The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-02-26
WOMEN'SV0TE AGAIN
EQUAL SUFFRAGE CHAMPIONS
WORKING HARD FOR FED
ERAL LAW TO AID CAUSE.
SENTIMENT IS FAVORABLE
Congressman In Both Houses Needing
Pleas and Threats From Skirted
Leaders In Washington and in the
Home Districts All Over Nation.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-Senator and repre- |
sentatives have learned that their
constituents feel a deep interest IN
the question of woman suffrage, no
matter what their opinions may be as
to the wisdom of granting the vote to
the women of the land. So it Is that
woman suffrage is still a prime mat
ter of interest and perhaps concern
In the congress of the United States.
There are many woman suffrage
champions in this city today. For
some reason or other they nave
strengthened their hopes recently
until they have taken on the SEM
blance of actual confidence, that III
each of the three national conven-
lions next June there will be resolu-
ton indorsing the movement Tor
which MANY of the women have been
fighting for SO many years.
The women with the suffrage cause
at heart have been working in Wash
ington for the last three years harder
than perhaps anybody supposed 1t was
in women to work. There have been
rows in the suffrage camp, as witness
the trouble between the National SUI
frage association and the Congress
sional Union, but the end sought has
been the same In all factions, and the
driving has been along the same road.
Women to Win Finally.
Congress will vote again this year
on the proposition to submit a suf-
frage amendment to the states. There
is little chance that it will carry by
q majority necessary to put the reso-
luton into effect, but II the happen
ings of last year can be taken as
symptom it is probable that the vote
will be heavy enough to supply rea-
son to the women for thinking that
finally their cause in a national sense
is on a stable basis.
What makes the women so certain
today that Democrats and Republic
ans, and, of course, Progressives. will
sanction their cause by inserting suf-
frage planks in their platforms? One
by one many of the leaders in con-
gress have been announcing fealty to
votes for women. Most of the Demo
Gratis from the Southern states have
declined to sanction suffrage, but the
president pronounced in favor OF II
sometime ago, although he said that II
was a matter for the states individ
ually to settle.
Public pronouncement of some o.
the leaders, the women say, are mo-
the only things upon which they arr
building faith In their ability to &c
what they want from the nationa
conventions. These women have beef
working away on the sympathies ant
perhaps the fears of senators and reI
resentatives in congress, but they ais
have been working away back In tn
home districts where the women lead
ers now In Washington have lieuter
ants zealously preaching and tryin
to induce the converts to let their rel
resentatives in Washington know o
their conversion.
The women in Washington seem {
be sure that as result OF all thi
the delegates to the national CONVEX
movement and Of the alleged chang
4 in the thoughts of members of col
sress and will be ready to urge or, 9
any rate, to agree, that suffrag
planks shall be put into the platform
It must be understood that this is onl
q setting forth of the views Of tn
women, who. 1t must be admitted, al
extremely optimistic. The fact r
mains, however, that the change
the sentiment in congress toward th
question of suffrage is marked.
congressman Are Listening.
1t may be tina. a great many Of ii
members of congress Of all parties al
no more favorable to suffrage ths
they were some years ago. but thel
are several states now in which Il
women can vote. and as their field
operations increases In size the l
fiuence of the movement is felt mo
broadly, and so some of the congress
men who are good politicians perhal
think that It is wise to give the NOV
ment more careful consideration
day than they gave It in the past
Once on time 1t was quite Il
thing In congress to send suffrai
resolutions of all kinds to the col
mittees on judiciary, who prompt
shelved them and would have be-
willing to forget all about them we
Il not for the fact that the surragis
kept asking for action. Action. no
ever, was never forthcoming. r.
judiciary committee of the house
year ago finally got tired Of bearil
the blame for smothering suffra
resolutions.
The suffrage resolution will be
lowed to 60 before the house aga
this year and rule for its cons
GRAFTON will be supplied by the hou
committee on rules, which has a n
jority in 1t that do not believe in I
suffrage cause. The change of I
attitude toward suffrage is shown
this forthcoming action of the rul
committee. In the years past VIII
q committee was antagonistic to
thing It stood out against its subm
sion, but now since suffrage has
come so much of q political issue {