Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-23
USES COURT DECISION
AS SUFFRAGE ARGUMENT
In Place of Grandfather Clause"
Excluding Negroes, Miss Perry
Would Give Votes to Women.
MONTAGUE GIVES HIS VIEWS
Looks Upon Woman Suffrage With
Open Mind, but Would Not Vote
for 1t Unless There Were Large
Sentiment in It's Favor.

Inc recent decision Of the Supreme
Court of tho United States that tho
grandfather clause was unconstitu
uonal was used as n suffrage argument
Yesterday afternoon by Miss Emily X
Ferry, OF Washington. when the lead
crs OF the Congressional Union called
on Representative Montague to learn
what his attitude was toward the SUI
san Is. Anthony amendment to tho Fed
eral Constitution granting suffrage to
women.
This recent decision" said Miss
Perry. "complicates The negro prohlon,
IN many states of the South Bv Civ
ing southern women the vote the prob
lem could be settled. once and for all,
without the necessity for any more
crooked or ovasivc legislation White
women or the South outnumber by more
than 100000 negroes OF both sexes"
Representative Montague agreed
| with her on this point. and said:
lnaSnluch as so many of the West
crn states have doubled their electorate
by giving tho vote to women. tho ne
cessity for increasing their own cleo
| toratcs also Will, believe drive the
Southern States, sooner or later. into
doing the same. ] think the suffragists
nave very strong and mcritorious nrgu-
ments on their side, and when thcy
have succeeded in arousing enough
public sentiment in Virginia in favor
OF suffrage to Justify such action you
VIII IND me open-nlinded on the qucs-
tion. L should not however think nv
self justified In voting for IL unless
! there were large sentiment In its
! favor. When the suffrage vote in tho
| West is organized, as is now being
done, 1t Will certainly be an important
political issue
MISS PERRY ARGUES FOR
FEDERAL ENACTMENT
In discussion as to whether equal
20 t.
| matter. Miss Perry said: MANY rights
| formerly considered to belong to the
States have been taken from them.
practically without protest on their
part-the matter. for instance, of
Western forest reserve, and the care
Of rivers and harbors. Even the pro-
posed prohibition amendment to the
Federal Constitution. which would take
away one moro state right by placing
Federal police in every State in the
| Union. was voted on favorably by a
number Of Southern Congressman. Nir-
Eina herself was one OF the states
who used her influence, when the Con-
stitution was made. to lessen the num-
Der of States necessary for the rati
tication OF any Federal amendment"
In discussing the advisabllity of suf-
frage for women, Miss Perry said:
| Either woman is the exact counter
part Of man, OF she is different. If She
| is mans exact duplicate, there is no
EetSOH III NllHupltluS, from ntE any
right that he has. If she is not his
duplicate, then he cannot possibly rep
resent her, because he does not know
her"
The call on Representative Monta-
que was to have been made a couple of
, weeks ago, At the time Of the equal
suffrage conference here, but was
postponed on accoun, OF his enforced
/ absence from the city. Before going
to his Office n street meeting was held
! on the corner OF Main and Tenth
! Streets, and another one afterwards at
$50 o'clock. on the corner of Sixth and
Broad Streets.
STATE: LEAGUE TO HOLD
OpEN-AIR MEETINGS
Next Thursday afternoon there will
he another opcn-air suffrage meeting
at the park pavilion in Highland lark.
under the auspices of the Equal Suf-
fragc l.eagu" of Virginia. of which Mrs.
r. u. Valentine is president. This
Canization belongs To the National
American Woman Suffrage Association.
and is not affiliated with the Congress
sional Union. which is working OK
clusivcly for a Federal amendment.
Mrs. Valentine herself together with
several others. Will speak at this
Thursday night meeting
These open-atr meetings seem to be
growing in popularity, and huge
crowds greet the speakers when an
nouncement IS made of n meeting. The
petition to tho state Legislature TO
submit TO the qualified voters for rati-
fication an amendment TO the Constitu-
t!on of Virginia, whereby women shall
have the right OF suffrage equal to that
bestowed on men, is always circulat cd
throughout the crowd. and large
number OF those present attest their
belief in the democratic principle of
letting the voters decide what they
want by subscribing their names to it.
owing to tho hot weather, the regular
Thursday afternoon meetings of the
Equal Suffrage League of Virginia
havo been discontinued until the fall,
and in lieu OF same the league is con-
Quoting the open-air meetings