Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-27
SENATOR CLAPP SAYS
SUFFRAGE WILL WIN
If Measure Passes This Session
People Will Decide at
the Polls

United States Senator Moses E.
liant and convincing argument last
evening in the hall of the House of
Representatives in favor of giving the
ballot to women.
The suffrage resolution was sched
uled to be presented in the House to-
! day by Representative william III.
| Wilson, of Philadelphia, chairman of
| the judiciary general committee which
Will handle the resolution.
Speaker Amber will at once refer
1t to the committee, so there may be
no delay in sending the resolution
through the house and to the Senate.
It's passage by both branches without
any organized opposition is antici-
| pated.
, The resolution passed at the last
| session, and If it passes the present
Legislature, the question of amending
the State Constitution so as to estab-
| lish equal suffrage will be submitted
! to the voters of the State next No
vember for their determination. The
decision to launch the resolution on it's
Legislative journey tomorrow was
made after Mrs. Frank M. Roessing.
president of the State Suffrage Asso-
citation, and a committee, had con-
ferred with Governor Brumbaugh.
Senator Clapp, who is in the fore
front of the Progressive movement,
was introduced to the audience of men
and women, in which were many
members of the Legislature, by Speak
er Amber, after Mrs. Mabel Cronise
Jones, president of the Central Penn
sylvania Suffrage Association, under
whose auspices the meeting was held,
had opened it,
Republic Needs Women
Senator Clapp said: "The govern
ment of this country will never be a
true democracy until all of its citizens
are real participants in its administra-
ton. We are bound to have democ-
! racy some day and, no matter how
the granting of the rights of franchise
TO women may be temporarily delayed,
1t is sure to come.
Senator Clapp urged that the most
important reason why women should
obtain the ballot was not that she was
entitled to 1t, but that the American
republic needed her as a member of
the electorate.
The trouble in this country is not
III the bad laws thRt your Legislatures,
either State or national pass" he
said. In the main, we get good laws.
The trouble lies in what l call the twi-
light zone Of discretion; where a man
equipped with legislative powers votes
for law, not because it is q good
one, but because it may serve some
interest, or where a man clothed with
judicial powers tempers his actions
to suit an individual instead of the
public.
IF had to take my choice between
putting into Office a strong, courageous
man in community in which public
sentiment was rotten and dormant or
weak man, backed by a virile public
sentiment 1 would take the latter
lie x.A
that really counts.
Now, it is a fact that the average
pubic servant pays most regard to the
opinions of those who hold the power
OF franchise, who can reach him with
their ballots Therefore, so far as he
is concerned. public sentiment is
lodged in the male. Give the woman
the ballot and you bring into the
stream Of American electorate the
strongest moral force in the country
American womanhood, and thus i'm
measurably strengthen public senti-
ment."
After the meeting Senator Clapp
held an informal reception at the
Speakers desk when more than q
score of men told him they hadn't
given much thought to the subject as
this was their first real suffrage meet
ing, but he was so convincing that
they would declare for the cause. The
stay in the city by Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas M. Jones, and spent the lat
ter part of last evening with Mr.. and
Mrs. William E. Bailey at their home.
Mrs. Bailey, a daughter of the late
General Russell A. Alger, had fire.
quently met Senator Clapp at her
fathers home in Washington and it
was a pleasure for them all to meet
here.
Mrs. William NJ. Robson of North
Third street is spending the week in
New York City.
Charles E. Ensminger has gone to
Chicago for a visit with his brother,
DR.. George Hursh Ensminger and to
attend the automobile show.
Arpad Won Bereghy, of Philadelphia,
who is singing with the Girl From
Utah" spent several days with his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. julius Won
Bereghy, 1916 State street.