoing
American husband and father in COM
Portable financial circumstance takes
toward request on the past Of his
wife for some unprecedented piece Of
nnery-
oh. let her have it," is his thought
she seems 10 want il and I don't see
how il will do me any harm compared
TO the satisfaction she apparently will
feel.T
It is American chivalry coming TO
the fore. Chivalry toward women is
especially characteristic of the better
blood Of the South The South loves
ana respects WOmanhOOd. and this no.
Die FEELING Is just swinging around 20
a desire on the part OF the men that
their women have as great political
privileges as the wives and mothers Of
the far west
Is Shreyvd Tactic
me movement for presidential SUI
rage IS shrewd tactic on the part
o. the women. The constitution Of the
United states gives TO state le-fsla-
lures the right TO decide who shall
vote for the presidential eletors no
amendment TO any state constitution
IS necessary in order TO give the women
this amount Of suffrage.
It is obviously much easier TO Get q
state legislature TO pass a suffrage
statute than 10 effect an amendment
10 the state constitution. The latter
Is tedious business. involving not
only action by the legislature but n
vote by the men of the state in some
cases and IN other cases the passage